Good morning all,

I got my Hook's mixed up yesterday. Many apologies for that. It was gremlins in the works.

Oh, what a night. It was seriously biblical in my part of Yorkshire last night.  I’m not sure how much rain we had but it was a lot.

The going at York was being described as good, good to soft in places yesterday evening. Now I’m about 20 miles from York so if they had the heavy rain we had last night, then it will be soft today. The thing is though last night’s weather was likely localized so it hard to say what the ground will be like. Some more showers are forecast today but is sunny at the time of writing  So, if you having a punt today, I would suggest you wait until you know what the going is.

Racing returns to York today with the first of three days of its Dante Festival and with it the last meaningful Derby & Oaks Trials.  We have one of those trials’ today: The Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (3:10).  The feature race of a seven-race card is the Group 2 Duke Of York Clipper Logistics Stakes (2:40).

You can watch the best of the action this afternoon on ITV who are showing five races from the Knavesmire.

Inside today’s main piece I have had a look at the first four races on the card.

York Dante Festival – Day 1

1:40 – Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap (Class 2) – 1m 4f

The rain shouldn’t phase the returning Ilaraab who put in a career best here over 1m 2f on soft ground in October. He’s starts 2021 off 7lb higher but he remains capable of more improvement as a 4-year-old.

My Frankel was another improver last season and made a winning return to action at Kempton last month. He’s only had five career starts so we might not have seen the best of the colt yet. Yet to race on going with the soft in the going.

Sam Cooke a winner on soft ground at Chester on his seasonal return in May 2019 and a winner as a juvenile. He hasn’t delivered on his early promise and failed to win on his four starts last year. That said he’s got to be respected on his nose 2^nd of 9 at Ascot last July.

Mister Carpenter made it 2-2 at York when winning here last September. He likes a bit of juice in the ground and looks to have a nice weight. Another who won first time up last year but this is the hottest race the 5-year-old has so far run in.

Throne Hall won at Doncaster on his seasonal reappearance but didn’t really improve on that performance when 2^nd of 7 at Thirsk last time. Today’s bigger field and more even gallop should suit the 4-year-old. I think he remains capable of better than he showed at Thirsk.

2:10 – Churchill Tyres Handicap (Class 2) – 6f

Mr Lupton hasn’t been subjected to hard races on either start this year. The 8-year-old seems at his best in strongly run big field handicaps like this and is a three-time course winner. Now just 1lb higher than when winning a valuable 6f handicap at the Curragh last September. Will need luck in running but looks poised for a good performance.

Gulliver is another who needs all the cards to fall right.  He get’s his optimum conditions today of some ease in the ground. A three-time C&D winner. He’s now 2lb lower than for the last of those wins in October.

2:40 – Duke Of York Clipper Logistics Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) – 6f

Last year’s July Cup winner Oxted is surely better than he was able to show on his seasonal return at Newmarket last month.

Art Power was an improving 3-year-old and he ended last season with a 1 length 4^th of 16 in the Group 1 Champion Sprint. Any further ease in the ground is a positive and he’s capable of better as a 4-year-old.

Starman looked an exciting sprint prospect when winning a Listed race over C&D (good) last September. Although he struggled on soft ground in the Champion Sprint on his final start. The better the ground the better his chance and he should be competitive at this level this season.

The most interesting of the 12 declared runners is Molatham.  A winner of the 7f Group 3 Jersey Stakes (soft) at Royal Ascot last year. The Roger Varian colt drops back to 6f for the first time since his juvenile debut.  Clearly very effective at 7f but if the drop back to 6f doesn’t inconvenience him he could make up into a smart sprinter as a 4-year-old.

3:10 – Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies) (Class 1 – 1m 2 ½ f

This looks a match between two well-bred Oaks contenders Teona and Noon Star.

Teona a daughter of Sea The Stars has already been well backed for the Epsom Classic and now is a best priced 5/1 for next months race. Both starts last season were at Newcastle and she looked a smart middle-distance prospect when winning in November

Noon Star is a best priced 9/1 for Epsom. The daughter of the smart Midday does have race fitness on her side after making a winning return at Wetherby 17-days ago. Capable of better than she’s showed so far.

Hard to look beyond the pair. However, Glenartney should appreciate this sort of trip as a 3-year-old and is open to more progress this season. Capable of a good run and could get into the places at big odds.

Wednesday selection:

York

2:40 – Molatham – 7/1 @ Bet365

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Good luck with your Wednesday bets.

John

John Burke is the tipster behind the long standing Victor Value service you can join him here – https://victorvalue.uk