Do Not desert Wonder and Blaze at York
FRIDAY’s feature at York is the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes (3.35pm), where a field of 17 are set to blaze a trail over the flying five furlongs.
There’s a murky picture to the sprint ranks this season with nothing really stamping their authority on the division.
With two progressive two-year-olds in Lady Iman and Spicy Marg getting nearly two-stone in weight from their older rivals, it looks a very tricky betting heat.
However, regular readers will hopefully be sitting on a nice each-way ticket with ARIZONA BLAZE, who we advised ante-post at 8/1 and is now challenging for favouritism.
In the earlier Gimcrack Stakes (3.00pm), DO OR DO NOT looks to have found a chance to finally secure both a first Group win, and remarkably a first career win.
Ed Walker’s two-year-old may well be a five-race maiden, but he has run well in all four starts since his debut, finishing second, second and third in his last three starts, which all came in Group Two company.
On the last two of those he has bumped into a high-class rival in Zavateri, while in the Coventry Stakes he finished second to Gstaad.
There doesn’t look to be anything of that class in this field, and with first-time cheekpieces expected to bring out a bit more improvement, he is the one to beat and is worth supporting on a Win line with World Pool.
The fillies’ handicap (4.10pm) over 10 furlongs looks a competitive heat.
Zgharta is the obvious one after looking unlucky when meeting traffic problems in a similar handicap at Goodwood recently, but there may be a bit more value to be had with WONDER STAR.
William Haggas’ filly finished a good second at Goodwood on her handicap debut and there should still be more to come from her after only a small rise in the weights.
She won her Ascot maiden on quick ground in good style and the return to this sounder surface might see her in an even better light, so she looks a good World Pool Win bet.
POINTERS FRIDAY
Do Or Do Not (Win) 3.00pm York
Wonder Star (Win) 4.10pm York
Already advised
Arizona Blaze 3.35pm York