Dante Day at York

Not a great run from our selection SKIPPERS LAD yesterday who looked in need of the run. I’ll be on him again next time out.

There was a cracking win at York yesterday in the opening handicap from IMPOSING, and this horse should be entered in the notebooks. To win a competitive handicap after a year off the track is good enough to be high-lighted, but the devastating turn-of-foot it showed to take the race inside the final furlong will make him a very useful horse to follow this summer. Interestingly, his half brother is Henderson’s French Opera, but I can’t see this one going the NH route. The race-time of this race – thanks to the fast gallop set by runner-up Indian Days – was exceptionally quick.

There’s a lot of racing today, and plenty of it this evening, both on the flat and the jumps – so there’s no excuse for not being selective and finding a winner today. The premier meeting is at York and the Dante Stakes at 2:40 could be productive. The front-running Cape Blanco should set a decent pace, but I doubt even Aidan O’Brien is putting money on runners from his stable. With only 2 wins from 23 3yo runners for Suroor, its not hard for me to pass over Chabal. Coordinated Cut looks hard to beat on known form, but his win last month was workmanlike. The one that jumps out at me is WORKFORCE. He overcame an awful draw in his maiden at the back-end of last season at Goodwood, and came from stone-last of 12 with an exceptional run down the outside to leave this field for dead and win by 6-lengths. That’s the sort of turn-of–foot that wins races at all levels, and he’s the one for me, with current odds of 5/2 looking generous.

At 3:20, the Listed Hambleton Handicap over a mile looks a cracking race. I have to oppose the fav Rainbow Peak as I feel he’ll be better over 10f+ being by Hernando and this Good-to-Firm going will be the fastest he’s run on. For me ACROSTIC ticks all the boxes; he handles York and the going, he’ll be ridden just off the pace and has the best of the draw (1) for Fallon to pick his spot in-behind the leaders and a repeat of his Sandown form of last July should be enough. Current odds of 5/1 should be taken before the York crowd lump on their favourite jockey. I would also recommend an ew (or place-only on the exchanges) bet on MULL OF KILLOUGH. He had excuses last time out and this mile trip and going will be perfect for the “Lincoln” 3rd, and current odds of 12/1 are very generous.