Who To Follow On The Day Two Of The Ebor Meeting 2023

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing

Tue 22 Aug 2023 14.57

York 14:35

9(6)

Savethelastdance

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O'Brien

N/A

Age: 3

Weight: 9-0

OR: 114

Days: 33

The feature race of the afternoon on Thursday from the Knavesmire is the Group Yorkshire Oaks and we think it is going to be an Aidan O'Brien 1-2.

Savethelastdance is the horse to beat heading into the race having had a superb career to date blossoming into a special three year old.

Seen just once as a juvenile when fifth of eight at Thurles over a mile in a Maiden, she was then put away for her three year old campaign.

Given her seasonal debut this term she made a huge impression at Leopardstown when stepped up to 1m2f and going on to beat stablemate Boogie Woogie by 2 1/4 lengths.

Boogie Woogie has since bolted up in a Fillies' Maiden at Naas and the third Azazat has also gone on to frank the form in a good way.

O'Brien then sent her to the Listed Cheshire Oaks at Chester and putting up arguably the performance of the season so far she went on to bolt up by 22 lengths, with her sectional times being outrageous.

She was last seen in the Epsom Oaks when going off the well backed 5/6 fav and she was narrowly beaten on quick ground by Soul Sister for John & Thady Gosden.

Back on soft ground when last seen in the Group One Irish Oaks she looked beat at the furlong pole but rallied late on to see off Bluestocking by half a length, showing serious staying ability late in the day having been slightly outpaced earlier on.

She holds the leading form in the book and although getting back to a quicker surface we think she is the one to beat.

William Haggas loves having winners at York and on the second day of the meeting has some of his best chances across the afternoon.

Starting in the opener he has arguably his best chance of the afternoon with Relief Rally in the Group Two Lowther Stakes with the filly looking to make it four wins from five runs.

In the Premier Yearling Stakes he fields one of the biggest priced runners in the event with Je Ne Sais Quoi a very experienced runner that now needs to use that and put it all together.

He has another outsider in the feature Group One Yorkshire Oaks with Sea Silk Road not doing much wrong in her last two events and she could be overpriced.

Haggas then has two in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes with Sea Theme the more solid of the two runners but Market Value owned by the King is not ruled out at a price with William Buick riding for the King.

Finally, the trainer has the favourite in the Fillies' Handicap with Unequal Love for Cheveley Park Stud looking to make it four wins on the spin having landed the hat-trick 13 days ago at Haydock.

The handler heads into the second day of the meeting sporting a strike rate of 22% for the last two weeks managing to land nine winners from his last 41 runners.

Ryan Moore has a handful of smart rides on the second day of the Ebor meeting starting in the Group Two Lowther Stakes with the supplemented Cherry Blossom looking like a huge talented from the Ballydoyle yard.

Moore then jumps on the second favourite Dragon leader in the Premier Yearling Stakes with the colt looking to stay unbeaten and bring up the hat-trick.

The rider teams up with Sonny Liston again for Ralph Beckett in the Clipper Handicap with the pair last being together when he finished a superb second in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.

One of the jockeys rides of the afternoon on the Knavesmire comes in the feature Yorkshire Oaks where he will be hoping to land back to back Group One events on Savethelastdance.

Moore then teams up with John & Thady Gosden on One Morning in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes and finishes the afternoon by riding Royal Dress for Richard Hannon.

Heading into the second day of the meeting Moore is currently running at a strike rate of 21% for the last two weeks, managing six winners from his last 28 rides.