York 2.30 John Smith Cup
YORK 2.30 ELITE SERVICE - David - John Smith Cup
This is, undoubtedly, the big handicap of the day and is a race that has had the same commercial sponsorship since 1960.
The contest is run over a distance of 1m 2f and there is a maximum field of 22 declared to go to post. The going is currently described as ‘Good, Good To Firm in places’ and there is no reason to think it will be much different to that come post-time.
There could be some strong early pace on here as there are quite a number who like to go forward.
One of the likely front-runners is SKY DEFENDER who won last time out, at Epsom, beating 3 others who re-oppose here. He has a wide draw here so his jockey will have to get him smartly out of the gate to get across, which may use up valuable petrol, but he’s from a stable that you always have to take seriously. He is up 5lbs for that Epsom win, however, and so is worse off at the weights with all 3 of the other horse with 2 them, at least, now weighted to reverse the form here.
Another who could cut out the early running, this time from a low draw, is DARK JEDI. He was previously with Charlie Hills but switched to Tim Easterby a couple of months ago and has won twice for his new yard already. He has improved for the step up in trip the last twice and won with plenty in hand last time at Ripon. He has gone up 5lbs for that win but he is clearly progressing so he is not without a chance. He did run poorly on his only previous visit here, last year, and is 4lb worse off with RISE HALL who finished some 11 lengths ahead of him that day.
That run was one of three that RISE HALL has had at this track and he has finished in the first 4 on each occasion.
He is a horse who was very consistent after undergoing a gelding operation at the end of 2018 but then finished stone last in a race, won by the re-opposing CARADOC, at Newbury towards the end of last season. It was reported that he suffered with a breathing problem that day but he has no wind procedure, subsequently, and could only finish 7th of 8 runners on his seasonal reappearance. He is now back down to his last winning mark but there must be a question mark over whether he is truly over his breathing issue.
The aforementioned race, at Epsom, won by SKY DEFENDER also featured 3 other horses who run here. CERTAIN LAD is a 4 year-old who has had plenty of racecourse experience already and spent the winter racing in Meydan, with some success. He was well beaten at Epsom and has work to do if he is to turn around that form. His apprentice jockey does take off 7lbs however that should help.
The horse who finished 3rd in that Epsom race was TINANDALI who is having just his 3rd run here for local trainer David O’Meara. Prior to transferring to his current stable, this horse was trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld and they held him high regard over there. He was narrowly beaten on stable debut, at Ayr last month, before his run in 3rd at Epsom on Derby Day. He finds himself 2lbs better off with his conqueror at Ayr, NICHOLAS T, and is now 5lbs better off with SKY DEFENDER than at Epsom.
The stable do well with this kind of recruit and they will hold some expectations of him moving up to better things in time. The trainer remains in good form over the last week or so and the main stable jockey, Danny Tudhope, takes the ride here. He is a jockey who has more experience than anybody of riding in big handicaps at this venue and rides the track well. He has a wide draw to contend with but that shouldn’t be a major obstacle to the horse running a big race here at nice each-way odds.
Back in 6th that day at Epsom was CARADOC and he was a real ‘eye-catcher’ that day as he was possibly given too much to do, having sat last as they turned for home, but made up lots of ground in the last furlong. It could be argued that it was a perfect prep run for what is probably his main target and, with the horse being well supported during the last few days in the market, it seems many are of that opinion. That 6th place finish is actually the worst the result of this lightly-raced 5 year-olds career so far and in his 9 races on turf he has won 4 times, and also finished 2nd once and 3rd once. His last win came last September when he got the better of GREAT EXAMPLE at Newbury and he is better off at the weights with that rival here. He has run well at York before and his trainer thinks that he could be a Group performer at some stage. It is interesting to note, also, that James Doyle takes the ride given that there are a couple of representatives from the William Haggas stable also in here. Doyle is another jockey with an excellent record at this track.
Last year’s renewal was won by PIVOINE and he lines up here just 2lbs higher than 12 months ago. That win took his record at the track to a perfect 2 from 2, having won here also the previous summer. He has not won since but has spent some of that time running in higher grade contests overseas. He is attempting to become the first back-to-back winner of the race since 1986, and this has probably been a long-term plan, but connections would probably have preferred to have got a run into him before this.
A stable-mate of last year’s winner is GOOD BIRTHDAY and he comes here having had a very similar prep to that given PIVOINE last year. Like his stable-mate 12 months earlier, he ran poorly at Royal Ascot but he may not like that course (ran poorly there before) and may have found the ground too soft for him also. Take those two Ascot runs out of his record and his form is pretty consistent and his run in 3rd place in last season’s Cambridgeshire, behind Lord North, off 1lb higher puts him in here with a good chance. His trainer utilises a claiming jockey to take off a further 5lbs too so he is not passed over lightly.
