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York Racecourse home of the Dante meeting

Horses To Follow A-C

American Affair

5yo bay gelding by Washington DC ex Classy Anne, trained by Jim Goldie Last season’s Portland Handicap winner has landed two competitive sprint handicaps this season: the Scottish Sprint Cup and a top-class sprint at York’s Dante Meeting. American Affair carried plenty of weight to win by a length at York and he looks ready to progress into Listed or Pattern (Group) races. He has won on good to firm and good to soft ground and has a good attitude.

Balmoral Lady

From a family of winners at distances up to a mile, including the 2,000 Guineas-fourth Bossy Guest, Balmoral Lady continued that tradition last weekend when winning the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock, despite being left short of room against the stands' rail in the closing stages. For that reason alone, her ½-length defeat of the more fancied runner-up can be upgraded, not least as the higher-rated runner-up was 2lb better off at the weights.

Carlyle Square

Carlyle Square was purchased from William Haggas after one race in November 2024, and took a couple more runs for her new stable in the spring to get the hang of things. Carlyle Square ran well to finish a close second at Doncaster in her first handicap (stepped up to 1m2f for the first time) before filling the same position at Haydock in May. She won her first race at Leicester from a mark of 60 on 26 June and looks capable of following up. She stays 1m2f well and may stay further in time.

Creatif

4yo gelding by Dubawi ex Soustraction. Trained by David O’Meara. Acquired by connections last summer after running twice in France, Creatif had already managed to win, landing a 1m4f maiden on his racecourse debut at Saint-Cloud in May 2024. The horse underwent wind surgery after a disappointing debut for O’Meara at Ripon last September and looked a different proposition when winning a handicap at Newcastle in April, easily accounting for two decent types in Molinari and Sea Legend. 

Ripon Ladies Day

Horses To Follow E-F

Enfjaar

Enfjaar enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2024, producing classy performances in some of the top middle-distance handicaps of the summer. He was an impressive winner of the John Smith’s Cup at York last July over 1m2f, travelling strongly behind the pace before easing ahead, proving too good for quality opposition in the shape of Botanical and Tony Montana. His performance in defeat in the Chesterfield Cup at Glorious Goodwood was arguably an even better one, for he finished strongly for second.

Flash Du Pistolet

Raced with credit in novice hurdle company last season, the pick of his form probably being when going down by a short-head to the Nicky Richards trained Coniston George at Kelso last October. He ran well on his chase debut again at Kelso last week, travelling strongly turning for home before tiring quickly inside the final furlong, eventually finishing fourth. That was his first start since December last year and it looked every inch as though he badly needed the run. 

Forward Plan

Forward Plan has run some excellent races in handicap chases in the last twelve months, including victories at Doncaster last December and then at Kempton in February, where he came from a long way back to collar the classy Al Dancer in the shadow of the post. Forward Plan tends to be doing his best work at the end of his races, and that trait was apparent again at Doncaster last weekend where he finished strongly to get within a length and a half of the winner Charlie Uberalles. 

Horses To Follow G-L

Gidleigh Park

Gidleigh Park was well fancied to win the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival last year but finished a well-beaten eighth on his first attempt at 3m on ground that was officially heavy. After a spluttering start to his chase career at Kempton in November (suffered an irregular heartbeat when pulled-up behind Iberico Lord), he put up a very impressive performance to defeat the highly touted Caldwell Potter in a Grade 2 at Windsor last week over 2m on soft ground.  Following that win he was only just touched off by a Mullins hot shot Impaire Et Passe 

Git Maker

Relatively lightly raced for a horse of his age, Git Maker proved himself a capable performer in his early career over fences, winning three times and finishing runner-up twice in his first five starts as a chaser. The pick of those performances was when he defeated his stable mate Super Survivor at Lingfield over 3m at Lingfield, staying on stoutly in the manner of a horse whose forte was likely to be marathon distances. He confirmed that view and took his form to a new level last season.

Glory And Honour

He is a versatile performer who has been a great servant for his small yard. Remarkably, he has won races on the Flat (both turf and all-weather), a bumper, over hurdles and twice over fences. He returned from a mid-summer break in October to win on the Flat over 2m2f at Pontefract, surging clear inside the final furlong for an easy victory. He returned to fences for the marathon Durham National at Sedgefield next time out and unsurprisingly failed to stay the trip of 3m5f. 

Jo Lescribaa

Despite winning his first race under rules at Uttoxeter in December he looked far from the finished article, doing enough to win even after some distinctly moderate fencing. He probably threw away a winning chance when third on his previous start, his chase debut, at Ludlow where he made two significant errors. However, it was a different story at Chepstow on his latest run where he put up a polished performance, jumping well with jockey Charlie Deutsch always in control of the race from the first.

