1m 6f Sky Bet Ebor Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+)
The highlight of the Ebor meeting is the 1m 6f Ebor handicap which in recent times has seen a number of Group-level performers dropping in grade to claim the £1m handicap. And with 22-runners separated by just 8lbs in the handicap, there are plenty of horses that have a squeek in this.
I’m a huge fan of Withhold and can see him running a mighty race off top-weight from an inside draw. It’s also hard not to admire what Kings Advice has produced this season for Mark Johnston. He is sure to run another monsterous race from a decent draw despite logic saying his amazing charge should finally come to halt.
Both runners have been well found and sit top of the market and although they are proven big-race handicappers, they have yet to make the leap to Group company. One horse who has competed at the highest level and has actually beaten Enable is the newly gelded RAHEEN HOUSE, who has possibly looked better than ever when coming from off-the-pace in his two starts at York this campaign.
The son of Sea The Stars moved to William Haggas this season from Brian Meehan and his new connections might have placed him in the perfect contest here. A draw in stall nine could be much better, but Raheen House tends to sit off the pace and has strong course form here at York to boot – a helpful statistic for a number of recent winners of this race.
Raheen House will loft the fast ground and he looks dangerous on his first start of his career in a handicap.
Although the higher draws have tended to perform well in recent years, I also want to take the 25/1 on offer for DRAMATIC QUEEN who is drawn in stall 11 and is certainly a quirky sort, again for the Haggas team.
Dramatic Queen has made very good progress in pattern-level fillies stakes this year and comes in to this off a run that is best ignored at Goodwood. She’s another that has strong course form with a win to her name over this trip and she should also enjoy the going. Based on her bare form to date, Dramatic Queen will have to step up and produce a career-best, but she remains lightly-raced and should be suited by the way this race will unfold.
Daniel Tudhope has been on fire this campaign and he rode her to success earlier in the season in a Group 3 affair here. Dramatic Queen will carry 9st 4lbs towards the bottom-of-the-handicap and with just 11 career starts behind her, she could still have plenty more to offer in what is a race full of high-quality stayers.
1pt each-way Raheen House @15/2, 15:40 York, Saturday (1/5 odds, 8 places with Skybet)
0.75pts each-way Dramatic Queen @25/1, 15:40 York, Saturday
(1/5 odds, 8 places with Skybet)