Day Three Yorkshire Ebor Meeting Preview 2021

The first race of the day is the big fielded Sky Bet Handicap and we have gone for two horses at double figure prices that could hit the frame.

The first is the Mark Johnston trained State Of Bliss who was a very nice winner at Ascot last time out.

The three year old this season has been in electric form with figures of 33222, with the step up in trip each time bringing even more out of him.

His best run of the season came last time out when a narrow second to the smart Wink Of An Eye at Glorious Goodwood over 1m3f and the extra furlong today will only suit him more.

Slightly up in the handicap he went to Ascot at the Shergar Cup meeting and landed a good event by close to four lengths and the way he won suggests the 5lb penalty will not stop him.

At an even bigger price is the Kevin Ryan trained Throne Hall who has been bang out of form of late but has the opportunity to bounce back in a big way.

Starting his season in March having been a smart juvenile last term, he picked up from where he left off at Doncaster taking a decent handicap.

He then went to Thirsk and finished a close second over 1m4f and backed that up off a mark of 98 when another close third over 1m4f at York.

However, since then she has bombed out on her last two occasions at Ascot and Newmarket when stepped up to 1m6f, but now dropping back to his preferred trip makes him interesting.

One of the feature races of the third day at York is the Group Two Lonsdale Cup over two miles and we can't get away from the favourite Stradivarius.

The seven year old has been the poster boy for the UK staying division for the last four seasons landing 10 races in a row including winning a Weatherbys-sponsored £1million bonus in the last two seasons after landing the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup at York.

As mentioned, Stradivarius lost his unbeaten record that stretched back to May 2018, when being pipped in a photo finish on Champions Day 2019 in the Long Distance Cup.

He came back last season and had a prep run in the Group One Coronation Cup where he ran to a good standard finishing third and gave him the run he needed to go and win a third straight renewal of this event.

After joining the likes of Double Trigger and Yeats after landing the Gold Cup, he headed to Glorious Goodwood seeking a fourth win in the Goodwood Cup, which he went on to win.

He was dropped in trip after that in prep for the Arc, where the race did not suit him and that seemed to really mess him about with him only beating one home in the Long Distance Cup.The mighty veteran came back this season for the Group Three Sagaro Stakes at Ascot and was a superb winner of the event over two miles.

It set him up perfectly for a crack at his fourth straight victory in the Ascot Gold Cup at the royal meeting but unfortunately it was not to be with him being left far too much to do when turning for home.

He was beaten by Subjectivist who is now out for the season and having skipped the Goodwood Cup he should be the freshest horse heading to post.

Another smart event on the card is the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes over six furlongs and Vintage Clarets for Richard Fahey represents the value in the race for us.

This two year old for Richard Fahey loves the ground as fast as possible so will not appreciate any rain, but overall he looks a very progressive type that offers some of the smartest form in the field.

Starting at Doncaster in March he was a fair fourth behind market rival Chipotle, but off the back of that he got off the mark at Beverley in very taking fashion.

Staying on an upward curve he went into a Novice Stakes at Ayr and won that again with ease and was then upped in class to the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished a very smart third.

He takes on the winner of that race here and having been only just over a length behind him, he could get on terms with him here.

Vintage Clarets was last seen finishing sixth of 22 in the Super Sprint Stakes at Newbury which was a smart run and it should set him up perfectly for this event, back up in grade.

Value angle, especially with trainers record at the track.

The feature race of the afternoon at York is the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and American Raider Golden Pal could take some beating.

Golden Pal has been a superb sprinter for the yard having been unleashed to British viewers when finishing an extremely close second in the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, just being beat by the Michael Bell trained The Lir Jet.

He was set for the Nunthorpe at York in 2020 after that event but instead was kept in America where he went on to land a Stakes contest in taking style.

That set him up perfectly for the Breeders' Cup meeting where he took on a strong field of 13 runners and coming from a horrible draw he managed to clear away from the field at Keeneland to land the Grade Two Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Having suffered a slight setback he missed the King's Stands Stakes at Royal Ascot but instead was last seen winning the Group Three Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga.

He is said to have been working well at home ahead of his trip over to England and with Frankie Dettori in the saddle he looks a big player

With plenty of bookmakers offering extra places on the race we have decided to put up Dragon Symbol as an each way bet alongside Golden Pal in the Nunthorpe.

Swiftly moving out of handicap ranks, he was rated 85 in April but was made a mockery of that mark to keep defying the handicapper.

He went into Group Two company thereafter and only went down by a nose to the talented Rohaan. First past the post in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, he lost the race in the steward’s room for hampering Campanelle near the line.

Kept at six furlongs for his run in the July Cup, he ran a blinder to be second behind the talented Starman for Ed Walker, who has since gone close agin in a good race.

Dragon Symbol was last seen at Goodwood in the King George Qatar Stakes and again she had to settle for second behind Suesa.

Although needing to improve to get close to the market leaders, he is a highly consistent animal, that if he runs his race will be in the frame.

The Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs sees plenty of newcomers head to post and with that in mind we have picked out two runners that could go well.

The first selection is the Andrew Balding trained Hoo Ya Mal who has some of the best form heading into the race, having been seen once before when finishing third of 13 in a decent event at Sandown.

Andrew Balding is having a fantastic season and if this horse can improve he has to be in the mix.

Another potentially nice type is the Mark Johnston trained Herbertandflorence who has also only been seen once aswell at Musselburgh when a good third.

Johnston's juveniles always improve for the run and he looks a very interesting type.

The penultimate selection of the evening comes in the Fillies' Handicap over 1m2f and Sea La Rosa for William Haggas looks a nice type.

The three year old filly has been seen six times to date, needing her runs as a juvenile she gathered valueable experience and this term looks a different animal.

She made her seasonal debut this term at Chepstow in June when getting off the mark for her career in taking style.

The filly then went to Doncaster and finished a neck second to the smart Viola and then backed that up last time out at Redcar when winning a three runner event.

She is only 2lb higher for that win and looks one of the more likelier types to take this race out.

Loves fast ground.

The final race of the afternoon is the Sky Bet Mile Handicap and Wishaah for Owen Burrows looks a big contender for Shadwell.

The gelding has been seen three times this season, making his debut at Kempton in a decent maiden when getting off the mark and he backed that up with a good second at Newcastle next time out.

Wishaah got back to winning ways last time out on his turf debut at Newmarket in taking style, clearing away from the field in the final stages.

Up 6lb for that win he will have to improve but he looks a highly progressive type.