One of the good runs in the GOOD BIRTHDAY formbook is his 3rd place finish in last season’s London Gold Cup at Newbury. One place ahead of him that day was SINJAARI who is one of two entries in here for William Haggas. He is a trainer who likes returning to his native county and having winners and has won this race twice in the past.
This son of Camelot is having his first run of the season here, having been gelded at the end of the last campaign. He can run well fresh, however, as illustrated by his seasonal debut last year when he ran a close 2nd behind a subsequently 106 rated horse of John Gosden. He ran in some strong 3 year-old handicaps last season, performing well in the most part, before bombing out completely on his final start of the season. That came over 1mile 4f and his only other ordinary performance had also come over that distance so this step back in trip may be his optimum. The horse could be on a decent handicap mark and his jockey Stevie Donaghue rides York very well indeed so that is certainly not a negative.
Haggas’s other runner in here is DESERT ICON. He was an impressive winner last time out, at Newmarket, when, although enjoying an easy lead up front, he was given an excellent ride. He has gone up 9lbs for that win, which makes things a lot tougher here, and he has run most of his best races in small fields.
Prior to that win at Newmarket last month, the last time DESERT ICON had tasted success was at Salisbury a year earlier when he won over 1m 4f. Back in 4th that day was GREAT EXAMPLE and the Godolphin horse appears here on 14lbs better terms. This 4 year-old was unraced at the age of 2 but won twice, from 6 starts, last year. This is, also, his first start of the campaign but his trainer does have a very good record with horses he runs after a long break so that should not be a negative. The booking of top claiming jockey Cieran Fallon is also a plus. He was beaten by CARADOC at Newbury in September and he is one for the short-list but, even allowing for his rider’s 3lb claim, he is 1lb worse off with his conqueror here.
Another on the short-list was FIFTH POSITION for Roger Varian. He is another one who is lightly-raced, and therefore open to improvement, having only had 8 starts so far. He has shown good form since racing’s re-start, finishing 3rd in a very good race at Newcastle that is working out well and, then, winning last time out at Doncaster. York’s long straight should suit this horse but he may need a bit of rain and it is noticeable that Andrea Atzeni does not ride for the first time in the 4 year-old’s career as he chooses to head to Newbury instead.
One jockey who does come here, and it is just for this one ride on HARROVIAN, is Frankie Dettori. That may be a tip in itself and, with the trainer/jockey combination, the horse is sure to be well supported. He is another who is lightly-raced and has clearly not been the easiest to train with various forms of headgear being tried throughout last season. Cheekpieces were re-applied for his winning performance last time out at Doncaster where he got the better of ARCHIE PERKINS, who re-opposes here, by a head. Those aids are retained here as connections look to continue the improvement in form since the horse was gelded last autumn. Prior to his Doncaster win, he came 2nd at Haydock in a race where the form is already working out well.
The one big question mark surrounds his course form as he flopped badly on his only visit here so far last October. It may be that it was the soft ground that day that was the issue, rather than the track, and he looks to give John Gosden his first win in the contest.
On a line through the 3rd horse home in the Haydock race, HARROVIAN does look to hold the well-backed Michael Stoute runner SOLID STONE. This horse was very impressive when winning over a mile on seasonal reappearance at Sandown and is another who has been gelded since last season. He ticks a number of the boxes but has gone up 7lbs for his Sandown success and is held by a couple of others in here on the basis of his 9th placed finish in last season’s London Gold Cup.
BALTIC BARON was one of the last names to be crossed off my short-list and he is another who runs here for David O’Meara. He is yet to win in 10 attempts for this stable, since joining from France early last year, and this is his first attempt at this distance. He has often shaped, however, as if this step up in trip would suit and his breeding suggests it shouldn’t be an issue. He was a strong finishing 5th in The Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot last time and, taking into account his claiming jockey’s allowance, he is effectively 6lbs lower here.
The prize-money might be reduced for this race this year but it is no less competitive as a result and finding the winner is a difficult task. With the enhanced places on offer, however, I’m hoping that we can make some profit on the race by backing 3 in here.
Firstly, CARADOC looks a very solid each-way option. The price has contracted in the last 48 hours or so but there is still enough juice to recommend an each-way bet and I will be surprised to see him out of the money. The race at Epsom looks to have been a prep with this bigger target in mind and a fast run race over this trip should be ideal for a horse who has run well at the track before.
At a bigger price, I think that TINANDALI offers some excellent each-way value and could be well handicapped. Hopefully, the ground will not get too quick for him and, assuming it doesn’t, he can build on the promise of his first two runs for the yard here en route to, perhaps, bigger and better things in the future.
For a third pick, I liked the claims of HARROVIAN and GREAT EXAMPLE but, at the current prices, I am going to side with SINJAARI. If he is ready to roll on his first start of the season, he looks an ideal type for this race for a trainer who has won it twice before with similar-profiled horses. His form last season was strong and he can, hopefully, build on that now following his gelding operation.