Friday’s ITV Racing Tips: York Dante Festival Day Three

ITV Racing coverage continues with the third and final day of the York Dante Festival, plus supporting action from Newbury.

The feature race of the day on the Knavesmire, the Yorkshire Cup, has been won the last twice by Stradivarius, en route to victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

 

York

 

1:40 Langleys Solicitors British EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes

Canonized is bred to be a high-class, precocious 2-year-old and improved on her debut effort at Newmarket, when slowly away, to win convincingly over the very sharp 5 furlongs at Goodwood last month. A line through Lady Dollars, who finished last at Goodwood, gives her the clear beating of the once-raced Crazyland, to give the form some context, and she can continue her progress.

Selection: Canonized (11/2 with Betfred)

 

2:10 Oaks Farm Stables Fillies’ Stakes

Love Is You wouldn’t have looked out of place in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month and, while she’s no ‘good thing’ under a 3lb penalty for winning the Listed Radley Stakes at Newbury last October, still looks the one to beat. She’s beautifully bred, has won over a mile, acts on rain-softened ground and remains open to significant improvement, so she has plenty going for her.

Selection: Love Is You (10/3 with Betfred)

 

2:40 Matchbook ‘Best Value’ Exchange Handicap

Blue Cup earned himself a 16lb hike in the weights when winning at Sandown last summer on his second start for David Menusier, but caught the eye on his reappearance at Epsom last month. Despite repeated being denied a clear run and eased in the closing stages, he was still only beaten 2½ lengths. With the benefit of that run, off the same handicap mark, he must take some beating.

Selection: Blue Cup (11/4 with Bet365)

 

3:10 Matchbook Yorkshire Cup Stakes

With neither of the Mark Johnston-trained pair, Sir Ron Priestley and Nayef Road, has won on going softer than ‘good’, so preference, on this occasion, is for last year’s Irish Derby winner, Santiago. Aidan O’Brien’s 4-year-old no longer receives a weight-for-age allowance from his elders, which makes life much more difficult, but he has won twice on properly soft going. He was tenderly handled on his reappearance at Navan last month and can reap the benefit.

Selection: Santiago (9/4 with Bet365)

 

3:40 Yorkshire Equine Practice Handicap

Although no ‘spring chicken’, Get Knotted is a three-time course and distance winner who has plummeted down the weights since the start of last season; a forward showing by the old boy would be no great surprise. However, the free-going Boardman recorded a career best at Haydock last week, on just his fourth start for Tim Easterby, and looks well treated under a 5lb penalty. The going won’t be quite as testing this time, but he won on good going when trained by Pascal Bary and connections are clearly keen to strike while the iron is hot.

Selection: Boardman (7/1 with bet365)

 

Newbury

2:25 Coolmore Stud Handicap

This isn’t a particularly strong race for the grade and may be an opportunity for Major Jumbo to win his first race since August, 2019. Kevin Ryan’s 7-year-old has done all his winning on turf with ‘soft’ in the going description, so should have underfoot conditions to suit, and is now 4lb lower in the weights than when winning a handicap. His form has been less than awe-inspiring, but he should strip fitter for his reappearance at Wolverhampton in March.

Selection: Major Jumbo (15/2 with Paddy Power)

 

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