5.15pm York Tips & Betting Preview 16/06/2017

This is a Class 4 apprentice handicap over 1m 4f, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: There are plenty with questions to answer in this and MYSTERIAL can come out on top. He’s fallen back onto his last winning mark and can more than account for these if he can produce one of his better efforts. He’s a fair price in this although he will need to get the better of Opposition who is technically 3lbs well in. Saxo Jack continues to fall through the weights but remains on a long losing streak and is best watched again today.

1 OPPOSITION – Was only beaten a short head off this mark at Windsor earlier this month and connections will be hopeful that he can score today. He won a tougher race than this at Newmarket last year and he gets the services of one of the finest apprentices in the country. He’s due to go up 3lbs and he should go close in this now racing over slightly further than last time out. Likely to be popular in this and for good reason.

2 TAMAYUZ MAGIC – Has been slightly hit and miss this season with a 4 3/4 length defeat followed by a 42 length rout last time out. He’s kept over 1m 4f today in Class 4 company off a one pound lower mark which doesn’t exactly leave him chucked in. He gets the assistance of the relatively experienced Nathan Evans which will help in this apprentice handicap and there’s surely better to come this season although he would like it slightly softer. Worth market attention.

3 ALPHABETICAL ORDER – Completed a hat-trick of wins earlier this season but that good run of form came to a sudden halt at York last time out. He was beaten 11 lengths off a 3lb higher mark but he still remains 4lbs higher than that last winning mark and this faster ground looks completely against him. A 7lb claim will help him but he’s sure to want much softer ground than this and is hard to fancy on the back of that.

4 PANKO – Scraped home off a 4lb lower mark on the All-Weather last time out at Lingfield. He’s marginally up in trip today which looks fine and he could attempt to make all again today with Callum Shepherd aboard. He races off a career high mark today so he has clear questions to answer although the stable are going well at present (20% strike rate in the past fortnight) and he’s tricky to rule out kept in Class 4 company.

5 ITLAAQ – Out-ran his odds of 25/1 last time out to finish second of twelve, beaten 1 1/2 lengths at Pontefract. The handicapper has nudged him back up 2lbs in the weights for that run which looks reasonable although he is now eleven and he’s not exactly hiding much from the handicapper. Not sure to follow up that run here and others make more appeal on today’s terms for a yard with just 2 winners from their last 29 runners.

6 SAXO JACK – Without a win since January 2014 which came in a Meydan handicap. He’s been beaten a long way in several handicaps since arriving at the Sophie Leech stable although he did run on to finish third last time out. He remains on a mark of 77 and Ben Robinson claims a useful 5lbs today. This is a step back up in grade and he’s hard to recommend on the back of that long losing streak.

7 SONG OF LOVE – The stable are without a win from their last 9 runners and their runner arrives here off the back of a heavy defeat last time out. That was his first run for the stable and he should put in a better showing here now dropped significantly in grade although a mark of 77 doesn’t look to give him a huge amount to work with. Others make far more appeal today for a horse without a placed effort from 9 starts on the turf.

8 PETERHOUSE – Has racked up a long losing streak which stretches right back to August 2015. He’s not been beaten that far since but he never quite manages to find enough in the finish and he still remains on a high enough mark of 76. Clifford Lee is a positive booking and he claims a useful 3lbs although things are going to have to fall perfectly for Jason Ward’s runner and there are far more reliable sorts in the field.

9 SHERIFF OF NAWTON – Returned to action off a long-break last time out and he was beaten 86 lengths which unsurprisingly saw him finish last of twelve. He’s entitled to strip fitter today although he’s not exactly sure to improve enough to win a race of this nature off a 3lb lower mark and he’s unlikely to trouble the leaders again today. Best watched for a yard that have sent out just one winner from 24 runners in the past fortnight.

10 SATISH – Still relatively lightly-raced and he makes his fourth start of this season today. He’s been comfortably held on his last three starts and he’s begun to fall down the weights and a mark of 70 gives him a little more to work with today. He remains a maiden from 11 starts and may be one for weaker handicaps than this slightly later in the season. The visor remains on today as he steps back up in trip.

11 MYSTERIAL – 6lbs lower than his last winning mark which came over 1m 2f on similar ground to this last season. He is clearly well-handicapped and has run some fair races of late which includes a fourth-placed effort in a Class 4 handicap at Ripon. He’s one of the more likely winners of this and could be well-treated so he would be of serious interest with market support.

12 HURRICANE HOLLOW – Lightly-raced for a 7yo who has clearly had his problems having missed the whole of 2016. He’s improved with each start this season and that saw him finish second of seven beaten just a length when well-supported at Ripon last time out. He’s now on a workable mark of 69 and this apprentice handicap looks slightly easier although he needs to prove he is effective over this trip with all his wins coming over 1m 6f and further.

13 JAN DE HEEM – Hasn’t been in the greatest of form this season with two comfortable defeats in similar and weaker contests than this. Connor Murtagh takes over in the saddle today and claims 7lbs which is a massive help although he lacks the form of some of his opponents and the yard haven’t exactly been in a fine vein of form recently. Best watched today.