York Ebor festival 2024: day three results and race reaction - how it happened
Summary
- Bradsell back to his best with dominant win in Nunthorpe
- Bargain buy Cool Hoof Luke lands the Gimcrack for Andrew Balding
- Vauban cut to 10-1 for Melbourne Cup after enhancing claims with Lonsdale Cup success
- Amo Racing's €1 million buy Angelo Buonarroti wins the most valuable maiden in Britain
CopySummary
- Bradsell back to his best with dominant win in Nunthorpe
- Bargain buy Cool Hoof Luke lands the Gimcrack for Andrew Balding
- Vauban cut to 10-1 for Melbourne Cup after enhancing claims with Lonsdale Cup success
- Amo Racing's €1 million buy Angelo Buonarroti wins the most valuable maiden in Britain
Welcome to day three
We are halfway through York's Ebor meeting and the sprinters headline Friday's action in an exciting Coolmore-sponsored Nunthorpe (3.35).
We have a third and likely final clash between Royal Ascot heroine Asfoora and Glorious Goodwood scorer Big Evs, with Bradsell and Believing among the other leading contenders.
Melbourne Cup hope Vauban and St Leger entry Align The Stars are in action in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup (2.25), with the market headed by Point Lonsdale for the all-conquering Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore.
Rock Of Gibraltar, Muhaarar, Blue Point and Sands Of Mali feature on the Gimcrack (3.00) roll of honour since 2000 and the two-year-old race has attracted a competitive field, including Molecomb winner Big Mojo and Richmond second The Strikin Viking.
Who is your best bet on the card? Is there a favourite you are keen to take on? Let us know by emailing liveblog@racingpost.com.
Key absentees
There was important non-runner news relating to the Nunthorpe this morning, with last year's winner Live In The Dream and Regional ruled out of the big sprint.
The Adam West-trained Live In The Dream misses the race due to a bruised foot, while a bad scope is the reason for Regional's absence.
I feel the two non-runners are a positive for Asfoora's backers. Live In The Dream and Regional race prominently and there was a chance Asfoora could have been on the back foot early like at Goodwood.
It will more than likely be Ponntos setting the fractions now and I expect him to be ridden a tad more conservatively with Mickael Barzalona taking over in the saddle.
Barzalona sealed a hat-trick on the Czech sprinter this season and he could have each-way claims with a lack of pace pressure. The five races over 5-6f at the meeting so far have been won by horses who have led or raced prominently.
Non-runners
1.50 Dream Harder (rash)
3.35 Regional (bad scope), Live In The Dream (bruised foot)
4.10 Zarabanda (cast in box), Karmology (going)
Going change after overnight rain
The going at York has changed to good, good to firm in places from good to firm. It is the first notable going description change at this year's Ebor meeting, with the first two days on the Knavesmire run on good to firm.
The ground eased after 6.6mm of rain on Thursday night, which cleared up by 5.15am on Friday. “There’s a very, very strong wind," clerk of the course Anthea Leigh said at 8.45am. "We’re hoping that it peaked about half an hour ago. We did have a very strong southerly wind in the night, it’s now switched round to a westerly.
“The wind is meant to moderate but stay from a westerly direction. For racing today, it’ll be a crosswind. The ground might just stay where it is. It might tighten up back to good to firm, good in places."
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind in York and on the impact the strong gusts have had in the area, Leigh added: “We’ve had a few trees down. Nothing was affected at the course but just in roads round about — Bishopthorpe Road — and there’s been some delay on the A64 and the A19.
"We’re just saying to people to allow some extra time for their journey.”
Support for Star
Billboard Star is attracting each-way support for the Gimcrack and has been backed into 12-1 (from 20) this morning.
The Eve Johnson Houghton-trained juvenile finished behind the reopposing The Strikin Viking when fourth in the Richmond at Glorious Goodwood last time. He was squeezed out late that day, though, and likely would have been third.
Billboard Star finished second to subsequent Group 1 winner Whistlejacket in the July Stakes at Newmarket on his penultimate start.
Johnson Houghton believes he has place claims and said in our preview: "I thought he was a bit unlucky at Goodwood as he was squeezed and should’ve been third. It looks a strong renewal of this race but I definitely think he goes there with an each-way chance."
Market movers
1.50 Derry Lad 8-1 (from 11)
2.25 Gregory 7-2 (from 5)
3.00 Billboard Star 12-1 (from 20)
5.20 Volterra 10-1 (from 14)
Puzzle pointers
Harry Wilson has been on the scoresheet on the first two days courtesy of Yes I'm Mali and Celandine at odds of 12-1 and 13-2.
Harry is back again with a selection for every race in Cracking The Puzzle, including a 40-1 shot who he fancies to cause an upset in the Lonsdale Cup (2.25).
