Day Three York Ebor Meeting Preview 2022

The first race of the afternoon on the Knavesmire on Friday is the Class 2 Heritage Handicap over 1m 3 1/2f and the horse that takes the eye is the Ralph Beckett trained Lord Protector.

At an each way price the four year old has shown some eye-catching form of late that suggests if still on a workable mark he can hit the frame.

Thrice a winner at the start of his career he then found things slightly tougher last season on a mark in the low 90s and it took until his second run this year for him to get back to winning ways.

Sent to Sandown in June he landed a five runner event over 1m2f beating some nice types off a mark of 92 and then last time out up 5lb he was a very good fifth staying on out of the pack at Glorious Goodwood.

Off the same mark today the step up in trip is exactly what he needs and he should threaten the frame with extra places on offer.

The first big race of the afternoon is the Group Two Lonsdale Cup and if running we think Trueshan can reverse the form with Stradivarius.

Having won the Group Two Long Distance Cup on British Champions Day in 2020 at the end of the campaign it firmly put Trueshan in the mix for a go at the staying races last season.

His dominant display over two miles on soft ground at Ascot in October of that year saw him go off second favourite for the Ormonde Stakes at Chester but found the trip and course too taxing for speed to get the better of Japan.

Missing the Gold Cup due to the underfoot conditions, he instead tried to shoulder top weight in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, but a rating of 118 left him giving away too much weight to the rest of the field.

Since then he was waited on for his perfect conditions and got that in the Group Two Goodwood Cup where he went on to rout a good field of stayers by close to four lengths.

Skipping the Doncaster Cup he headed into the Group One Prix Du Cadran in France and getting his ideal trip and ground he went to battle with Stradivarius and beat him by close to five lengths.

His final race of last season saw him winning back to back renewals of the Group Two Long Distance Cup at Ascot cementing himself as the best stayer throughout the season.

Back for another campaign this term he started off at Nottingham in the Listed Flight Stakes and won impressively with the second since coming out and winning a nice event.

Hoping to get his ground in the Gold Cup, it was a case of lightning striking twice and King swerved that and sent him into the Northumberland Plate.

Looking to be used as more of a prep run for the Goodwood Cup he gave heaps of weights away to score late on in a performance for the ages.

Seen last time out in the Goodwood Cup he ran a cracker to finish third behind Stradivarius and Kyprios, with Doyle maybe going a little early that day, but we think under different tactics he can reverse the form and hopefully he will get a few showers to soften the ground.

One of the races of the afternoon on the third day of the meeting is the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes that has thrown out some superb two year old winners in its time.

This year we think the race can go to the Godolphin owned Noble Style who receives 3lb off the favourite Royal Scotsman having already beaten him off levels.

The 525,000gns son of Kingman was a very smart winner at Ascot on debut in May over 5f when beating the likes of Walbank and Royal Scotsman.

Seen once more since then at the back end of July at Newmarket he got the job done late on when beating Mill Stream by half a lengths, giving a lot of weight away to the rest of the field.

He will need to improve on that in this company but looks highly progressive and getting that 3lb off the fav is the key point to tipping him.

The feature race of the afternoon at York on day three of the Ebor festival is the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes over 5f and Royal Aclaim could be a superstar.

Seen three times in her career to date making her debut at Newcastle last term as a juvenile she went on to win impressively seeing off the likes of Group One winner Perfect Power, Robasta and Fearby.

Returning as a three year old this term she picked up from where she left off at Bath in a Novice Stakes winning very easily over the 5f and the third and fourth have since come out and franked the form.

Royal Aclaim made the step up into Listed class at York over the Nunthorpe trip and saw off a proven field of sprinters with ease to land the City Of Walls Stakes by an easy two lengths and that has really put her on the map as a sprinter to follow.

She barely got out of third gear and the Tate yard are now very excited about her chances in this event where she is currently the strong favourite.

Another nice event on the card is the Class 2 Fillies' Handicap and Shampion for Roger Varian is a filly massively on the up and can take this off a mark that looks workable.

Running once as a two year old when fourth over a mile at Lingfield, she was saved for this season and made her debut at Haydock when running a cracker behind the talented Shaara.

Stepped up to 10f last time out at Windsor she put in a career best effort to take the Novice Stakes by four lengths eased down and now handicapping off a mark of 84 she could be dangerous.

The penultimate selection of the afternoon from York is the Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs and Salt Lake City for Aidan O'Brien was a big eye-catcher and can go close if improving here.

Making his debut at the Curragh over 7f at the start of August he chased home the talented Al Riffa all the way to the line and that looks some of the strongest form on offer.

Yard and jockey are in superb form and this son of Galileo is sure to come on again.

The final event of the afternoon of the day is the Sky Bet Mile Handicap and Golden Voice for William Haggas could still be well handicapped off his mark of 96.

The three year old showed on his final start of last term that he had plenty of ability when a good second on soft ground at Redcar behind a nice type for Charlie Hills.

Breaking his duck in a Maiden at Newcastle on seasonal debut this term, he was then sent into Handicap company at York and off a mark of 79 was just beaten by a head when upped to a mile.

Unfortunately up 5lb for that run, he then went to Sandown and landed a nice event off 84, being well backed on the day and then over the same C&D made it back to back wins.

A narrow loser back at 7f last time out off 95 behind a nice type for Grant Tuer, the step back up to the mile is what he thrives off and only 1lb higher, he should go close.