Blake targets supporting card as York Ebor Festival enters day two
Sky Sports Racing expert Kevin Blake has identified three horses on the Thursday card at York, focusing on the supporting races rather than the headline Yorkshire Oaks.
The York Ebor Festival continues on Thursday with the Yorkshire Oaks serving as the headline event on the Knavesmire. While the main races attract significant attention, Sky Sports Racing expert Kevin Blake has directed his focus towards the supporting card, suggesting it may offer the most compelling opportunities for the day.
Blake’s first selection is Bullet Point, a five-year-old trained by William Haggas, in the Sir Kevin Sinfield 7 In 7 Grand Finale Handicap at 3:00 pm. The horse won this race last year off a mark of 100, securing victory with authority from a good draw. Although his career has seen a dip following a disappointing trip to Australia and a six-month absence, Blake notes that Bullet Point has shown subtle promise in recent runs, including a fine performance in defeat at the Shergar Cup.
The second pick is Mia Fantasia, trained by Hugo Palmer, in the Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery at 4:45 pm. Blake acknowledges that Mia Fantasia had a troubled passage in a valuable nursery at Glorious Goodwood three weeks prior, where the horse received little luck in running. Despite the poor result, the expert believes the horse shaped much better than the bare result indicated, having previously won on debut at Carlisle and finished second in a novice contest at Ascot.
Blake argues that a mark of 79 is fair for Mia Fantasia and that the experience gained at Goodwood will benefit the horse. The expert predicts the horse is likely to run a big race, suggesting the earlier difficulties were due to inexperience rather than a lack of ability.
The final selection is Secret History, a three-year-old trained by Ed Walker, in the British EBF Fillies' Handicap at 5:20 pm. The horse has won three times this year, with her most notable victory coming in a valuable seven-furlong handicap at Newmarket in July. Following that win, she was raised four pounds and dropped to six furlongs for a fillies' handicap at Glorious Goodwood, where she finished third.
Blake suggests that the shorter distance at Goodwood was sharper than ideal for Secret History, as she shaped as though the test was too demanding. Returning to the seven-furlong trip at York is expected to be a significant help, giving the horse strong prospects in the race.
