The York Dante meeting hits the third and final day of action on Friday, with the Yorkshire Cup headlining the day’s racing.
Our Freebets experts Alan Kelly and Charlie McCann have cast their eye over the field, and both have a selection in the race.
Read their thoughts, and the Yorkshire Cup tips they have given below.
Yorkshire Cup Tips
This looks to be a fascinating renewal of the Yorkshire Cup, and a great betting heat to get involved with.
Alan and Charlie have different selections in the race, but they’ve both gone with a runner from one of the leading stables in Ireland.
Alan Kelly - Vauban
York’s feature race is a fascinating renewal, the result of which may concern horses trained by the outstanding Flat and Jumps trainers in Ireland, Aidan O’Brien and Willie Mullins respectively, courtesy of Tower Of London and Vauban.
The former, fourth behind stablemate Continuous in last season’s St Leger, has won both of his starts this year, at Riyadh and Meydan, and looks a potential Cup horse in the months ahead. Vauban meanwhile, has not been seen since finishing 14th in the Melbourne Cup as the 9/2 favourite.
The six-year-old has a good record fresh however and was particularly impressive when sauntering home from subsequent Ebor and County Hurdle winner Absurde in a handicap over today’s trip at Royal Ascot last year.
William Buick has been booked for the ride on the Closutton gelding who, back on more familiar ground, is fancied to make his mark in the staying division for a trainer who has carried all before him over the last six months or so.
Charlie McCann - Tower Of London
The Gp 2 Yorkshire Cup is another race that is ground dependent. Hamish and Vauban would have leading chances on good to soft or soft ground while regular readers will be aware of how highly I regard TOWER OF LONDON and he is taken to give weight and a beating to his six rivals.
Hamish was pulled out of the Ormonde Stakes at Chester last week when the ground quickened up. The apple of Maureen Haggas’s eye is a different horse when the mud is flying although conditions were no worse than a mix of good and good to soft when he landed the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury on his reappearance.
Hamish has won his last five races all in Group company and has been campaigned brilliantly by connections although he only finished a neck in front of Al Qareem – reopposes today – at the Berkshire track.
Vauban won the Copper Horse Cup at Royal Ascot before disappointing in the Melbourne Cup and has been off the track since. Anything that Willie Mullins sends across the Irish Sea is respected but, to my eye at least, Tower Of London is a genuine Group 1 colt over twelve to 16f on fast ground and he has a decent draw for a change this afternoon.
Tower Of London has overcome poor draws and trouble in running to run out a cosy winner of his last two starts in Riyadh and Meydan over two miles and both wins have been achieved with a potent turn of foot on fast ground.
Connections have suggested they do not look upon the 4-y-old as a Gold Cup (2m 4f) horse and he is entered in the G1 Coronation Cup over 12f in a fortnight’s time. If he is half as good as I think he is, then he should have too much toe for his field – granted fast ground.
Recommendation: Tower Of London (on good or faster ground) at 15/8 with William Hill
When & Where is the Yorkshire Cup?
The Yorkshire Cup is the headline race on day three of the Dante Festival.
York racecourse is the venue for the meeting, and the feature race is due to go off at 3:45pm.
Live coverage of the York card, including this race, is available on ITV1.
Latest Horse Racing Betting Offers
We are at the end of a busy week in racing, but there’s still plenty of big action over the weekend, including the Lockinge Stakes on Saturday.
Check out the latest betting offers from leading bookmakers below.
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