Our star daily duo of Rory Delargy and David Massey mark your card for today's racing action - they have three recommended bets for York.
Racing betting tips: Saturday June 14
0.5pt e.w. Yanifer in the 1:50 York at 12/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4) - min 11/1
1pt win Alsakib in the 3:00 York at 2/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Musical Touch in the 5:20 York at 4/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) - no lower
1.50 York
It didn't take the shrewds long to work out the early 16s about Tolstoy was well wide of the mark as he attempted to do the double at York for the second year running. Last year he won both the apprentices race on the Friday and this corresponding event. He was runner-up in the former race this time so is again sure to go well, albeit he’s been backed accordingly.
Dashing Darcey was backed from all rates down form 40-1 when second at Haydock last time, but behind him that day, not getting the best of runs through, was Blue For You, and he’s another very much at home on the Knavesmire. Stronger headgear goes back on today, he’s back on his last winning mark and as long as he gets the rub of the green today, he should go well. 10/1 is bigger that we had anticipated, so he’s a solid option, but we both liked Yanifer.
Yanifer was trapped out wide and out the back for much of the contest at Chester last time, a death knell to your chances there if ever there was one, but he ran on pleasingly in the closing stages and gave the impression he was still in form. A winner and a second from three starts at York tells you he likes the place, and with loads of pace among the low numbers, he’ll get a lovely tow into this from stall 3. Again, we’ll need a bit of luck late on, but as long as he gets it, he’ll be a player.
2:25 York
What’s striking here is a lack of pace; I can’t find anything that you would term a natural front-runner, although Glistening Nights has gone from the front a couple of times recently and would be of some interest on that alone, particularly with trainer Richard Fahey finally shaking off whatever it is that’s been ailing his horses, 5 winners from the past 15 runners says he’s back in form (just in time for Royal Ascot, bear him in mind next week). All of his winning has been done over shorter but he certainly shaped as if 12f was within his com when a staying-on sixth here two starts back. Back on his last winning mark, and worth consideration at a big price, especially if Amy Collier can control the gallop.
Saligo Bay has won his last two, the Chelmsford form from two starts back already working out (second a winner next time out) and he saw 1½m out well at Haydock last time, fighting them all off in game fashion from 2f out. Aine O’Connor looks an excellent booking and you’re basically backing a horse at the top of his game that stays well. Maghlaak completes our shortlist having prepped for this in the same C&D handicap Adrian Keatley used for 2023 winner Kihavah. He was second there, beaten narrowly and should go well with Jody Townend a most eyecatching booking. The trio mentioned all have a chance and might be worth combining for exotics.
3:00 York
There wasn’t much between Al Qareem and Absurde in the Ormonde Stakes last time, the pair finishing second and third to Illinois and Al Qareem is a couple of pounds worse off today, but the bigger concern would be the ground as no rain has arrived at York and Al Qareem needs a bit of ease to show his best having got jarred up in Meydan a couple of years ago.
Alsakib also ran well on his reappearance here when a length and a half fourth to Rebel’s Romance in the Yorkshire Cup, just looking in need of the run, and he does have a victory here over Al Qareem in the John Smith’s Silver Cup last year. In fact, he’s 5lb better off at the weights with Al Qareem today so looks the one to be with on these .
3:35 York
Two races on the straight course yesterday suggested that one side of the track was faster than the other, but it wasn’t the same side for both races! The bottom line is that concentration of pace is a better indicator of whether low or high will be favoured. I think this race could favour high with the three on the stands side all having the pace to take them all the way through this contest, but David disagrees. He does point out some collateral form to suggest that there are three horses to focus on if the far side gets the best of it, and I don’t disagree with that logic, so here goes.
Marchogion has been kept to the all-weather for much of this season but proved a revelation switched to turf at Newmarket, travelling very well and running out a ready length winner. I like that piece of form; the third, Dark Cloud Rising (drawn in stall 1) and second home American Style also take their chances here, and both are also worth consideration. The Marchogion/American Style/Dark Cloud Rising combo exotics isn’t the worst idea either, as the Newmarket form might be the bit of form to concentrate on, and Dark Cloud Rising is a reliable pace-forcer for such a race
5:20 York
Ingleby Archie got a paddock negative here last time he ran; in a dreadful sweat from the word go, giving his lass a torrid time, she didn’t have control of him at one point; he belied that behaviour to make all. Stall 22 makes that a harder stunt to pull today, but similar behaviour shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing
Ziggy’s Condor could never really land a blow against all-the-way winner Mum’s Tipple last time and finished midfield but that’s best forgiven with Richard Fahey’s horses bouncing back to form subsequently, as he’s generally consistent and potentially nicely drawn in stall 3 here.
Fahey’s other runner, Musical Touch, could take a lot of beating here. He didn’t quite see it out over 7f behind Delicacy two starts back but still ran with great credit, and lost nothing in defeat at Chelmsford last time, finishing second after racing wide throughout the contest and giving plenty of ground away. He’s up 3lb for that but has a tremendous chance here, with a lot in his favour, and David rates him his best bet on the card.
Preview posted 1008 BST on 14/06/2025
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