IT'S all about Baattaash and Stradivarius on day three at York. Speed and stamina are the orders of the day as the former bids to make up for his no-show in this race last season and the latter bids to complete the Stayers’ Million series and win his owner a cool extra £1 million.
We’re fortunate to have such compelling horses take centre stage on one hand but on the other, from a betting point of view, the races aren’t hugely attractive heats. Stradivarius probably doesn’t need to be at his best to win and it’s difficult to make a strong case for anything against him.
It is worth pointing out that Battaash has drifted a little this morning, with Blue Point shortening, and now the market looks about right. The 6/1 about Blue Point earlier in the week was a big price when you consider Charlie Appleby’s colt defeated Battaash fair and square in the King’s Stand and the trainer said you can put a line through his previous run in the July Cup. He should make a race of it.
Considering those two make up the majority of the market, there is each-way value elsewhere. I expected big things from SIOUX NATION this year and he has yet to deliver but today he could step up. Aidan O’Brien’s son of Scat Daddy was the eyecatcher in the July Cup and though disappointing behind Battaash at Goodwood, that run was surely too bad to be true. The application of first-time blinkers could sharpen him up and odds of 22/1 look fair.
O’Brien has a more solid chance in the preceding Gimcrack where THE IRISH ROVER has by far the best form of his eight rivals. His third to Advertise in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh was a fine run and a replication of that sort of effort would probably see him a second career win.
Earlier on the card PACIFY could be the one in the opening Sky Bet Handicap. Ralph Beckett’s horse was a really impressive winner over this course and distance in July when he beat one of today’s rivals Mister Belvedere by a comfortable four lengths. He has since ran well in the Summer Cup when sixth behind Sir Chauvelin at Goodwood. Returning to the Knavesmire he can do better and should run well at odds of 10/1.
SELECTIONS:
York 1:55 - Pacify, 10/1
York 3:00 - The Irish Rover, 4/1
York 3:35 - Sioux Nation, 22/1
SHARING OPTIONS: