The Mandarin’s Ebor Festival Racecard for Saturday 24th August 2024

The Mandarin’s Ebor Festival Racecard for Saturday 24th August

Sky Bet Strensall Stakes (Group 3) 1.50
See The Fire
Andrew Balding’s Sea The Stars filly has improved with every run this season, and her fine second to the smart Opera Singer last time out is the standout piece of form here. That race, the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, saw See The Fire go down by just a neck, but she had the Prix de Diane winner, Sparkling Plenty and 1,000 Guineas winner, Elmalka both behind, so this drop into a Group 3 makes her a tempting pick. Roger Varian’s course winner, Enfjaar and Ralph Beckett’s Task Force will give the selection the most to think about, but See The Fire should be winning this

Sky Bet Melrose Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 2.25
The Equator
It could pay to side with Aidan O’Brien’s The Equator for the first of the big handicaps on York’s Saturday card. A six-and-a-half-length fifth in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Ascot’s Royal meeting, he ran wide and a touch keen, so now blinkers are applied to aid the concentration. With a diary full of Group 1 entries, The Equator can defy top-weight to score here for a yard that’s had plenty of winners this week. K P De Foy’s Too Bossy For Us ran well over this trip in a big handicap at Haydock Park, so is the each-way angle with the progressive Tactician completing the shortlist

Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (Group 2) 3.00
Audience (nap)
A cracking renewal in store as Audience, Art Power and Kinross all square up to each other again. They were the one, two, three in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood at the back end of July, but Kinross won this last year, just three-quarters of a length ahead of Audience, while Art Power does seem to save his best for Ireland. Richard Hannon’s Shouldvebeenaring won the Goffs Yearling Stakes here as a two year old, and makes plenty of each-way appeal with Oisin Murphy up top, but Audience has to be the one to follow

Sky Bet Ebor Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 3.35
Queenstown
Aidan O’Brien can take the feature back to Ireland with Queenstown, who only found the brilliant Kyprios too good in the Saval Beg at Leopardstown back in May. Set up for an Autumn campaign since then, with entries in the Irish St Leger, the Cesarewitch and the Long Distance Cup on Ascot’s Champions Day meeting filling the diary, this looks a good starting point for a big second half of the season. Totally unexposed after just the six starts, and capable on ground from good to heavy, Queenstown is sure to go close, with James Doyle for company adding to the appeal

Sky Bet Constantine Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 4.10
Billyjoh
Third in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood behind the re-opposing Apollo One, Mick Appleby’s Billyjoh has an excellent chance of taking the Constantine here. He’s had a busy year, but looked as good as ever in that valuable Goodwood handicap, and was nearest at the finish from a long way back in the pack. Rossa Ryan can give him a run on the rail, coming out of Stall 15, and more prominent tactics are on the cards. Big chance

Julia Graves Roses Stakes (Listed) 4.45
Tropical Storm (nb)
Andrew Balding can score in this Listed contest with Tropical Storm, who found the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood just a furlong too far. Retuned to the bare minimum and dropped in grade, this looks an excellent opportunity to get off the mark, with an inside draw and Oisin Murphy getting the leg-up just adding to the plus points. Mick Appleby’s Mr Lightside went close in the Molecomb at Goodwood, so rates the danger, but has to come from wide, while Karl Burke’s River Seine is the each-way angle. Tropical Storm to win back to a 5 furlong dash

Sky Bet Finale Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 5.20
Bystander
A wide open handicap to finish the Ebor Festival, but it could pay to go for one at bigger odds, so Karl Burke’s Bystander gets the nudge. The Spigot Lodge handler is right at the top of his game this season, and his Dark Angel gelding has as good a chance as any, while course winner Marhaba The Champ might appreciate the return to the Knavesmire, and get his campaign back on track. Bystander to make the most of his mark for the closer, and super each-way value

The Mandarin