Emit and Love Me Tender backed in York’s Ebor as Geryon also appeals in Strensall Stakes
Key Takeaways
- •The Ebor at York is the headline race on the closing day of the four-day Ebor Festival.
- •Emit was backed at 25/1 earlier and is now expected to start among the favourites at about 7/1.
- •Love Me Tender is making his debut for Willie Mullins after winning his first two starts in Germany and finishing fourth in a Listed race at Chantilly last season.
- •Geryon is an each-way selection for the Group Three Strensall Stakes after a notable run in the Gordon Stakes and a return to the distance of his Leopardstown Group Three win.
Europe’s richest handicap, the Ebor (3.35pm), headlines Saturday’s card at York, the closing afternoon of the four-day Ebor Festival on the Knavesmire. First staged in 1843 and named after Eboracum, the Roman name for York, the contest has remained the meeting’s showpiece staying handicap and a long-standing target for leading Irish trainers.
A position has already been taken on Emit at 25/1 a few weeks ago, leaving strong early value in a race that has become much more competitive in the market. Joseph O’Brien’s four-year-old is now expected to go off among the favourites, with a current best price of 7/1. Ryan Moore takes the ride, and Emit appears to hold leading claims from the same mark as when finishing fourth at Ascot. The booking carries weight given the participants’ pedigrees: Moore is a multiple champion jockey, while O’Brien rode Derby winners as a jockey before establishing himself as a leading trainer in his own right.
An each-way saver on Willie Mullins’ Love Me Tender also looks worth consideration. He arrives from Germany after winning his first two starts and ending last season with a solid fourth-place finish in the Listed Grand Prix du Nord on testing ground at Chantilly. He is now making his debut for Mullins, Ireland’s record-breaking champion National Hunt trainer, who has won this race twice in the last three years and has made targeting major Flat handicaps a deliberate annual objective for his stable, and he may be competitively treated on what could prove to be a lenient handicap mark. Connections had entered another horse for the race but have withdrawn it, suggesting they believe they have a well-handicapped runner to go to battle with.
In the day’s opening race, the Group Three Strensall Stakes (1.50pm), Geryon also appeals at 11/2. He caught the eye on his latest start in the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, although he did not finish the final stages of that mile-and-a-half contest as strongly as the winner. He now drops back to the same distance over which he won a Group Three at Leopardstown on his penultimate start, and he looks poised to run well.
Pointers Saturday
- Geryon each-way, 1.50pm York Ebor Festival
- Love Me Tender each-way, 3.35pm York Ebor Festival
- Already advised ante-post: Emit each-way at 25/1, 3.35pm York Ebor Festival
