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Today sees the start of the fantastic York Ebor meeting, featuring the horse of the season, Paddington, and we have three bets at this famous North of England venue.
BALLYMOUNT BOY @ SP (York 2.25)
CONTINUOUS @ SP (York 3.00)
GRAPPA NONINO @ SP (York 4.10)
The highlight of the first day and possibly the meeting is the £1M Juddmonte International, featuring the above mentioned Paddington. Though he faces just three rivals, it is still an absorbing affair, with Mostahdaf his principal rival. Aidan O'Brien's colt should come out on top in this and extend his winning run but he is going to start at skimpy odds-on, so this is a race to watch and savour, rather than get financially involved in.
Continuous can roll home
Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore can also take the preceding event, the Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes with CONTINUOUS SP. This colt won both starts last season, including a Group 3 in France but was reportedly slow to come to hand in the spring and was rusty when third in the Dante Stakes at this track over 1m2f.
He was poor in a very hot French Derby over the same trip but then put in an improved performance, raised to 1m4f when second to King Of Steel in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is a strong galloper and returning to this track over this trip will suit and he is ground versatile.
Obviously, John Gosden's unbeaten Gregory, with Frankie Dettori aboard will be a tough nut to crack but he has to give away 3lb because of his Queen's Vase win. Charlie Appleby's Castle Way is another improving colt who will be right in the mix too.
Ballymount Boy best bet
The Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes was won last year by the subsequent 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean, so it is a race worth taking a serious look at.
Aidan O'Brien has an interesting candidate in Edwardian, who won a 5f maiden last time and shapes as though he will stay further, though 7f might be a stretch. There are three other maiden winners who could all improve enough to play a major part but the bet in this has to be BALLYMOUNT BOY SP.
Trained by Adrian Keatley, the form of his Group 2 Richmond Stakes second received a major boost when the winner, Vandeek, took some notable scalps in winning the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville last Sunday.
Though this colt is now stepping up to 7f, his sire Camacho gets plenty of horses who stay 1m plus and he should be difficult to beat. It would be a great result for his trainer, who has climbed his way back up the training ladder since relocating from Ireland where he trained Jet Setting to win the 2016 Irish 1000 Guineas.
Grappa Nonino can be too strong
As is normal, the handicaps at the York Ebor meeting are fiercely competitive and it isn't easy to find angles in them but one of the three Irish raiders in the 2m Sky Bet Stayers' Handicap holds plenty of appeal.
GRAPPA NONINO SP sneaks into the bottom of the handicap courtesy of his win at the Curragh 10 days ago over 1m6f and carries only 8st 3lb, including Saffie Osborne.
This extended 2m trip will suit him even better and he is trained by a master in Dermot Weld, so he can get the better of the home team plus the other Irish runners, Tronador and Zanndabad. With BETWAY paying the first four places, an each-way bet is advised.