Ebor Meeting

This is probably my favourite meeting of the whole season on the flat. I've attended on lots of occasions and was at the track for Dayjur's Nunthorpe back in 1990. He's still the best horse I've seen in person on the level.

The race of the week is the Juddmonte tomorrow but I'm a tad disappointed in the turnout this year. As admirable as Al Kazeem is I was hoping to oppose him but the field he faces doesn't have a candidate to do this with. Toronado looks a doubtful stayer and Declaration of War surely has been over raced. It's a shame Ruler of the World was taken out as I think this would have been ideal for him.

Elsewhere I've already mentioned the big handicap on Saturday in a previous post and the only other bet I have thus far is Venus de Milo in the Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday. I managed to get 6/1 matched on Betfair last night and I think she's way overpriced. The Fugue heads the market but is vulnerable to a proper stayer in this sort of contest. Last year I backed Shareta against her and whilst my selection this time around hasn't quite the profile of that filly she is open to all sorts of improvement over the trip, especially if she gets a decent gallop. Last time out at Cork and in the Irish Oaks before that only a modest pace was set and she was doing her best work at the end of both contests. Another point is that The Fugue comes into this race in nowhere near the same kind of form as she was in last season. Of the others I have no clue why Wild Coco was shorter than the Ballydoyle filly when I placed my bet and Talent and Riposte are held on form.

My cliff horse, Cape Peron, is entered in a handicap at Goodwood over 7f on Saturday and I've taken some 8/1. He's not the sort of horse to go mental on ante-post because of his ground dependency but this step back in trip will really suit him as he has bags of speed and he'll be much shorter on the day if he takes part.

Yorkshire Oaks:
Venus de Milo £15w @ 6/1

Ebor:
Tiger Cliff £20ew @ 12/1

Betfair Cash-Out Handicap:
Cape Peron £10w @ 8/1