Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Friday, 21 August - York
Charlie heads to York on Friday for his best bet
It's a busy day of racing action in the UK and Ireland, and Charlie McCann is here with his exclusive free horse racing tips - only at FreeBets.
At the time of writing (8:30am), York had just 2.6mm of rain on Thursday morning, but there was further significant rain forecast during the morning, and I am basing my calculations on a mix of soft and good to soft ground for Friday's card.
1:50pm York - Krasimir & Start Me Up
There are likely to be a raft of non-runners on the York card with the fields declared on good ground. No horse has won the three-year-old handicap from a double-figure draw in the last decade, although they are likely to come up the centre of the track this afternoon.
The market leaders are not proven on soft ground, and my two against the field are Irish raider KRASIMIR and the Richard Spencer-trained START ME UP.
Krasimir was clear at the distance when third at Galway on yielding ground over an extended mile on handicap debut last time. Colin Keane takes over in the plate, and he can defy a 2lbs rise. He might be better at a mile than seven furlongs, but his ability to get further will help if conditions are testing. His draw in stall ten is fine although it is possible that the runners migrate to the stands' rail in the straight.
Start Me Up is a soft ground Chester winner who finished as well as anything at Goodwood last time, but it was too little too late, finishing a never nearer sixth under Saffie Osborne, beaten two-and-a-half lengths. Osborne keeps the ride today, and the hope is that he can get the gelding away on terms. Drawn in stall three, he should get a ground-saving trip into the home straight and at 33/1 I thought he was overpriced, given he is proven with plenty of ease in the ground.
Recommendations: Krasimir - 28/1 with bet365 & Start Me Up - 33/1 with bet365
2:25pm York - Caballo De Mar (Nap)
I backed Amiloc in the Goodwood Cup and, bizarrely, thought he had a hard race after unseating Hector Crouch coming out of the stalls. Ralph Beckett's four-year-old ran loose at the head of the field and came home clear of winner Scandinavia, having badly interfered with the second Trawlerman two furlongs out. Rossa Ryan, unsurprisingly, takes over in the saddle.
He is unproven on soft ground, however, and I just favour CABALLO DE MAR (Nap) despite the fact that the selection carries a 3lbs penalty and was last seen finishing last in the Ascot Gold Cup back in June. That said, he was second two furlongs out on ground faster than ideal at the Royal meeting and allowed to come home in his own time when his winning chance had gone.
The selection will love the ground and is a dual Group1 winner. Yes, he carries a 3lbs penalty, but he has had two months to get over his Ascot exertions when he ran much better than his finishing position would suggest. He had the worst of the draw at Ascot and had to use petrol to get on the pace set by the big two, Scandinavia and Trawlerman. He went head-to-head with the pair for more than two miles and faces nothing of that calibre today.
I will be surprised if the winner does not come from Amiloc or Cabello De Mar, but it is the latter who gets the vote.
Recommendation: Caballo De Mar (Nap) - 5/2 with bet365
4:10pm York - Primo Lara & Master Builder
I followed PRIMO LARA over a cliff prior to his Wolverhampton success over 9.5f on his penultimate start and never thought he would stay 12f when following up at Ascot last time. He has been raised 11lbs for those two victories, but this is the scene of his facile win over 10.5f when he first came to attention back in May 2024, and he can land a hat-trick. Good to soft ground holds no terrors – Ascot win came on fast ground – and Colin Keane takes over in the saddle for the first time.
Master Vintner improved for the application of blinkers at Thirsk last time, but the market leader failed to give his running, and they all finished in a bit of a heap.
I have also supported MASTER BUILDER, who did us a favour when scoring over course and distance on his last start at the Dante meeting back in the spring. He has been raised 7lbs despite only winning by three-quarters of a length, but he travelled through the race like a well handicapped sort.
Rossa Ryan was in the plate in May, and he is retained to ride Master Vintner, with Tom Marquand taking over in the plate for David Menuisier, who has gone 50 days and 31 runners since he last tasted success.
Recommendations: Primo Lara - 8/1 with bet365 & Master Builder - 6/1 with bet365
5:20pm York - Janey Mackers (Each-Way)
Saffie Osborne keeps the ride on Silver Lake even though Tom Marquand can do the weight, with Wathnan staying loyal to the jockey who rode the filly to a facile Goodwood success from a 9lbs lower mark.
I didn't think that was the strongest contest at the meeting, however, with market rival Room Fourteen failing to give her running and she is unproven with cut in the ground although she could easily remain well ahead of the handicapper. The classic generation – who have won three of the six renewals – still receive 7lbs from their elders at this stage of the season over ten furlongs.
It would be ironic if Marquand got the better of the Haggas-trained filly, but he rides JANEY MACKERS (Each-Way) – again for the Menuisier yard – who I felt ran an eye-catching race when third at Chester – from a poor draw - on her reappearance back at their feature Chester Cup meeting back in May.
Her subsequent absence from the track is a concern, but she may well have been waiting for a bit of juice in the ground. She has been dropped 1lb from her seasonal debut although she does remain 6lbs above her last winning mark.
It may be foolish to select two horses from a yard going through such a quiet spell, but Menuisier is a streaky trainer, and the hope is that today's recommendations are primed for the day with the ground ideal.
Recommendation: Janey Mackers (Each-Way) - 14/1 with bet365 (5 places)
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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