Ludlow Racecourse

Horses To Follow J-M

Jumper Madrik

6yo gelding Kapgarde ex Wishing well. Trained by Charlie Longsdon. After three distinctly lacklustre performances in novices' hurdles last season, this grey gelding embarked on a career over fences in handicaps off a basement rating of 79. That chase debut, at Leicester in December, resulted in a shock win at 14/1, an unusually big price for a winner running in the green and gold of JP McManus, and it’s fair to say that the win was probably a surprise to connections, as the horse drifted off course.

Kelce

Kelce did not achieve much in novice and handicap company over hurdles in Ireland when trained by Colm Murphy during 2022 and 2023. Now with Neil Mulholland, he left his stable debut run when pulled up at Fontwell well behind him when finishing a close second at Uttoxeter last time out. That was his debut over fences, and he put in an accomplished round of jumping under James Bowen and only gave his best in the last half-furlong to be beaten half a length by the well-backed Pep Talking.

Man Of La Mancha

Man Of La Mancha put up an impressive performance on his handicap debut when winning an ordinary Class 5 handicap at Windsor over 1m. He raced prominently throughout before pulling clear from a furlong out, and jockey Rossa Ryan was easing down the horse well before he hit the line.

More Thunder

More Thunder was campaigned up to 1m2f by previous trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who retired at the end of last season. After being transferred to William Haggas, he obviously showed his new trainer plenty of speed at home, as his seasonal debut came in a soft-ground 6f handicap at the Craven Meeting. He stayed on nicely to win, and followed up on faster going on 2000 Guineas Day. His second win came in a steadily run contest that emphasised speed over stamina, which was almost his undoing. 

My Cloud

My Cloud opened his 2025 campaign at Ascot this week, making his handicap debut off a modest mark of 70. The market suggested that plenty was expected of Roger Varian’s charge, and so it proved, as he easily outpointed a capable and in-form opponent in Mythical Guest, who finished second. The race was only an apprentices' handicap, but the manner of his victory suggested that My Cloud could be exceptionally well treated, even after the handicapper has done his worst. 

Cheltenham Racecourse

Horses To Follow O-Q

Organ

It was a creditable performance in the circumstances, and he finished that 7f race to such effect that he already looks ready to be stepped up to a mile. He is an unexposed horse who will strip fitter for that outing, and he seems sure to win handicaps for trainer Martyn Meade when presented with a stiffer stamina test.

Phantomofthepoints

The David Pipe-trained Phantomofthepoints enjoyed a productive campaign in novices' hurdles last season, winning at Chepstow and finishing runner-up on three occasions, including when beaten only a neck by the talented Florida Dreams, trained by Nicky Richards, in a 2m novices' hurdle at Ayr last December. Florida Dreams ran a cracking race in the valuable Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham recently and looks a decent prospect, and David Pipe's gelding did well to run him so close that day.

Quai De Bethune

This unexposed colt was racing on turf for only the second time when contesting the valuable London Gold Cup at Newbury last weekend. Despite a tardy start he made pleasing progress halfway up the home straight, finishing strongly to close on the leaders, eventually finishing third. In what is traditionally a very competitive race full of lightly raced types, it was a performance packed with promise, and Quai De Bethune clearly relished the extra distance having raced over shorter earlier in his career.

Queens Gamble

Queens Gamble is a lightly raced mare who maintained her unbeaten record over hurdles last season with victories in novice events at Kempton and Taunton. The form of the latter win has worked out particularly well, with the runner-up Casa No Mento going on to win a Listed Mares' novice event at the Punchestown Festival last May. Queens Gamble made her seasonal reappearance at Newbury last weekend, finishing a highly creditable second to Najavo Indy in a highly competitive handicap.

Horses To Follow S-T

Saint Davy

He had a curtailed campaign last season, only seeing the racecourse three times, but despite that, he won twice and was particularly impressive when winning a very high-class Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Sandown in February. Over a trip just short of 3m, that race has proved to be a strong line of form, with several of the placed horses winning competitive races subsequently, including last weekend’s easy Sandown winner, Good Luck Charm. 

Teroomm

The final £30,000 Juddmonte-sponsored maiden of the season took place at Kempton on Wednesday and produced a tight finish. The winner, Bridget’s View, took advantage of previous race experience to make all the running against many rivals on debut. Terroomm was slow away from the stalls before quickening up well inside the final furlong. Teroomm took a while for jockey Jack Mitchell to motivate and looked the eyecatcher, finishing the race well to take fourth place in this valuable contest.

Terresita

Terresita may not have finished improving yet, and she looks capable of landing another decent handicap, with her hold-up tactics being particularly well suited to a strongly run race. Her best form is definitely on good ground and she is worth looking out for in a valuable handicap at one of the spring festivals. 

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Above policies updated 15 March 2018