a few at yorks 1st day of the 4 day meeting

[ganjaman2]

2.00 York - Ginger Ted. 16/1. Each way.

This is a decent handicap with plenty of chances as you would expect. I had it narrowed down to Ancient Cross, Swiss Franc, Silaah, Ritual, Racy, Midnight Martini ,Ginger Ted, Shropshire and Face The Problem.

Racy, Ritual and Shropshire are all unexposed sorts with improvement to come but I think Racy is better on a sound surface, Ritual has to step up on what he's done so far and Shropshire may find this 5f too sharp, he has the best form in the race when 10 lengths behind Frankel and showed plenty of early speed last time but the drop to 5f from 7f is a huge pace difference and he may be best at 6f on a stiff track like Newmarket. Ancient Cross was my original fancy as the drop in trip and the softer ground along with a slight ease in class are all positives but the lack of form coming out of the stable right now is a concern. Silaah has been out of form of late but he's dropped to a temping mark, likely he'll want better ground but Kieren Fallon is an eyecatching jockey booking. Midnight Martini's form behind Pepper Lane was given a good boost when that one won the Great St Wilfred next time, he was infront of everything bar the winner at the 5f pole that day and ground conditions are in his favour but he is again vunerable to a closer. Face The Problem is well handicapped now and all his wins came over 5f but he looks in need of better ground. Swiss Franc looks to be on a good mark having found his feet again recently and the conditions over the minimum trip will suit, a strong run race will see him at his best and I'd give him a good chance but I ended up with Ginger Ted.

Ginger Ted isn't well handicapped by any means but he is only a 4yo and still seems as if he's improving. He has been running well lately without winning. The last time he got his head in front was in June over 6f on good ground at Thirsk when beating Red Cape, who has since gone in off 1lb higher. Next time out he was upped to a race not to disimilar to this, sent off 6/1cf3 he was beaten under 2 lengths 6th, there were no obvious excuses that day but he travelled well through the race suggesting both a drop in trip was needed and that this mark isn't beyond him. He finished last of 14 next time on very quick ground which he doesn't want so that can be quickly dismissed, then came his career best effort when 3rd of 20 to Hoof It in the Sky Bet Dash at York over 6f, the ground was slightly on the slow side of good. Both the winner and 2nd were drawn low and they made their challenge on the far side whereas Ginger Ted ran on strongly on the unfavoured near side and finished over a length clear of the rest of the field. The winner won the Stewards Cup next time off 6lb higher and the 2nd was a heavily backed favourite for the Great St Wilfred handicap off 2lb higher, he nevert travelled that day and finished a well beaten 8th. Ginger Ted went up 1lb for that run, he dropped back to 5f for the first time since winning at Ayr in May, he was outpaced on good ground but made rapid late headway from well off the pace to finish a close enough 7th, again suggesting this mark is well within him. He goes back up in class and the lower weight will help, all his better efforts have come with cut in the ground and the ground at York is currently good to soft with more rain predicted. He needs a well run race over this trip and with Falasteen, Fitz Flyer, Racy, Favourite Girl, Silaah and Shropshire all likely to be right up with the pace there is definitely going to be an end to end gallop. J-P Guillambert gets on well with this horse as his form onboard shows; 162140. Richard Guest had a winner on the 13th August with Ted's Brother so the stable are going well enough too.


2.30 York - East Meets West. 9/1. Each way.

This is normally a decent little race and there are a few in here on my next time out list including Now My Sun, he will be better over further in the future but he ran a decent race on debut when winning. I'm unsure how good that form is and it's probably not as good as some of these have acheived to date. He hit the front and was value for plenty more than the winning margin, he tried pulling himself up infront and connections are sure he'll improve atleast a stone for that run but some of these are sure to still have a lot of improvement in them too. Balty Boys was another on my list, he won his second maiden in emphatic style in a good time too and if the ground was good I'd be backing him to win this as I think he looks decent but he is unlikely to handle the soft as well as some in here. Zumbhi for Sit Michael Stoute can be given a good chance too, he knew his job well on debut, he showed good battling qualities and will be better suited by the step up in trip but he looked more accomplished and less likely to improve as much. East Meets West ran in behind Furner's Green on debut and plenty will be backing the latter as he won well but he too looked to know the job well, he travelled well and picked up nicely whereas East Meets West was up with the pace and shaped as if there was plenty more to come when tiring late. His 2nd start was in a listed race in which he was a very unlucky 3rd. The winner got a clear run when he came down the outside and the 2nd was always in the van. East Meets West showed distinct signs of greeness again, mainly being nudged along to pick up the bridle a few times, but he travelled sweetly in behind the leaders towards the end of the race, he got no run in the last furlong and you can be sure that he would of won by a good couple of lengths if he got as clear a run as the winner. He is sure to come on for that run again and with the ground no concern I think the forecast odds look too big.


3.05 York - Seville. 11/8.

That is a very decent price against this field. A couple of St Leger hopes in this including Namibian who battled on gamely to being Fiorente at Glorious Goodwood and he won't be bothered by the softer ground having won on soft at this track on his second maiden start and he won on good to soft at Ascot in the Queen's Vase, he definitely has a chance in this but Seville looks a class above. Rated 120, 8lbs clear of the field. He has easily the best form in the race; he finished 2nd in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster a 2yo and was sent off 5/4f on his first start as a 3yo when 2nd to Carlton House, a very convincing winner. Seville didn't handle Epsom in the Derby and ended up finishing 10th but he showed that wasn't his true running next time having finished less than a length 2nd to Treasure Beach. That winner was 4th behind Seville in France in the Grand Prix De Paris before winning the group 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park in America. Seville is still in good heart based on that run in the French group 1 and with the cut in the ground in his favour he will be very tough to beat.




4.50- Our Joe Mac e/w – Another Hanagan/Fahey combo, His only two wins have been on good/good to soft, Ran a good third at Goodwood in July, prior to that was second at Ponte and third at Haydock so is consistent. A tough race but good e/w value imo



not tips just my fancies