Horse Racing Betting Tips – Channel 4 Tips For York Day 2

Horse racing betting tips for each race shown live on Channel 4 on Thursday from York.

The second day of the York Dante Festival promises another afternoon of superb racing with the Group 2 Dante Stakes taking centre-stage.  Alongside the 1m 2f highlight, Channel 4 also covers the Group 2 Middleton Stakes as well as two competitive handicaps. 

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1.45pm York

Day 2 of York’s Dante Meeting gets underway with a tough 20 runner, 5f handicap and it’s filled with some classy horses.  

Ashpan Sam (9/1 Coral) will be well fancied with Ryan Moore on board and performed well at a lower class but hasn’t faced horses of this quality and is best watched.  Towards the top of the weights a trio of horses look likely to run good races.  Magical Macey (14/1 SkyBet) finished third in this race in 2012, but has to give a lot of weight away; Ballesteros (11/1 Coral) is stepping down in class and should go well on the ground and off his current handicap mark, while Doc Hay (16/1 bet365) needs to return to the same form he was in last Autumn to have a chance.

At the bottom of the weights Pandar (16/1 SkyBet) finally got off the mark last time out and looks for a quick follow up while Elusivity (16/1 bet365) will be looking to improve on his last run in the same race and, on previous form, should do so.  Monsieur Joe (28/1 Coral) and Desert Law (16/1 William Hill) both return from some reasonable runs in Dubai but both may find the ground too soft for their liking.  Ancient Cross (18/1 SkyBet) has won this contest twice before and will look to complete the hat trick but at 10 years old, his form is slipping and this will be tough. 

Despite the competitive nature of this race there are two stand-out horses in the field.  JUDGE N’ JURY (16/1 Coral) has the ever popular Frankie Dettori on board and the horse should go well off a good mark especially after a finishing a close third in this race last season.  NORMAL EQUILIBRIUM (14/1 SkyBet) won a good race at Lingfield last time out which should have set him up for this and the horse possesses some great form at York which all bodes well for the Robert Cowell inmate.

1.45pm Tip – JUDGE N’ JURY (E/W) (16/1 Coral)

                   – NORMAL EQUILIBRIUM (E/W) (14/1 SkyBet)

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2.15pm York

The next race from York is the Group 2 Middleton Stakes over 1m2f.  This race is historically a good quality event and has been won by the likes of Midday, Sariska and Dalkala, all of whom went on to win Group 1 races later in the season.

Secret Gesture (9/2 Coral) finished second in last year’s Epsom Oaks when heavily fancied but was beaten following that performance when stepped-up to face older horses.  She could well improve as a 4 year-old but is probably best watched on her reappearance.  The same comments apply to Mango Diva (6/1 bet365) who won a Group 3 towards the back end of last season but still needs to improve on that form to be amongst the leading contenders here.

Gifted Girl (6/1 SkyBet) and Thistle Bird (7/2 bet365) are well matched on their Epsom and Longchamp form but the latter normally comes out on top and I expect the same to happen here, especially if the ground is on the soft side of good.  The only negative surrounding Thistle Bird is her ability to handle the step-up in trip but, if she does so, she will go very close.

The Lark (14/1 Coral) has to give 2lbs away to the entire field here and there are obvious question marks as to whether the 10f trip might be on the sharp side for her.  The same goes for Quiz Mistress (28/1 Coral) whose best form also has come over further.  

Of the others, Odeliz (12/1 William Hill) was down the field in the Dahlia and needs to improve on that form to have a chance and Sinaadi (200/1 Coral) is definitely out of her depth in this company. 

AMBIVALENT (5/1 William Hill) showed some very high class form when finishing third in the Sheema Classic in Dubai and that is light years ahead of most of the form on show here.  She also finished second in this race last season behind a horse that won at Group1 level.  She herself has won a Group 1 race and could well use her recent run to her advantage here.

2.15pm Tip – AMBIVALENT (WIN)(NAP) (5/1 William Hill) 

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2.45pm York

The main feature of the day is the Dante Stakes which is a recognised Derby trial for 3yo’s over 1m 2f.  Widely known as one of the better Derby trials it has produced plenty of winners of the Epsom classic including most recently Workforce, Authorized and Motivator. 

Qatari owner Sheikh Al Thani is double handed in this trial with Arod (12/1 Coral) and Bunker (10/3 bet365).  Peter Chapple-Hyam won this race with Authorized and his horse Arod is well fancied to run a good race.  He won a maiden at Windsor in April with plenty in hand but that race so far hasn’t produced much more than 70 rated handicappers and the horse will have to improve here.  Bunker arguably has the best form on show after beating Karakontie at Deauville and that horse has gone on to win the French 2000 Guineas.  Being sired by Hurricane Run he should get the trip but there are stamina worries on the dam’s side.  He’ll definitely be able to run a big race but I fear he may have met one too good. 

TRUE STORY (8/11 Betfred) represents the Godolphin stable and showed his class when destroying a good field in the Fielden Stakes, a race which has produced decent 100+ rated horses in Barley Mow and Somewhat.  If able to reproduce that form this highly touted colt should put this race to bed before going on to contest the Epsom Derby (a race which he currently lies second in the betting). 

2.45pm Tip – TRUE STORY (WIN) (8/11 Betfred)

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3.15pm York

The last race of Thursday’s channel 4 coverage is the Betfred Hambleton Stakes which is a listed handicap over 1m.  This race is a tough handicap to judge and normally produces a decent winner. 

Levitate (20/1 Coral) heads the weights and it looks like the handicapper may have him in his grip after two poor runs.  He is 6lb higher than his last win and this looks a tougher assignment than normal.  Tales Of Grimm (20/1 Coral) was hyped to be a decent horse as a 3yo but has lost his way since.  He had a few reasonable runs in defeat in Meydan but on recent form this is another tough ask.

Queensberry Rules (7/1 bet365) hasn’t been able to make a mark and will probably need the run, while Prince of Johanne (14/1 William Hill) has struggled as of late but is off the same mark that he raced off when second last season but this is tougher.  Spa’s Dancer (6/1 bet365) ran a big race when finishing runner-up in the Spring Cup and connections look to strike while the iron is hot with only a 2lb rise to deal with.  Sweet Lightning (14/1 SkyBet) was fifth in that same race and is running off his lowest mark since August 2010; his form from the Lincoln would give him a good chance here.  

Navajo Chief (8/1 bet365) won this last year off 3lbs higher but he has a 17 length defeat to turn around with Tales Of Grimm from September.  Ingleby Angel (7/1 SkyBet) has been in top form but this is a much tougher race than he is accustomed to and has to turn form around with Fort Bastion (7/1 Coral) who was tenth in this race last year and doesn’t look like improving on that despite being 12lbs lower in the ratings.  Alfred Hutchinson (14/1 bet365) will have to convert his all-weather form to turf and is also stepping up into a tough grade. 

For me, this race is between Askaud (25/1 Coral) and FURY (6/1 bet365).  The former has been in fine form at Listed level and should run well off a low weight but, his run at York last October is a worry and Fury is preferred.  Ryan Moore is back in the saddle once again and the horse will carry albs less than when he won this race in 2012 which will give him an almighty chance of going in once again. 

3.15pm Tip – FURY (WIN) (6/1 bet365)

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