On his Lonsdale Cup selection Al Nayyir, Harry wrote: "Loads of these have plenty to prove, with three-year-old Align The Stars probably most interesting, but Al Nayyir has some really solid credentials and could cause somewhat of an upset on his stable debut for Tom Clover.
"A dual Listed winner in France, he produced a career-best in finishing second to Tower Of London in the Dubai Gold Cup, beating the likes of Gold Cup runner-up Trawlerman and dual Group 2 winner Giavellotto, and a reproduction of that could be good enough."
Note of caution
It's a big day for Mick Appleby and RP Racing who are represented with Big Evs in the Nunthorpe and Big Mojo in the Gimcrack.
Both horses arrive on the back of wins at Glorious Goodwood, where Appleby was the top trainer, but the subsequent stable form is worth noting.
Appleby has failed to saddle a winner in 32 runners since Goodwood's big meeting, including three favourites being beaten in the last fortnight, most recently Shagraan who finished fifth in the opening sprint handicap at York on Wednesday.
Seven of Appleby's 22 runners in the last two weeks have finished second or third, so they have not exactly been falling out the back of the tele, but the winless run is a slight concern for two horses who are leading contenders.
Winds easing
The winds have eased slightly this morning on the Knavesmire, having peaked at close to 60 miles per hour between 9.30am and 10am.
Clerk of the course Anthea Leigh said on Racing TV at 10.55am: "It is set to ease down and the wind speeds peaked about an hour ago at 56-57 miles per hour. It was like an autumn storm. The ground is going to be the fast side of good and we're expecting a predominantly westerly wind."
More Moore magic?
There has been some commentary that Ryan Moore is riding at the top of his game at York – but when isn't he?
Moore is clear in the top rider standings after five winners from nine mounts in the first two days, including Group 1 victories on City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International and Content in the Yorkshire Oaks.
He has four rides this afternoon with the betting suggesting Point Lonsdale is his best chance in the Lonsdale Cup.
Moore said in his Betfair blog: "Point Lonsdale is interesting on his first try over two miles and you'd have to be encouraged that it is within his range.
"Gregory and Vauban bring a good level of form though, and it's a competitive race, but my lad could be suited by the step up in trip and has a solid chance."
Moore also rides Believing for George Boughey in the Nunthorpe and Point Lonsdale's stablemates Camille Pissarro in the Gimcrack and Whirl in the Convivial maiden.
Bradsell backed in Nunthorpe
The omission of Live In The Dream and Regional tweaked the Nunthorpe market this morning but the support has continued for Bradsell.
Hollie Doyle's mount is the clear second favourite at 4-1, having been as big as 6-1, and is as short as 7-2 with some firms behind 6-4 favourite Asfoora.
Lee Phelps, spokesperson for William Hill, said: "Bradsell is the one the punters want to be with in the Nunthorpe, and is now 7-2 from 6, but our worst result on the day is Big Evs, who we’re happy to continue laying as he sits at 7-1 in the betting.
"The best backed horse on day three is Gregory, who is 3-1 from 5-1 in the Lonsdale Cup, as people seem to want to take on the Ballydoyle battalion and their hope Point Lonsdale, which hasn’t been a popular theme this week."
Archie Watson's Bradsell is a dual Royal Ascot winner and he was inconvenienced by the draw when a close third in this race last year.
He returned from a long layoff with a Listed success at Deauville recently and Doyle gave a positive mention to Bradsell's chances in our Nunthorpe preview.
She said: "I'm really looking forward to riding him. I'm really pleased with the draw in three, close to the pace horses. He's feeling better than ever."
One more out
4.45 Thanks Angel (temperature)
Jockey focus
Racegoers at York today can expect there to be a focus on the jockeys, with a number of activities on course with those in the weighing room.
As part of the Under Jockeys' Orders initiative – a collaboration between York, the Professional Jockeys Association and Great British Racing – the surname of every jockey will appear on the back of their breeches in a bid to make them more easily identifiable.
Those in attendance will also be able to watch jockeys leading riding demonstrations and displaying the fitness levels required of riders in a special pop-up gym, while Ryan Moore is among those to have been recorded taking part in a question-and-answer session with children at York's Clifton Green Primary School.
Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle gave their thoughts on the initiative, and their Nunthorpe mounts Big Evs and Bradsell, in this piece yesterday.
'We rode him out at four in the morning to see if things had settled down'
Adam West has spoken to my colleague David Carr about the disappointment of having to take out stable star and last year's winner Live In The Dream from the Nunthorpe.
West said: "We're unbelievably sick. There has been so much sacrifice to get the horse geared up for this one day and now the guys in the yard have got their heads down – it will take a little bit to pick us back up but we'll get there."
