Festival fancies: our tipsters with their best bets for the Ebor meeting

Move In Time

Symphony Group Handicap, 1.55 York, Wednesday

The 2014 Prix de l'Abbaye winner has tumbled down the weights and was a big eyecatcher over 5f on fast ground at York two starts ago, storming home for fifth having been denied a clear run. He was not seen to best effect back there last time but that was on slow ground and over 6f, and his high draw proved to be a negative. 5f and 89 yards should twibe spot on for him this week and David O'Meara is always a trainer to follow at York.
Ben Hutton

Edward Lewis

Symphony Group Handicap, 1.55 York, Wednesday

This gelding could be high enough in the handicap, but I think he's worth chancing having not had the rub of the green on his last four starts. They included the Epsom Dash, the Wokingham and the Stewards' Cup. Races don't come much more competitive than those three, while he was drawn away from the main action in the other. He won't mind a bit of cut in the ground and it's significant he's the choice of Danny Tudhope, who had four options from the David O'Meara stable, including Out Do, on whom he won the Wokingham.
Pietro Innocenzi

Moviesta

Symphony Group Handicap, 1.55 York, Wednesday

Eddie Lynam has kept faith in 20-year-old 3lb claimer Robbie Downey and that looks a shrewd move as the rider knows the seven-year-old sprinter better than anyone. Beaten only a length and a half in a Group 3 at the Curragh last time, despite receiving a bump at a crucial stage, he could take full advantage of the drop in class and might be able to outclass his rivals from stall 12. David Jennings

Dee Ex Bee

Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, 2.25 Wednesday

Lovely long-striding son of Farhh, who bolted up in a decent maiden at Goodwood on debut under Silvestre de Sousa, can maintain his unbeaten run despite taking a huge step up in class. Recording an RPR of 93, Mark Johnston's two-year-old made all the running after breaking well from a middle stall and never looked like being caught. The Topspeed figure and time back up the strength of his performance and he looks a Group 1 horse in the making.
Tom Collins

Douglas Macarthur

Betway Great Voltigeur Stakes, 3.00 Wednesday

Two wins have come on good to firm ground and the drying conditions might help him reverse recent form with Cracksman. Aidan O’Brien’s colt has finished behind the hot favourite on his last two starts, but did remarkably well to stick on for so long after setting a breakneck pace when seventh in the Epsom Derby and can be forgiven his defeat in the Irish equivalent last time, when he didn’t get his own way in front and may still have been feeling that hard race. He could bounce back.
Graeme Rodway

Ulysses

Juddmonte International Stakes, 3.35 Wednesday

Soft ground at Ascot may have blunted the acceleration of Sir Michael Stoute’s richly talented four-year-old, who nonetheless ran a blinder to chase home an exceptional filly in Enable. A fast-run race back at 1m2f on a flat track seems sure to play to the strengths of the Galileo colt, who can notch his second Group 1.
Richard Birch

Magic Circle

Fine Equinity Handicap, 4.15 Wednesday

Magic Circle has a cracking chance of returning to form in this 2m½f handicap. The Ralph Beckett-trained five-year-old was well-punted when, after a positive ride, he didn't quite see out the extra half mile in the Ascot Stakes at the royal meeting. Freshened up since that effort, he is returning to a course and distance that he has scored at on his only previous visit and he should at least make the frame if he bounces back.
Brian Sheerin

Luis Fernandez

Betway Nursery Handicap, 4.50 Wednesday

Kevin Ryan has a strong record in sprint races at this meeting, and this stable’s upwardly mobile two-year-old is worth backing to record a fourth successive win in this 6f nursery. He has improved his RPR each time he has run, and should find York’s sharp, pancake-level sprint course to his liking. He is blessed with bags of natural speed and his last three wins were recorded at courses with a flat profile: Redcar, Newbury and Yarmouth.
James Pyman

One Word More

Clipper Logistics Handicap, 3.00 Thursday

His latest staying on fifth in the Betfred Mile suggested that he could be about to break a long losing streak and take advantage of a winning handicap mark. One Word More has run some of his best races at York, including when fifth off an 11lb higher mark in this race in 2015 and things look in place for a good run granted a decent draw.
Sam Walker

Amazing Red

Sky Bet First Race Special Handicap, 1.55 Friday

The son of Teofilo is a half-brother to former globetrotting stable stalwart Red Cadeaux, who improved considerably with age and won the Yorkshire Cup on this track. Amazing Red won well over 1m2f at Pontefract on his second start and finished third behind a big subsequent improver in Gibbs Hill on reappearance at Wolverhampton in April. He took time to find his feet thereafter but resumed winning ways at Newmarket this month following a gelding operation. He is versatile as regards ground and makes plenty of each-way appeal from a mark of 90.
Dave Randall

Thomas Hobson

Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes, 2.25 Friday

Willie Mullins' dual-purpose seven-year-old was in a league of his own when hosing up in handicap company in the Ascot Stakes at the royal meeting. He found just Oriental Fox too good when bidding to complete a famous double in the Queen Alexandra Stakes, where his exertions earlier in the week clearly took their toll. This is his first run in Pattern company but on the evidence we saw at Ascot, he looks more than up to the challenge in a race won by stablemate Max Dynamite in 2015.
Tom Park

Dal Harraild

Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes, 2.25 Friday

The staying division doesn't look the strongest at present and this will be a good opportunity for the William Haggas-trained four-year-old to make his mark in Cup company. He was an impressive winner here in May and, judging by the way he finished that day, an extra couple of furlongs shouldn't pose a big problem. Sixth in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot on his last start, he continues to progress and has proved before that he can go well fresh.
James Hill

So Beloved

Sky Bet City of York Stakes, 3.00 Friday

So Beloved hasn't won a race since May 2016 but his last two runs have suggested he will be winning soon, and he loves York too. Second to a top-class three-year-old filly in the race last year, So Beloved had no chance off a slow pace behind the enterprisingly-ridden Spirit Of Valour two starts ago, and then he got no sort of run in the Lennox at Goodwood. With pace seemingly guaranteed on Friday, So Beloved will surely go close.
Tom Segal

PEDIGREE POINTER

Breeze-up purchases have a strong record in the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes on Wednesday with Too Fast (2013) and Syphax (2016) both past winners. The Jeremy Noseda-trained Lansky can give Phoenix Thoroughbreds, who have emerged as the new big spenders in bloodstock, a belated first Pattern winner. Kerri Radcliffe bought the son of Dark Angel – a half-brother to mile Group 1 winner at two Zafisio – for 300,000gns at this year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, and he is taken to build on his 6f novice stakes win at Windsor this month.
Ollie O'Donoghue