Gm, Equinauts

It’s York day 1 and they haven’t saved the best till last — it’s JUDGEMONTE DAY.

We think that works nicely given the biggest clash of the month will decide who the best middle-distance horse in Europe is.

OMBUDSMAN VS CONSTITUTION RIVER.

Both are unbeaten this season, both have won two Group 1s this year and both come with massive reputations.

OMBUDSMAN is the older five-year-old, while CONSTITUTION RIVER is the young pretender at three and, as a result, gets a healthy weight allowance.

The ground has changed since last week’s declarations…

We’re looking at proper good ground today despite the watering and rain. We’re quick to forget just how hot it’s been recently.

Punters’ health warning: our rule is that anything can win on good ground. We stand by that.

So, obviously, we’re hoping for more rain because this meeting will be a lot easier to punt — for us anyway. We’ll be doing the rain dance tonight.

What today’s going has done is make it harder to dismiss the soft-ground horses, while taking away some of the edge from the fast-grounders. And that’s what makes it tricky.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

🔥PRIZE MONEY

Take note when bookmakers curl their lips and sneer, it’s normally because they are aggrieved by something and that something is normally good for the punter (unless it’s the government tax which only gets passed down to us).

However much we value bookmakers for offering a market (should you actually be able to get on), they are NOT your mates. Take them down off their pedestal.

Note: We’re not talking about the little independents, we’re talking about the online ones.

We see many bookmakers throw shade on the World Pool. Do not get influenced, it’s their competition. Of course they are going to criticise it.

But just look at York’s prize money this week. A minimum £100k guaranteed every damn race.

How can they do that?

The World Pool.

Every single pound they get from the World Pool is put back into prize money. It’s an incredibly investment and they get rewarded with the best racing.

If the World Pool didn’t exist, the bookies would continue to take take take and York wouldn’t be able to do what it’s doing. The other racecourses will wake up soon and it will be great for racing.

The World Pool operates through the Tote and you can access it’s deep liquidity here:

More, the Placepot guarantee is £200k. If you’re reading this and not playing it then we need to do more to teach you just how valuable a betting tool the Tote is.

🟢 🩷SHARJAR

A sad bit of NH news now as six-time Grade 1 winner SHARJAH has died from colic aged 13, bringing the curtain down on the career of one of Willie Mullins’ great two-mile hurdlers.

Owned by Rich Ricci, SHARJAH won 13 of his 50 starts and more than €1 million in prize-money. His biggest wins included the 2018 Galway Hurdle, four consecutive December Hurdles at Leopardstown and two Morgiana Hurdles. He was also runner-up in the 2020 Champion Hurdle.

He later went chasing and won three times over fences, including his final victory at Ayr in 2024, a three-mile novice chase which helped Mullins secure the British trainers’ championship.

Patrick Mullins, his regular partner, paid tribute to him as a “superstar”, saying he gave him some of the best memories of his riding career.

A remarkable servant and a proper old warrior, RIP SHARJAR.

🏆YORK DAY 1🏆

BIG RACE PREVIEWS

14.25 7F GROUP 3 ACOMB STAKES

This race has a serious roll of honour. It’s a real stepping stone for sires — think PHOENIX OF SPAIN and CHALDEAN in recent years. Sadly, the last two winners, THE LION IN WINTER and GEWAN, are no longer with us. We loved them both.

HAFFNER reps Ballydoyle. He was properly booted out the way in the Vintage Stakes, but this is a small step down in grade. He’s related to some proper stayers, so you can see him going to the Derby next year.

TREAN is by new sire BAYSIDE BOY and out of a family of nice enough winners. This year has been so hot, we haven’t seen BAYSIDE BOY’s on anything slower than good to firm really, so given his dad, there may be much to come from his progeny on a slower surface, not that York will be that slow today! He’s seen some support.

It’s rare Balding horses win on debut, but GENTLE HURRICANE did and looked to win well on debut against a highly touted Knight horse (who they think might be a Listed prospect).

