Chris Barnett (27/8/1959 – 26/8/2024) August 28, 2024 THAT dreaded telephone call came on Monday morning. The one I knew would come one day, but had hoped wouldn’t. Chris Barnett, host of the City AM Punter podcast, and a man who has defied medical science for so long, finally lost his battle with illness over the Bank Holiday weekend. He was only 64. [...]
Time to start Believing in Regional and Rova August 22, 2024 AUSSIE ace Asfoora has caused a stir in the British sprinting ranks this season. She couldn’t win a Group One on home soil but duly bolted up at Royal Ascot in the King Charles III Stakes, typically one of the highest quality five-furlong heats of the entire year. Though she didn’t double up in the [...]
Insanity far from a mad bet in Friday’s opener August 22, 2024 YORK is a very hard place for jockeys to ride winners, but Rossa Ryan has one of the best strike-rates in the weighing room at 16% and I fancy him to land the opening 1m4f Sky Bet Handicap (1.50pm) with INSANITY. Alan King’s four-year-old had a couple of starts over hurdles last December, which didn’t [...]
Camille Pissarro creates the best impression in open Gimcrack August 22, 2024 THERE aren’t many big races that Aidan O’Brien hasn’t won in 23 years, but the Gimcrack Stakes (3.00pm) is one of them. In truth, it’s not a race the master of Ballydoyle has really targeted with his best stock, but this year I think he’s lined up one of his better juvenile colts for the [...]
Content to open Heavens Gate on the Knavesmire August 21, 2024 HOW Leovanni was allowed to go off at such a big price at Royal Ascot still amazes me. She had such a strong reputation going into the Queen Mary and duly obliged impressively despite a marked market drift on the day of the race. At the time of writing, however, she remains a well-fancied and [...]
Time for Heel to step up August 21, 2024 THURSDAY’s Listed Galtres Stakes has attracted a field of 11 fillies and mares, and looks a contest full of potential, to what looks a competitive race in which the Classic generation catch my eye. One of the four three-year-olds in the field to note here is NAKHEEL. Owen Burrows’ filly was a nice winner at [...]
Haggas and O’Meara hold the key to Clipper August 21, 2024 THURSDAY’S card isn’t easy and finding the winner of the valuable Clipper Handicap (3.00pm) certainly won’t be. The obvious one that punters will side with is ELNAJMM for William Haggas, the Yorkshireman who loves having winners on the Knavesmire. A gelding operation last summer seems to have worked the oracle as he has been impressive [...]
Independent bookmaker urges small stakes punters to bet with the Tote August 21, 2024 THOSE looking to have a flutter at York should think about placing their bet with the Tote instead of traditional fixed-odds bookmakers – that’s overarching advice coming from a source you may not expect. William Woodhams, CEO of independent bookmaker Fitzdares, is happy to signpost business away from his pitch in order to “help secure [...]
Friendly to fire on the Knavesmire in Juddmonte International August 20, 2024 YORK’S Juddmonte International (3.35pm) looks a mouth-watering renewal and it’s no surprise to see City Of Troy as the near even-money shot heading the market. Aidan O’Brien’s colt left his lacklustre Guineas run behind with a sparkling win in the Derby, and while he wasn’t as visually impressive in the Eclipse next time, he showed [...]
Jungle can be Quinn of the Swinger August 20, 2024 A FULL field of 22 runners makes the opening contest of the York Ebor Festival – the Symphony Group Handicap (1.50pm) over five-and-a-half furlongs – an enticing encounter. One of the many runners looking to break a winless streak here is JM JUNGLE. The hardy four-year-old hasn’t hit the frame yet this season but is [...]