Saturday’s York tips‏

Saturday marks the beginning of a busy spell for racing fans and professionals alike, with a number of quality cards to choose from on King George day, before the shows rolls on to Goodwood and Galway next week.

With the BBC doing the honours at Ascot the C4 team are on duty at York and Newmarket, with both looking competitive throughout.

It’ll be a relief to be back on a racecourse after my recent holiday was savagely interrupted by the not 100% unexpected arrival of column regular Lord Culcheth, who turned up just in time for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, insisting Jan Vermeer was a good thing (finished third beaten 6 lengths) clutching a bright orange lilo bed and a pair of books entitled ‘How To Catch A Cougar’ and ‘How To Feed Your Cougar’.

Oblivious to the fact he might not be altogether welcome, he then ingratiated himself with the up ’til that moment relaxed holiday party still further by deadlocking us out of our house for 24 hours, conveniently picking Bastille Day when every locksmith for 1,000 miles is otherwise occupied.

Another Lord Culcheth triumph.

Speaking of which, if you ever bump into John Francome on your travels, ask him about the infamous popcorn trick……..Lord Culcheth tried it at an open air screening of Harry Potter in Cannes last year, and was subsequently nearly beaten to death for his troubles.

York’s card looks especially tricky, but fortune/bankruptcy favours the brave, so since that’s where I’ll be that’s where I’m focussing my efforts on unravelling a winner or two:

We’ll need a bit of luck in-running with a field of 20 lining up for an exciting renewal of the Sky Bet Dash at 3.40pm, but I’ll be splitting my stakes on two that appeal to me for differing reasons.

Former course and distance winner Valery Borzov is exactly the type of animal I like to back in a race of this nature.

Dropping in the weights he now races from a 3lb lower mark than his last winning rating of 97 (when he scored at York in May 2009), and if you consider this streetwise gelding was rated 105 a year ago, he must have a chance from nearly a stone lower on a track where we know he acts (although many don’t!).

Richard Fahey has his string in good nick, Paul Hanagan is riding out of his skin, the horse has a visor on again in a bid to eke out a little more than has been witnessed lately, and he hails from a stable who’ve won this contest twice in the last four years.

At a double figure price I like the idea of an each way punt.

The other one I like in the race is the polar opposite in many ways – where Valery Borzov has been out of sorts the same cannot be said of Mark Johnston’s Lowdown, who’s slap bang in form and fast rising up the handicap after two wins on the bounce.

He has bags of speed, will handle the quick ground, and may not have finished improving.

What also encourages me to back Lowdown is his draw in stall three – Friday’s evening card saw the six furlong handicap first, second and third jump from gates three, five and one respectively which could be a handy pointer.

As with my other selection in the race I’ll be backing Lowdown each way.

Bookmakers will be licking their lips as they price up the most valuable race on the card, the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes at 3.05pm.

You’d struggle to rule any of the eight runners out with confidence, as even 20/1 outsider of the field Nanton (the mount of Morning Line guest Phillip Makin) could take a hand and collect some prize money.

I think the layers have got it right in making Debussy favourite though – word is he’s flying at home, and will find this a huge amount easier than last time when John Gosden pitched him in against the big boys in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Prior to that effort he hacked up at a big price at the Chester May meeting, and can return to winning ways here.

There is definite quality in opposition, but I’d be worried about the ground for Bushman unless some rain arrives, while Monitor Closely makes his first outing for ‘Ding Dong’ Michael Bell, but surely will come on for the run after suffering from knee problems and not being seen for 315 days.

It’s a win bet on Debussy for me at a generally available 4/1.

The day kicks off at York with a very hot nursery (two year old handicap) at 2.00pm, in which I’ve got an inkling we might be about to see a bit more from Face The Problem as this Johannesburg colt tackles the minimum distance for the first time.

He began his education with a debut fourth on a left handed galloping track in May (at Newbury), and then won at Windsor showing dazzling early pace, but he nearly chucked it away by hanging badly when put under pressure late on (over 6f).

Dropped in trip I think he can show them a clean pair of heels here as he learns his job.

The Hills team clearly think plenty of him as he holds a Gimcrack entry - back him to win at 3/1 with Paddy Power.

There’ll be no sneaking out early if you want to try and back a winner of the lucky last, but I’ll be asking Phillip Makin if he thinks Legal Legacy might be his best chance of the day in a tough looking big field seven furlong handicap.

Michael Dods’ four year old racked up a hat trick just over a year ago, and inevitably had to serve his time when the inevitable sentence was handed down by the handicapper.

Now though, back on faster ground and only a solitary pound higher than his last winning mark of 72, I reckon we might see his best effort since the end of June 2009.

At a double figure price he’ll be an each way bet.

Good luck!

Saturday’s York tips:

2.00 – skypoker.com Stakes – 5 Face The Problem (win) @ 3/1 (Paddy Power)

3.05 – Sky Bet York Stakes – 4 Debussy (win) @ 4/1 (general, including Bet365 & Ladbrokes)

3.40 – Sky Bet Dash (Handicap) – 7 Lowdown (each way) @ 9/1 (Ladbrokes or William Hill) (n.b. 8/1 with Sky Bet who offer 5 places)

3.40 – Sky Bet Dash (Handicap) – 12 Valery Borzov (each way) @ 10/1 (Bet365 or Paddy Power) (n.b. 9/1 with Sky Bet)

5.20 – skybingo.com Stakes (Handicap) – 10 Legal Legacy (each way)