Ebor Festival 2023 - Day 1 Preview & Tips
- Get our tips for the opening day of the 2023 Ebor Festival
- The Juddmonte International Stakes headlines Wednesday's York meeting
- Indian Run, Continuous and Pillow Talk feature in our selections
- Our race-by-race preview is included below
Pillow Talk (grey) winning The Knights The New Name For Langleys British EBF Marygate Fillies' Stakes at York. (Getty)
One of the highlights of the British racing summer kicks off at York on Wednesday, as a capacity crowd gathers to enjoy day one of the thrilling Ebor Festival.
- Ebor Festival 2023 - Day One Tips
- Race 1 - Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap Tips
- Race 2 - Acomb Stakes Tips
- Race 3 - Great Voltigeur Stakes Tips
- Race 4 - Juddmonte International Stakes Tips
- Race 5 - Stayers Handicap Tips
- Race 6 - Fillies' Handicap Tips
- Race 7 - Nursery Handicap Tips
Wednesday's attendees will enjoy a seismic showdown between Paddington and Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International Stakes. The Great Voltigeur and Acomb Stakes will also take place on day one, along with a trio of Heritage Handicaps.
Here are our free tips through the card on day one of the Ebor Festival.
Ebor Festival 2023 - Day One Tips
Race 1 - Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap Tips
Having gone 20 races without a victory on turf, 17. SHALAA ASKER finally opened his account on the grass by scoring in a Sunday Series sprint at Pontefract on his penultimate start.
That was the second in a series of good runs from Adrian Keatley's five-year-old, who finished second to a future two-time winner in Good Earth on his previous outing and ran on well from a tricky wide draw at Chester on his most recent run.
Hollie Doyle picks up the ride on Shalaa Asker in Wednesday's opener and this in-between trip of five-and-a-half furlongs should be ideal.
Shalaa Asker - $26.00York Race Onebet now
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Race 2 - Acomb Stakes Tips
As this renewal of the Acomb looks decidedly open, I'll have a punt on 5. INDIAN RUN, who built on a promising third on debut at Newbury with a smart victory over six furlongs at Ascot last month.
Eve Johnson Houghton's colt ran out an easy winner that day, beating a future winner in Kingdom Of Riches and a couple of other runners who hold Champagne and Mill Reef entries.
Plenty of Sioux Nation's progeny have performed well over seven furlongs and a mile, so I'm hopeful that this step up in trip could bring about further improvement.
Indian Run - $9.00York Race Twobet now
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Race 3 - Great Voltigeur Stakes Tips
Gregory will limber up for a tilt at the St Leger with an outing in Wednesday's second pattern races, but I'm not sure whether the favourite really has the speed for this shorter trip.
At the prices, I'd prefer to side with 5. CONTINUOUS, who ran a lovely race when third in the Dante on his reappearance at York back in May.
Aidan O'Brien's colt was last seen winning the race for second behind the impressive King Of Steel at Royal Ascot, where Ryan Moore's mount saw out 12 furlongs very strongly.
O'Brien's recent record in this contest isn't great, but this doesn't look like the strongest Great Voltigeur we've ever seen and Continuous' form is as good as anything else on offer.
Continuous - $3.30York Race Threebet now
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Race 4 - Juddmonte International Stakes Tips
The strength of Paddington at the top of the market has resulted in just three runners being confirmed against the odds-on favourite.
Aidan O'Brien's star established himself as the top three-year-old around during the first half of the campaign and has since beaten his elders in both the Coral-Eclipse and the Sussex Stakes.
On Racing Post Ratings, Paddington's best performance came over this trip in the Eclipse and despite that peak rating, Ryan Moore was quick to state that we hadn't seen the best of his mount at Sandown and the team quickly dropped Paddington back to a mile at Glorious Goodwood.
I felt that Emily Upjohn had every opportunity to pass Paddington in the closing stages of the Eclipse and she couldn't do it, while on Wednesday, Paddington will come up against another Gosden horse in the form of 1. MOSTAHDAF and I'm hoping he'll be a little more ruthless than his stablemate was at Sandown.
Despite being the least-fancied of the five European horses in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, Mostahdaf ran out a hugely impressive four-length winner, where Jim Crowley's mount sat off a fairly muddling pace set by Luxembourg.
Mostahdaf then showed an excellent change of gear to sweep into the lead turning for home, before striding four lengths clear on the run to the line.
The Gosden's campaigned Mostahdaf as a middle-distance horse last season, running their star in huge races like the Arc and the Sheema Classic and over ten furlongs, Mostahdaf has won four of his six starts and could hardly have been more impressive when winning at Royal Ascot, so it seems like John and Thady Gosden have settled upon the ideal trip for Europe's highest-rated racehorse.
Like Mostahdaf, Nashwa and The Foxes like to be held up, which would leave Ryan Moore with no alternative but to make the running on Paddington.
Frankie Dettori, who deputises for the suspended Crowley, won't want to let Moore out of his crosshairs and if the same Mostahdaf that we saw at Royal Ascot turns up at York, then Paddington could be a sitting duck.
Mostahdaf - $3.75York Race Fourbet now
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Race 5 - Stayers Handicap Tips
Three Irish raiders sit prominently in the betting for this intriguing contest, including Dermot Weld's 14. GRAPPA NINONO, who'll sneak in right at the bottom of the weights.
A winner over 17 furlongs earlier in the campaign, Grappa Nonino comes into this on the back of a taking victory at the Curragh ten days ago.
With regular rider Chris Hayes remaining in Ireland, Weld has booked the in-form Saffie Osbourne to take the ride and she will fancy her chances on an improving four-year-old who is two pounds well-in at the weights.
Grappa Nonino - $7.00York Race Fivebet now
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Race 6 - Fillies' Handicap Tips
Karl Burke, Danny Tudhope and Clipper Logistics won the inaugural running of this handicap with Lady In France in 2020.
This year, that combination will be represented by 7. PILLOW TALK, who won the Marygate Fillies Stakes over this course-and-distance as a juvenile and placed second behind Great State in the Westow Stakes during the Dante meeting.
Burke's filly bounced back to form with a solid third at Pontefract the last day, on what was just her second start in handicap company.
Pillow Talk will run off the same mark of 91 on Wednesday and stall five should be ideal.
Pillow Talk - $6.50York Race Sixbet now
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Race 7 - Nursery Handicap Tips
Given his current price, I'm happy to take a risk on 4. BARNWELL BOY despite two lacklustre performances via his most recent outings.
Having bolted up on debut at Goodwood, Charlie Johnson's colt was well-beaten behind Big Evs at Royal Ascot and struggled behind that same rival in the Molecomb Stakes last time out at Goodwood.
I know the Johnston's hold Barnwell Boy in high regard and along with quicker ground at York suiting, he could be very well-handicapped off this opening mark of 91.
Barnwell Boy - $21.00York Race Sevenbet now
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Verdict
Our best bets for day one of the 2023 Ebor Festival are:
Continuous
To Win
$3.30 - 5 Units
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Grappa Nonino
Each Way
$7.00 - 3 Units
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Indian Run
Each Way
$9.00 - 2 Units
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