Reflecting on the bruised foot issue which forced Live In The Dream out of the race, West said: "It's been brewing for a week but never at a point that we were concerned enough to think about pulling him out.
"We were up all night with the farrier trying to make it as best we could. We rode him out at four in the morning to see if things had settled down enough to be safe and it just wasn't race-safe. Steve and Jolene [owners] did the right thing."
Read the full story here
Pricewise's picks
Tom Segal has four selections for this afternoon's action at York, including a juvenile who he feels is being underestimated in the Gimcrack.
Tom wrote: "The juvenile sprinting form has been all over the place this season and there hasn't been one colt who has stood out from the rest A maiden won the Coventry and another one won the Molecomb, so the form horses wouldn't appear to set that strong a standard in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes.
"Andesite, who was a big market mover before being pulled out of the Coventry late on could easily be the one for Karl Burke but he has obviously had some issues, while Camille Pissarro got close to Babouche in a Group 3 last time. However, the Aidan O'Brien colt seemed to be suited by being held up way off the pace and those tactics have been hard to pull off this week at York.
"Big Mojo was the surprise winner of the Molecomb and he seemed to win with a bit up his sleeve that day. Celandine franked that form in the Lowther and Big Mojo should go well again but my selection is surely overpriced, with his last-start win being franked since.
"He did really well to win last time as he had to wait for a run and a strongly run race over this trip is going to suit him ideally."
Members' Club subscribers can find Pricewise's tips here
Nunthorpe market update
The support keeps coming for Bradsell, who is now a general 7-2 (from 6) for the feature Nunthorpe.
Asfoora is starting to ease a shade in the market. The Aussie sprinter is out to 7-4, having been as short as 5-4 this morning.
Big Evs was a general 7-1 shot a couple of hours ago but he has been clipped in to 13-2, while Believing is a 8-1 chance.
Ponntos is appealing to some each-way punters. The Czech sprinter is a best-price 20-1 (from 33) with bet365 and is as short as 11-1 with Sky Bet.
Additional absentee
5.20 Blue Prince (travel)
Sticker shots
Our award-winning photographer Ed Whitaker has been out capturing the activity on day three . . .
'I hope the track conditions will be really suitable for her'
Oisin Murphy has given his thoughts on this afternoon's Nunthorpe, in which he is aboard the favourite Asfoora.
Murphy said: "I'm really looking forward to this race. I hope the track conditions will be really suitable for Asfoora. There's a strong wind out there which will hopefully dry the track after six millimetres of rain last night. It's a very competitive Group 1, including Bradsell who won his prep race in France really impressively under Hollie Doyle, and it's going to take some winning, but I hope I can do it on Asfoora."
'It's something different and it's a small thing to do'
Nick Luck brought some comedy and seriousness to proceedings on Racing TV when speaking to William Buick and Ryan Moore about the Under Jockeys Orders initiative at York today.
Buick and Moore were among the riders positioned outside the weighing room before racing dishing out jockey-focused stickers – several of which ended up on Luck's back courtesy of the Godolphin rider – and signing autographs.
Moore said: "It's something different and it's a small thing to do. Nick Attenborough [PJA chair] had this idea and York has taken it on. The boys at the PJA are trying hard and hopefully we can co-operate with the rest of the sport to make some sort of difference.
"There's some bigger things that need to happen. We have three Group races on Saturday in the space of 70 minutes run over nine furlongs, a mile and seven furlongs, and the Celebration Mile is stuck in the middle of it at Goodwood and gets a bit lost.
"We want to find ways to make the sport better and more co-operation between the tracks, which the likes of Goodwood, York and Ascot are beginning to do, will help to structure things better and show racing to be more competitive on a day-to-day basis, which would be a big thing that would help."
Non-runner
4.45 Hurricane Bea (other)
Big day for Wathnan
Wathnan Racing's first three runners at this meeting have finished fourth, second and third, with Artagnan faring best when a neck runner-up in the 6f nursery on Wednesday.
It is a big afternoon for the burgeoning operation as they have several leading candidates, including Wafei, who is 4-1 joint-favourite for the opening 1m3½f handicap (1.50). He races off bottomweight, finished a staying-on second at Glorious Goodwood last time and has the assistance of Billy Loughnane in the saddle.
Gregory has been popular in the market for the Lonsdale Cup (2.25) and finished third behind Kyprios in the Goodwood Cup last month, while The Strikin Viking is a key player in the Gimcrack (3.00) on the back of his Richmond second.
Newmarket debut second Realign contests the Convivial maiden (4.45) and Wathnan are doubly represented in the concluding mile handicap (5.20) with two progressive types in Midnight Gun and Native Warrior.