Horse Racing Tips: Your York Ebor Festival Saturday cheat sheet from Paddy’s pundits

They thought enough of Mighty Ulysses to run him in the St James’s Palace. He was not beaten all that far and made no mistake last time and he could get the Gosden team off to a flyer on Ebor day.

Was an excellent second to start back at Newmarket behind Mighty Ulysses, and ALFLAILA then stepped up dramatically for a smooth success at Pontefract in listed company. They may well change tactics slightly as the speed-favouring nature throughout this week’s racing will see him sit a little more forward.

Mighty Ulysses is very solid. He might have to prove his stamina but he looks the one to beat. He’s won twice at Newmarket this season and he’s very consistent. The step up in trip should suit him down to the ground.

MIGHTY ULYSSES responded really well when seeing off Alflaila at Newmarket last month, and with that just about the best weight-adjusted form on offer coupled with the promise of more to come, he will be hard to beat. Alflaila could be the chief rival again, with Bashkirova the pick of the older bunch.

The mile at Sandown will be much better for Grande Dame and the ground is not a problem. She needs to relax but I think over a mile you can ride her slightly more forward which will help her.

GRANDE DAME has built herself a pretty impressive profile in only four races to date and has particularly strong form at this venue. She’s off the back of a very smooth success last time and continues to climb up the ladder and onto better company.

Grand Dame’s defeat of Oscula over C&D in the Coral Distaff looks the most reliable form on offer, but I’m inclined to take a chance on Mise En Scene on the basis of her excellent juvenile form. Mise En Scene has Prosperous Voyage back in third when winning the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood last term, and was badly drawn when just a neck and a short-head behind her and Guineas winner Cachet in the Fillies’ Mile.

GRANDE DAME was impressive in listed company over C&D 7 weeks ago and that is solid form, so she’s hard to get away from. Fonteyn drops in trip and is a big player, while Nizaaka can go well in her bid for a 4-timer if staying.

SOUL STOPPER has been a different horse since being gelded and rattling off two wins at Chester and Salisbury. Those victories only came in small fields and he won’t want to start slowly as he did last time, but he stays well and is clearly improving.

Nusret, a son of Golden Horn, won at the Curragh last time. I don’t think he’s harshly handicapped and Mikey Sheehy takes 3lbs off which helps. This is a handicap where you could bump into a star.

AL NAFIR will need to have improved from a second place finish last time to take care of  stablemate Wild Crusade. The latter has taken a huge hike in the handicap for an easy success last time, but my  selection remains well treated and can give Frankie Dettori something to smile about.

Soulcombe is going to be popular in the betting but I’m siding with Inverness. He finished ahead of Soulcombe at Goodwood, in a race won by Secret State. He hasn’t really progressed on figures from last season but he’s got plenty of stamina. He didn’t get a clear run at Goodwood but I fancy him here.

A typically intriguing renewal of this valuable handicap with the vote in favour of SOULCOMBE. He’s looked a different model for being gelded/equipped with blinkers, landing handicaps at Haydock/Ascot prior to catching the eye from an unpromising position when fourth at Goodwood latest. Promising to be suited by this longer trip, he makes plenty of appeal at the foot of the weights.

I liked the way The Foxes beat a very highly touted horse of the Hannon yard in Classic at Goodwood. There’s a lot of reputations on the line here but I feel The Foxes stays well and is a solid performer.

DEFENCE OF FORT was mightily impressive on his racecourse debut at Ascot, winning by a wide-looking 4 1/2 lengths. He is a big, rangy, individual and the fact they choose Sandown, with the uphill finish, will really help his knee action and galloping nature.

Peter Chapple-Hyam looks to have found a diamond in the rough in the shape of Defence Of Fort, who landed a quiet gamble on debut at Ascot, and did so in a smart time. He did have the benefit of a good position near the stands rail that day, but so did the runner-up, and that colt did the form no disservice when narrowly touched off in a similar race last time.

Plenty of potential on show here but DESERT HERO looked a very good prospect when coming clear of a next-time-out winner for hands-and-heels riding on debut at Haydock (7f) back in June and, with significant improvement anticipated, he’s fancied to handle the rise in class and make it 2-2.

I love Sacred but tactically this might suit Godolphin’s AL SUHAIL who goes for William Buick and Charlie Appleby. My selection has been off the track a long time but is well up to this grade on his bets form. He can sometimes go from the front and that might not be a bad place to be in this line-up.

Sacred has been a little unlucky this season. She looked really good in her three-year-old year and needs a few things to fall her way. She ran a very good race at Royal Ascot and can get back to winning ways in this contest at the expense of some horses she has met before.

I’m backing ROHAAN, who flew home late in the day at Group 1 level last time and for all the world looked as if this extra half a furlong was within his grasp. He’s  been a major success story for his connections winning back- to-back  Wokingham’s at the Royal meeting and can leave his mark at this higher level too. 

There are lots of question marks about a few of these runners but I’ve landed on Sandrine. The race should really suit her. 7f really suits her, especially round the bend. She’ll be better suited by the way the race will be run compared to a lot of these.

SANDRINE took her form to a new level when taking the Lennox Stakes last time and, with the potential for better still, this likeable filly gets the nod over Sacred, who was a strong-finishing fifth in the same event. Kinross, the runner-up that day, is another player.

Earl of Tyrone has been all the rage, but let’s keep the faith with JOHN LEEPER even though he was hopeless for me at Goodwood last time. The Ed Dunlop-trained one-time Derby hope is slow as an old boat, but he’s been crying out for a decent pace to run at over this trip and finally he gets the chance.

I like two runners and the first is Candleford, who ran brilliantly at Ascot. He beat Ajero, who has come out and won a competitive handicap since. My second pick is Benaud, who can be ridden cold. He’s owned by legendary owner JP McManus. He would love to win a big handicap like the Ebor and I thought Benaud shaped very well at the Curragh behind the favourite Earl of Tyrone.

Unlucky in this race a couple of seasons ago, RAYMOND TUSK has been knocking around in the top level handicaps for the last few runs over 1m 4f, suggesting that a return to this 1m 6f trip will suit. He’s going to fly under the radar at a massive double-digit price and rates an each-way play in one of the most open looking Ebor handicaps I can remember.

Earl Of Tyrone will be up there but I’m going with Okita Soushi for Joseph O’Brien. He’s got a mark of 106 and he’s very lightly raced. He ran a cracker in the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot in June and his form is solid. His high draw hasn’t put me off either.

EARL OF TYRONE hails from a yard which has really started to make a name for itself in Ireland in the last couple of years and it would appear he’s been laid out for this since his Limerick listed win in June. He can take this valuable prize back across the Irish Sea for the third time in the last 4 years but there are any number of dangers.

Only four runs ago GULLIVER was third of 21 at this track in a similar race and he’s a big price off a 2lb lower mark. He’ll do for me each-way for Martin Harley and David O’Meara. There was also a glimmer of hope at Goodwood last time when in midfield.

The final race of ITV’s coverage and I’m going for ROYAL SCIMITAR. He returns of a massive layoff, but is one of only a few who looks as if he has a bit of wriggle room from his current handicap mark. His ability to go well fresh is a positive, he’s well drawn as  all the action has been towards the far side rails this week, so he can shift left-handed and sneak in behind the pace.

Surely this is the day for Summerghand. He’s finally got a good draw in stall two. He’s been shaping well in races of late and he’s dropped in the handicap too. He must come good soon.

ALEEZDANCER had long given the impression this drop back to 6f would suit when going in stylishly at Ripon and he can start to make up for lost time now by following up off just a 4 lb higher mark.