It’s always important to have a successful York Ebor meeting as it signals the end of the summer festivals and there follows a quiet period as the season transitions into the major Autumn meetings.
This year with the continued dry weather i expect the next 10-14 days to be especially quiet certainly until the expected rain arrives next weekend.
With the big bet successes of More Thunder and Bullet Point, we are in a position where we are well ahead of our targets and can now wait for some excellent opportunities in September. We do of course have a very juicy looking Ante Post bet at 5/1 on Scandinavia for the St Leger to look forward too.
Due to the dry ground, the yard has a vast number of really well bred 2yo’s that will need experience and the run of Wild Dahlia who was third on debut at Newmarket today was probably along with Hardy’s Hero the most promising juvenile run this season from a Somerville Lodge runner.
On Friday Wonder Star bumped into one, paying the price of trying to keep pace with Lady Flora who was very impressive. If the Gosden filly gets put up 8lb or less for that win, she will be well worth a good bet in another handicap next time out.
Onto Saturday and starting away from York I have been waiting since the early part of the season to back Caviar Heights since he joined the Haggas yard after being purchased out of Karl Burke’s yard for over £500,000 by Australian based owners.
I am sure the plan is to win several races on these shores before going to Australia for their summer. Unfortunately our dry summer has been a stumbling block as the horse ideally needs cut in the ground.
He ran really well on Good to Firm ground at Sandown on his only start this season when beaten a nose by Windlord. Colin Keane was banned for breaking the whip rules otherwise I am sure Caviar Heights would have won.
Ideally they will want to get a win before joining Sam Hawkens, Bullet Point, and Lake Forest in search of Australian Dollars. He is entered in the Champion Stakes at Ascot at the end of October, so it looks like it will be an early 2026 campaign in Australia
Haggas has previously only sent three horses to contest the Group 3 and or Listed race, at this Windsor meeting, two have won and the other was 3rd having been sent off as a 25/1 outsider.
The going at Windsor is described as good – , but at the Racing League meeting track records were broken and with no rain forecast we are relying on the Windsor Executive continuing to water extensively.
The form book does suggest he can cope with quick ground and that Sandown run is possibly good enough.
On softer ground the 4yo would be one of the bets of the season and whilst the ground is a concern, he is such a good horse, that i think he can overcome it in this Listed company. Reduced stakes though knowing the potential pitfall surrounding the ground. The opening 13/8 is a decent price.
Recommended Bet 2pt win Caviar Heights 6.15 Windsor
Over to York – lets hope Bullet Point eats up well in the morning and takes his chance in the Strensall Stakes at 1.50. The 6/1 available on Thursday was an excellent price , he looks sure to go close, if he is allowed to head to post again after his easy win on Thursday.
Already advised 1pt win Bullet Point 6/1 – 1.50 York Saturday NRMB
Next up at 2.25 is the Melrose Stakes and Golden Handshake. The ground is again the issue. He will need to step up on his Newbury form and given a softer surface I would have backed him to do so. The fast ground though is a problem for a slow maturing 3yo and he may not let himself down a second time having looked ill at ease on fast ground at Newbury.
The 6/1 is short enough given his limited experience – in what is always a highly competitive race i will let him run unbacked.
No Bet Recommended.
Lake Forest takes his chance in the Group 1 City of York stakes at 3.00. It looks like a prep run before a return to Australia. Although he has been supported from 16/1 to 10/1. However on a track where he has ran poorly twice and with everything looking in favour of Rosallion and Never So Bold also very well fancied, I will watch with a view to backing him in Australia.
No Bet Recommended.
At Goodwood two from Somerville Lodge head to post in the 10f fillies maiden at 3.15. Jim Crowley goes there for a full book of rides and Itraaq must have a leading chance, Winter Flower is making her debut so is best watched. The race has the look of being a messy affair both in the market and in the race and its a race to watch without getting financially involved.
No Bet Recommended.
In the 5.45 at Windsor – The very well bred Division makes his debut. You know the rest. No Bet Recommended.
At Redcar in the Novice Stakes at 6.30 Eternal Force has been found a penalty kick to break his maiden status. He will be odds on – NO BET RECOMMENDED
Last up also at Windsor in the Class 4 handicap at 7.15 Bintjeddah attempts to revive a disappointing 3yo campaign. She is the only 3yo against a field of tried and tested older handicappers. She had appeared to hint at a revival when second at Newmarket but the form of that race has not worked out at all and she ran abysmally at Goodwood last time out.
If she is going to win it probably will be at this level but she is far too risky to back on the basis of her form as a 3yo even allowing for the Haggas record of 40% winners with 3yo’s in handicaps at Windsor in August and September.
No Bet Recommended
Onto the last 4 races on the card at York where the Haggas team are not represented. Starting with the Ebor at 3.35
The York management have tried to turn the Ebor into a UK version of the Melbourne Cup instead its more like the County Hurdle and they might as well add 6 flights of hurdles !!
That being the case Willie Mullins will dominate and the favourite Hipop De Loire will take all the beating.
When Ethical Diamond ( also runs here ) failed to land a gamble in the Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot in 2024 he duly came back and won the race in 2025. This looks to be the same scenario with Hipop De Loire.
In a race where many of the UK horses with the quality to win have long been sold to race in Asia it is no longer worth its status as the richest handicap in the UK. Sky Bet would do better to put their sponsorship into another handicap at a shorter trip.
Selection Hipop De Loire.
Paul Mulrennan is a brilliant rider of sprinters but he is not adverse to the odd bad ride. The defeat of American Affair at Haydock a prime example in the race before he won a Group 1.
Just as bad was his ride on Jordon Electrics here on Wednesday when he got the horse in all sorts of trouble in the opening 5f sprint. Jim Goldie brings the 9yo out again in the 4.10 over 6f a trip that will suit him well . Previously he had ran very with credit in the Stewards Cup and that form is working out exceptionally well. If you want to have a bet in the race he would be my ew selection at 22/1.
Selection Jordan Electrics
The 4.45 the 2yo Roses stakes – Dickension looks to have the roar speed to get the Goldolphin horses at the head of the market into trouble. He looks sure to lead and will probably have enough in hand to hold off the Appleby pair of Military Code and Silent Applause.
Selection Dickension
The lucky last at 5.20 closes the meeting and despite an 8lb rise for his Goodwood win its hard to get away from the top weight Westridge ridden by Ryan Moore.
He demolished the Goodwood race and was probably the easiest winner of the meeting. He is a reformed rogue but is on a sharp upward spiral and looks set to give favourite backers a happy ending to what has been a very successful York 2025 Festival.
Selection Westridge
A quite Saturday with just two advised wagers.
1pt win Bullet Point 1.50 York 6/1
2pt win Caviar Heights 6.15 Windsor 13/8 BOG
Chrysalis Consortium 
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