2.25pm York - Group 2 Lonsdale Cup
This sort of trip is exactly what Gregory will appreciate, especially at a track on which he has run pretty well in the past. A third place in the Great Voltigeur last season over the inadequate 1m4f trip at York, he has also run another decent third in the Yorkshire Cup at the start of the season over the 1m6f trip, although it was his run in the Goodwood Cup last time out that really caught my eye.
The Gosden horse is very lightly raced compared to most of these, so I am going off the angle of an unexposed stayer might just improve enough to run well here, and if he were to replicate that effort from last time at Goodwood, he will be bang there come the finishing line.
A Royal Ascot winner last season when he stayed on very well under Frankie Dettori to win the Queen’s Vase, he has not won since but has been pitched into some pretty tricky races, whether that being over a slightly shorter trip than ideal, or in real Group 1 races like the Ascot Gold Cup (where he did not stay the trip at all given how keen he was) as well as the Goodwood Cup last time out. That run last time was decent, as he came third in a very decent staying field, only beaten by 4 lengths or so and finished a further 4 lengths clear of Trueshan and the rest of the field. With no horse of the calibre of Kyprios and now probably Sweet William who has moulded into a nice stayer, I think he will run very well in this.
This is the first time he runs over miles back into Group 2 company, so given the fact he is the unexposed type with just eight career runs to his name, he is the one to side with for me in this pretty wide open contest.
- Selection - Gregory (9/2 Win)
3.00pm York - Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes
This is another wide open contest, where apart from maybe the two outsiders of the field, any of the field could land this Group 2 prize as they all look to have a fair level of ability about them.
It could be a huge half-hour for Mick Appleby and RP Racing Ltd as they have Big Mojo here, and then their superstar Big Evs in the Nunthorpe which comes up next.
Big Mojo was an excellent winner of the Molecomb last time, and for a horse to win that on just their second start goes to show the horse has plenty of ability. And Mick Appleby did say after that race, they think he could be better than Big Evs.
However, the step up to six furlongs is a concern for Big Mojo, as like his stablemate he does look to be all speed, and with that in mind this could be the day for The Strikin Viking.
The Hamad Al Jehani horse was slightly unlucky not to win the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood last time, after being keen throughout and slightly lugging left in the closing stages, that just presented the opportunity for Black Forza, but on another day that horse might not have done. I think he fared much better in that contest last time, and with another run under his belt to make it three career runs so far, I think this is the day where we get to see him put it all together and finally land his first Group contest.
A very good second over in Ireland for his last run under Richard Fahey, that was also a Group 2 contest. Therefore the fact that he has placed twice in two Group 2's in just three career runs would suggest there is a pretty high level of talent in the locker for this son of Inns Of Court, who is not a stallion we see much of over in the UK.
Rated 109, he is one of the highest rated two year olds in the country, therefore I can't wait to see him finally land his best win to date in his relatively short career.
- Selection - The Strikin Viking (4/1 Win)
3.35pm York - Group 1 Nunthrope Stakes
I really do love this race, as for me there is no better sight in flat racing than seeing the real powerful speedballs battle it out over the minimum 5-furlong trip, and we have seen some awesome sprinting displays in this race over the years.
And once again, no matter what people say, I think we have an awesome little Group 1 on our hands here, where the peoples favourite Big Evs takes on the sprinting sensation from Australia, Asfoora, who has been on a real tour of the UK this summer.
Take nothing away from Asfoora, I have been a real fan of hers this season and loved seeing how she has got on in a foreign country, but I just can't look past one of my favourites in training Big Evs. The success story of last season as a two-year-old, where he was campaigned to perfection, which ended in a Breeders Cup win, although the one slight chink in his armour was when he ran in this contest last season.
Although they could offer no real explanation as to why he was poor that day, I just think ultimately he was still learning on the job as this was just his fourth ever run, and ultimately he was still a two year old then. He probably just found it happening a little bit too quickly for him as he came up against some really experienced sprinters on the day.
He soon put that to bed, however, when he blitzed them in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster, before going onto Grade/Group 1 glory over in the States when landing that Breeders Cup prize last November.
He has been just about foot perfect this season, winning a Listed race over course and distance, he then went on to the King Charles III Stakes at the Royal meeting, and although not winning he did run with loads of credit to hold onto 3rd spot.
Ascot does not suit his running style at all, as he likes to absolutely burst clear and make all with his early pace, before staying on well in the closing stages, and at Ascot you can just not do that, so it opened up for Asfoora to close in and take the race.
They have since met in the Qatar King George Stakes at Goodwood, where Big Evs got the better of her, winning by a short head. Now we head into round 3 of this fascinating battle, and although the Aussie mare is much better off in the weights now, I just think Big Evs can employ his usual tactics and win it from the front here if good enough, which I very much hope he is. There is obviously not much in it between Big Evs and Asfoora, but it is the Mick Appleby superstar that I am siding with here on Friday.
- Selection - Big Evs (6/1 Win)
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell