Yorkshire Cup on York´s final day

The Group Two Yorkshire Cup over 1 3/4 miles at 15.45 CET is the main Feature of the third and final day of York´s May meeting and has an international field, with both Irish-trained Royal Diamond (Tommy Carmody/ Niall McCullagh) and French challenger Top Trip (Francois Doumen/ Mickael Barzalona) holding good chances. The former won the Irish St. Leger last year, while the latter ran well in several of France´s top 3yo races. Quiz Mistress (Hughie Morrison(Jimmy Fortune), the only filly in the field, looks the best of the Brits; she showed much improved form last time when just beaten at Newbury in a race that has worked out well and this extra quarter-mile should be ideal. Joshua Tree, now with Ed Dunlop and with Ryan Moore in the saddle, is the best horse in the field but is making his seasonal debut and also has a Group One penalty to carry, as does Royal Diamond. That makes life tough and at these weights we prefer Quiz Mistress, although the French raider could be a big danger.

The main supporting feature is the listed race for 3yo fillies over a mile half an hour later. How´s Life (Rae Guest/ Andrea Atzeni) is unbeaten in two starts and won with the greatest of ease at Beverley last time. This is a much tougher race obviously, but most of the others are also moving up in grade, and she looks listed class at least based on the style of her Beverley success. Pavlosk (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore) was also an easy winner of her only start this season and looks the obvious danger.

Stoute and Moore also have a chance of taking the 1 1/2 miles handicap at 15.15 with top-weight Sir John Hawkwood, who carries a 6 lbs penalty for winning last week at Chester. However this race looks wide open and we shall take a chance with ex-German Oriental Fox (Mark Johnston/ Joe Fanning). He is Swiss-owned and ran mainly in Switzerland last year but is nicely handicapped on his earlier German form.

Not all the top jockeys are at York and we expect Richard Hughes to be among the winners at Newbury., including in the two listed races at 15.00 with William Haggas´ Valtina and at 16.40 on Richard Hannon´s Ninjago, while Tom Queally could have a good afternoon at Newmarket, where Sir Henry Cecil´s Riposte Looks a good thing to win the 3yo fillies maiden at 17.40.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Quatuor - Beldale Memory - Majestic Alexander
2. Race: Sir John Hawkwood - Oriental Fox - King`S Warrior
3. Race: Joshua Tree - Sir Graham Wade - Royal Diamond
4. Race: Pavlosk - Orpha - City Image
5. Race: Bispham Green - Dutch Masterpiece - Mayfield Girl
6. Race: Rye House - Awake My Soul - Take Two
7. Race: Allnecessaryforce - Rundell - Mombasa