5.15pm York Tips & Betting Preview 26/08/2017

Fast and furious action to bring down the curtain on the Ebor meeting 2017. A five furlong handicap for apprentice jockeys, it’s a quality race with nineteen runners stretched across the track. Our runner by runner preview and expert tip are below.

IN SUMMARY: JUSTANOTHERBOTTLE has excuses for his last two runs, returning to the track where he ran his best race of the season when just failing to get home over six furlongs, he looks overpriced. Copper Knight brings some of the strongest form to the table on his Scurry Stakes run behind Battaash. A first time tongue strap is interesting but he is drawn a little on a wing. Batten The Hatches has improved massively since blinkers were fitted, he is a pace angle on the high drawn side. Pennsylvania Dutch is very interesting dropping to five furlongs given the way he has tanked through his races, he is another with a solid chance.

1 COPPER KNIGHT – Sent off favourite to beat Battaash in the Scurry Stakes at Sandown in June, hindsight shows that a three length beating was a smart result. He faded close home when returned to a handicap last time, a first time tongue strap now fitted to see if that allows him to maintain the gallop a little longer. Strong each way chance in this field if he can see through his effort though a draw in 1 leaves him a little out on a wing.

2 EQUIMOU – Has kept smart company this season, struggling after a win at Hamilton. She gets first time cheekpieces added here to sharpen here up and with a falling mark, she has the tools to at least run respectably at a huge price but a win would be a surprise.

3 COOLFITCH – Picked up a Class 3 event in June, she has been behind Tahoo, Major Jumbo and Copper Knight on recent less successful outings. She ran too bad to be true last time at Ascot, but without too much in the way of excuses for that performance, she is hard to support.

4 JUSTANOTHERBOTTLE – Twice a winner this season but arguably his best run came at this track when just fading into third close home over six furlongs in a similarly competitive handicap. He has disappointed twice since but there are excuses, a stiffer six furlongs the first time before trying to take on his elders. Back in his own age group, at a track he handles, he is a big each way player at a solid price.

5 HOLMESWOOD – Arrives looking for a hat-trick having scored over this trip at Ayr and Ripon. Those were both lesser contests that this one but on both occasions he won with a little more in hand than the official margin suggests. Needs more at this level but has clearly benefitted from being gelded in July, there is likely more improvement in the tank.

6 MAJOR JUMBO – Showing excellent consistency this season, yet to finish outside the first three in seven starts. Both wins this year have been on the all weather but he has no issues with turf at either extreme. The bigger field might just allow him to travel into the contest for a little longer but on the balance of his form he needs a shade more to land this prize.

7 EVERGATE – A winner at Windsor in May, he patently failed to stay six furlongs when last seen. He is nine pounds better off with Copper Knight (sixteen if including the claim of his rider) for a two and a quarter length beating. If he is ready to roll after a short break, he is one to consider for sprint maestro Robert Cowell although the yard are in a bit of a rough patch at present.

8 QUEEN IN WAITING – Twice a winner this season, she has struggled since her mark went north of 90. The more the ground continues to dry out the more in her favour it will become and this is her trip, but at this level she is going to need another jolt of improvement.

9 BATTEN THE HATCHES – Didn’t make the track as a juvenile but has wasted little time, winning twice from his five career starts. The fitting of blinkers has been the making of him, sharply away and making all at Redcar before just failing to repeat the dose at York over an extra half a furlong. If he gets into a rhythm on the front end, he could be tough to peg back if high is the place to be drawn.

10 CARLTON FRANKIE – A three time winner, she has hit the wall badly since being stepped up in class, never able to get competitive the last twice. She has won on the Knavesmire so the track is no issue but she has a lot to prove that she can cut the mustard at this level before she is worthy of support.

11 MAYLEAF SHINE – Best efforts so far including her only win have come on much deeper ground. The drying conditions here are going to be little help to her from a mark she hasn’t looked like cashing in on. Iain Jardine will no doubt get the best out of her at some point but it is far more likely to be once the soft autumn ground is about than here.

12 INTENSE ROMANCE – Another who didn’t make the track as a two-year-old, she has already got her head in front on five occasions this season. She has done nothing but improve and while this is a fair step up in class for her, the way she travelled when winning at Ascot in June suggests that she may not be done with winning yet.

13 BLACK ISLE BOY – Showed the benefit of a gelding operation when notching a five week hat-trick at the start of the season. Those wins were all over six furlongs including at Pontefract and Hamilton with uphill finishes so there has been little sign that it’s a step down in trip that he requires.

14 PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH – A dual winner at six furlongs, he has been keen in the early stages so a step down to a strongly run five might allow him to step forward again. There are plenty of five furlong winners in his pedigree – including grand-dam Superstar Leo who was a blisteringly quick juvenile – so he is one of the more interesting ones in the contest.

15 ROZY BOYS – Made a winning debut at Wolverhampton in November but has finished last on both starts since. The latest of those was his turf debut on soft ground so perhaps this better surface will help him but it still leaves him with an awful lot to prove.

16 TAHOO – All three wins have come over this five furlong trip, including in a course and distance nursery last July. She made every yard of the running to beat Major Jumbo at Windsor last month, tactics that are going to be far more difficult in a bigger field with a number of other pace angles. She has won from off the pace but this is as high as she would want to be in the handicap.

17 IMPART – Won at Ripon from this mark in July but it has otherwise been a disappointing season for David O’Meara’s charge. He ran well enough when behind Justanotherbottle at this track in June, seven pounds better off for a two length beating over six furlongs. That is enough to give him an each way squeak if he is able to show his best.

18 TRICK OF THE LIGHT – A model of consistency, he has been placed three times from 80 since a win at Bath. 82 here looks difficult given that he was only placed off lower at a lesser level, first time blinkers are going to have to give him a significant boost. A beaten favourite in six of his last seven races, he is priced up on Roger Varian’s name in the racecard rather than what he has shown on track.

19 YORKSHIREDEBUT – Has picked up Class 5 wins at Catterick and Thirsk this season, struggling to get competitive the times she has risen to Class 4. She is therefore very hard to support up two further grades despite her coming from a yard who do very well with their sprinters.