Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Wednesday's racing at York!
York Undercard Best Bets
Race 2: VALDERMORO (8)
Trainer: Richard Fahey
Jockey: Tony Hamilton
Eight of the nine participants in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes are previous winners and as there are no collateral formlines it's a hard one to call. Yorkshire stables field three of the ten runners and the one I like is
VALDERMORO. Having run green when beaten on his debut, the colt was a well-backed and most convincing scorer at Doncaster where he powered clear. He's clearly useful and will give us a value option.
Race 7: HARD NUT(11)
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Jockey: Ryan Moore
The Hannon stable fields three but although both Malvern and Separate have genuine claims of their own,
HARD NUT is the one to be on. Running in the colours of last year's winner, I thought he was a little unfortunate not to get a lot closer to Homespin in the big nursery at Goodwood. Being held up at that course is not always the best thing, and when extricating himself from a pocket he flew home when it was too late. He has three and three-quarter lengths to abridge with Homespin but on 11lb better terms has an obvious chance of gaining his revenge.
York Feature Race Analysis
Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2)
Only five runners for this traditional St Leger trial over a mile and a half but significantly the race brings arguably the four top powers in the sport together.
John Gosden, Aidan O'Brien, Charlie Appleby and Mark Johnston are the trainers represented in an intriguing match-up.
LOGICIAN is yet to have his feathers ruffled in three outings, latterly landing a Class 3 handicap at Newbury just as he liked, looking better the further he galloped. Given the form of the Clarehaven runners in big races this summer, he's going to be very hard to beat under Frankie Dettori.
CONSTANTINOPLE beat NAYEF ROAD by a hard fought neck in the Gordon Stakes, and as he's 3lb better off with his victim he should have no difficulty confirming the form.
NORWAY has adopted a peacemaking role on a couple of occasions and was beaten almost 20 lengths by Enable in the King George. It looks certain he will set the pace for Constantinople, while the hooded JALMOUD can't beat Constantinople or Nayef Road on the Goodwood form.
Neil Morrice's Predicted Finish:
1st LOGICIAN
2nd Constantinople
3rd Nayef Road
4th Norway
5th Jalmoud
York Feature Race Analysis
Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)
Since Brigadier Gerard's unbeaten record was dramatically taken down by Roberto in its inaugural running in 1972, the 'Juddmonte' as it is colloquially known, is entrenched in its high echelon as one of the highest class races run anywhere in the world.
Recent winners Sea The Stars and Frankel bear testament to that, and this year's renewal, while lacking a so-called superstar, is a hum-dinger of a contest worth going a long way to see.
Rightly heading the market at 5-4 with Hollywoodbets is CRYSTAL OCEAN, a five-year-old representing the older brigade who like so many from the Sir Michael Stoute academy has improved markedly with age.
After three straight wins, his sequence was finally halted in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but only by the exceptional ENABLE, and that after a titanic battle through the final two furlongs of the Ascot straight in which no quarter was taken or given
At the line, it was the mare Enable who edged ahead, but Crystal Ocean came out of it with flags unfurled and his head held high. His form sets the benchmark for is foes to aim at in this £600,000 to the winner highlight. He is the undisputed one to beat.
The Coolmore operation is as usual strongly represented through the twin spearhead of CIRCUS MAXIMUS and JAPAN.
Circus Maximus didn't stay the Investec Derby trip but has bounced back with a Group 1 triumph and a cracking effort to run Too Darn Hot to half a length in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. His profile is that of a genuine player who in blinkers can get into the money.
Japan hasn't looked back since finishing fourth in the Dante Stakes over this course and distance in May. He went down in a blanket finish when third to stablemate Anthony Van Dyck in the Derby before romping home with a telling burst of finishing speed in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, then bagging the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, over a mile and a half. He looks the O'Brien number one but has to improve his effectiveness over this extended two and a quarter miles.
The lightly-raced KING OF COMEDY has 'Group 1 King' Frankie Dettori on his back having been rested since a neck defeat by Circus Maximus at Royal Ascot in which many regarded him as unlucky. Granted the form of John Gosden's Group 1 runners recently, plus the fact that as a 3yo he enjoys a healthy allowance, he has to be afforded the utmost respect.
ELARQAM is a colt with abundant winning experience on the Knavesmire which in itself gives him a big card to play. The Mark Johnston-trained runner powered home in a Group 2 over this course and distance last month, beating Addeybb by three and a quarter lengths, and the second has subsequently franked the form.
Adding a touch of flavour to the contest is overseas Challenger CHEVALIER GRAND from Japan. However, the oldest member of the field was beaten over 12 lengths by Crystal Ocean at Ascot, and on that evidence has a mountain to climb.
Neil Morrice's Predicted Finish:
1st CRYSTAL OCEAN
2nd King Of Comedy
3rd Circus Maximus
4th Elarqam
5th Japan
