TEMPLEGATE has been in cracking form this season and can’t wait to get stuck into the awesome four-day Ebor Festival at York.
Here, he picks out three ante-post punts he’s more than happy to back now in the hope of hoovering up maximum value.
Paddy Twomey does exceptionally well with the ammo he has and Templegate likes one of his Ebor runners at an each-way priceSportsfile
The racing, which will be shown live on ITV1, kicks off on Wednesday with the blockbuster Juddmonte International – where we have a surprise runner supplemented for £85,000.
And the big race of the week is Saturday’s Ebor handicap – which is where our man’s first pick runs…
Templegate’s York Ebor ante-post tips
EBOR (Sat)
Trainer Paddy Twomey has done us a couple of favours already this season (Carmers was a lovely Royal Ascot winner for us) and looks to have a solid each-way chance with LA ISLA MUJERES in the Ebor.
This Lope De Vega mare is number 18 in the entries so will get a run and has been operating in Listed and Group races with some success since leaving Ralph Beckett’s yard in 2024 to cross the Irish Sea.
She was an impressive Roscommon winner this time last year and looked in good nick when coming back from eight months off for a close-up second at Down Royal last time.
She saw out two miles there but has more than enough pace for this shorter trip where stamina is always an asset anyway.
She’s hovering around the 33-1 mark which looks too big for a mare that still has potential to improve at the age of five and Twomey is an excellent target trainer.
She has some more fancy entries like the Irish St Leger later this season so must be showing plenty at home.
They will all have to shift to beat last year’s unlucky fifth Hipop De Loire who is 7-2 favourite for Willie Mullins but my hope has plenty going for her each-way.
NUNTHORPE (Fri)
JM JUNGLE looks a very fair 14-1 for the Nunthorpe on the back of his excellent victory in the Group 2 King George at Glorious Goodwood.
This was a clear career best for John and Sean Quinn’s five-year-old who enjoyed the quick ground and hit the line really strongly despite winning by only a neck.
It’s no secret that the current sprinting division is full of horses that are more slow boat than Usain Bolt and the Nunthorpe looks ripe for an upset.
JM Jungle’s last five visits to York have produced a big handicap win and four places in hot company, all over this trip.
There’s every chance he’ll keep that good run going.
JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL (Wed)
FRENCH raider DARYZ is an interesting contender and looks a big price at 10-1 in a couple of places, with some bookies offering just 7s.
This exciting son of Sea The Stars has yet to taste defeat in four outings and took the step up into Group 2 company in his stride at St Cloud last time.
Although he’s won with some juice in the ground, connections are adamant he wants a quick surface and that’s likely to be served up at York.
Francis-Henri Grafford knows what he’s doing with a talented horse and this improving three-year-old gets weight from his older rivals and can be backed now with three places still on offer.
Connections have confirmed him as a planned runner and he could be facing less than the current eight rivals on the day.
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