On pedigree, this lad should appreciate the recent rain, and the yard won this last year with a good one. His sire has been retired from duties now, the old boy, but he was gifted at knocking out some bloody good ones, including KINGMAN, CHARM SPIRIT, MAGNA GRECIA and INNS OF COURT, to name a few.

ALFRED WALLACE and CONFUCIUS are the most exposed in the field, having had five runs each, and while that means they’re experienced, it does mean others are open to more improvement. We think both can be taken on, perhaps ALFRED WALLACE a danger given

FUEL THE JET was a great winner for us at Newbury when still looking green. He battled well, but this is a serious step up and will have to improve a lot. He’s well bred, so can do. Would want the ground fast.

STARDOM GLORY debuted at York, so has that important course experience, and then his other two runs (2nd behind INNER CITY BLUES) and in front of THE DANCING PIRATE were good. He could be there or thereabouts with improvement.

Of the rest, Burkes VEGA KING has a deep enough pedigree to suggest there is more to come but we’d like to see it first before guessing.

VERDICT: GENTLE HURRICANE looked very good on debut for the Balding yard who sent a bloody nice one to this last year. He could be anything.

15.00 1M 4F GROUP 2 VOLTIGEUR STAKES

MALTESE CROSS needs quick ground, so his effort in the Derby can be seriously upgraded. He made amends in a Group 1 in France when suffering a horrible route to the line, another one to be upgraded. Proper horse and York is Shagga’s favourite track.

CHRISTMAS DAY and PIERRE BONNARD are quite hard to split after their clash at the Curragh, but Ryan Moore has opted for the former. They’re also both by CAMELOT, but PIERRE BONNARD owns the deeper pedigree, being out of a Group 1 Nassau winner. It’s tough to see how he will reverse the form and the market is heavily favouring CHRISTMAS DAY, but we’re hearing some at Ballydoyle prefer PIERRE BONNARD. Perhaps it’s because of the penalties the top two in the market carry?

SUPERIOR CHOICE is firmly on the up and steps into Group company for the first time. On the basis that this will be much the toughest assignment to date, we think he’s short at 11/2. Perhaps it’s telling… someone’s backing him.

GALIYAN was all the rage at Royal Ascot but could only muster third in the Queen’s Vase. He was held by a good horse for Gosden last time out. That was over further and we think he looks a bit slow and in need of an even longer trip.

ANTIGUA — pacemaker?

VERDICT: We’ll side with PIERRE BONNARD in this.

15.35 GROUP 1 JUDDMONTE STAKES

This is the big one and we’ll get straight into it.

OMBUDSMAN is the one who has been there and done it. 5yo, four-time Group 1 winner and constantly improving. He’s a proper 10f horse. Gosden once said he won’t go further because he’s too good and doesn’t need to. A jab at Ballydoyle there. OMBUDSMAN was a brilliant winner at Royal Ascot and is undoubtedly the right favourite and the one they all have to topple.

Like OMBUDSMAN, CONSTITUTION RIVER is improving, but he’s only 3yo. Ryan Moore has been purring over him, which is unusual, however, we don’t forget who pays his wages. The ease in the ground will be in his favour. He was electric in the French Derby, doing it all so easily from what was described as an impossible draw. Scary opponent for the Gosdens.

ITEM is a big price at 8/1 but not out of it, right? He’s 4 from 5, his only defeat coming in this year’s swamp of a Derby, which nearly every punter is drawing a line through when studying the form. He will like good ground, but his action suggests he wouldn’t want it soft. Big scope to improve and a relative unknown.

ALMAQAM, HAWK MOUNTAIN, ZAYDANN and PRIDE OF ARRAS are top horses but shouldn’t be winning this.

ACTION and DEVIL’S ADVOCATE are the pacemakers.

VERDICT: Unless something strange happens with the pacemakers (it happens a lot), then the home straight of the Knavesmire should really throw up one to remember between the top two in the market, OMBUDSMAN and CONSTITUTION RIVER. We’re siding with OMBUDSMAN, but it’s a tricky race and one to enjoy.

The above verdict horses aren’t bets, just a guide. If you want to play them, do so with the Tote:

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