DAY TWO of York’s Ebor Festival kicks off with the Group Two Lowther Stakes (1.50pm), where punters are faced with a tricky proposition.
Royal Fixation tops the betting and possibly has the best form on offer after she finished second to Venetian Sun at Newmarket, who’s one of the top juvenile fillies in training.
However, her price seems skinny enough, and I think you can say the same for America Queen, who’s next in the betting.
She was brilliant on debut and could be anything, but I’d prefer to go for something more proven.
To that extent, it’s worth looking further down the field and taking advantage of that fact that the World Pool is in operation at York.
The internationally commingled pools allow bettors to get great value for horses who are less fancied, and WOR FAAYTH could be the way to play this.
She’s trained by Brian Ellison, who is perhaps best-known for his Jump training exploits, but he’s well capable of readying one for a big Flat race.
This filly has already won a Listed race in France, and she was quite stylish that day too.
It’s further encouraging that Tom Marquand has been booked to ride, and while some of the others have sexier profiles, she doesn’t have as much to find as the market suggest.
I like her as a pick in the World Pool Win and Place markets.
STAYA and ARGENTINE TANGO are two others who should be respected from a betting perspective.
They have also shown a strong level of form so far this season and are battle-hardened as a result.
That is a particularly useful trait in a race like this, so I’d recommend rolling the pair of them, as well as the Ellison filly, into a Quinella (pick the first two home in any order).
POINTERS THURSDAY
Wor Faayth (Win and Place) 1.50pm York
Wor Faayth, Staya, Argentine Tango (Quinella) 1.50pm York