Daryl Carter's Tips: 6/1 O'Brien ready to cash-in with Queen in the York Ebor

• Queenstown is the standout in valuable but weak Ebor

• Audience should be an odds-on chance

• Back Wild Waves to thrive in Melrose for Balding and Murphy

Queenstown Superboost

Queenstown is the favourite to win today's feature race at York, the Ebor Handicap at 15:35, and the Betfair Sportsbook have very generously boosted Aidan O'Brien's ultra consistent 4yo out to 1/12.00 (from 4/71.57) just to finish in the top eight in today's contest.

Queenstown is a high class performer who has yet to finish outside of the top three in all of his six lifetime starts. He has twice finished runner-up to Europe's best stayer - Kyprios - in his last two starts and a reproduction of that form should see him being bang in contention today. Just click on the odds in the below banner to take advantage of the top eight boost.

Listen to Day Four York Ebor Festival Racing Only Bettor Tips...

13:50 York - Back Enfjaar @ 4/15.00 1pt

It's challenging to ignore the claims of the potentially very smart Enfijaar - 4/15.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who finished off his race with a plum at Goodwood last time under a big weight and almost negotiated the run of the race from a poor position.

The return to York, which provides a long home straight for him to wind up, is a big positive, and he looks ready for this move up in grade. Furthermore, stamina is no issue, and it's tough to argue the same case for many of these.

I have Alyanaabi as more of a seven-furlong horse. The drop in grade is a positive move for Sea The Fire, but she has a different assignment now against the boys. Phantom Flight and Task Force both need to improve, and the latter may have more to offer, having finally finished his race at Goodwood last time. Royal Dubai is another worthy of consideration, but the form of his fourth at Ascot last time has taken its share of knocks.

Enfjaar is firmly on an upward curve, and I expect him to be hard to beat and continue to thrive and improve. 4/15.00 or bigger is acceptable.

14:25 York - Back Wild Waves @ 7/18.00 1pt

I am surprised that Sir Michael Stoute's Reaching High is the favourite, considering he has just gone up 11 lb for a Class 3 Racing League victory, and his best efforts have come on the AW. His preparation doesn't scream like one that has been laid out, and he was thumped by Spaceport three starts ago. Still, he was impressive in the Racing League last time, so perhaps he has turned a corner.

Dramatic Star will prove popular, but finding substance to his form is tough. He can easily be forgiven for his run at Haydock 49 days ago when one of two that slipped on the bend at 3/14.00 favourite, but I struggled to get his effort behind Theory Of Tides, who readily held him at Nottingham out of my mind. His Hamilton victory was hard-fought, and there is little form that makes me confident he is well-handicapped.

However, it's never wise to underestimate a William Haggas horse in this race. He has an entirely unexposed profile, so he could offer much more. I wish there was something there to build a good case.

Tactician is a horse I am fond of, but the jump from one saddle to another by Oisin Murphy was notable when Andrew Balding won this race with Coltrane in 2022. He has opted for Wild Waves - 7/18.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - and so have I.

Wild Waves was a sufferer of the slippery bend along with Dramatic Star at Haydock 49 days ago when priced at 10/34.33, and he can also be forgiven that effort. He was impressive when scoring at Doncaster over East India Dock, who smashed up a field at Salisbury on his prior run and has since gone within five lengths of Align The Stars at Haydock (same race Wild Waves slipped). The third, Ghostlore, had won easily at Hamilton, beating Tryfan and was less than two lengths behind Harper's Ferry at Windsor, with the subsequent London Gold Cup second ahead (Reaching High six lengths behind).

The seven-length fourth, Open Secret, was beaten two lengths by Tactician next time and has since run fourth at Goodwood behind French Duke and the fifth, Sam Hawkens, ran a close fourth at Ascot in the Shergar Cup.

Furthermore, the selection hacked up at Doncaster, backing up his dominant victory at Kempton over Bur Dubai, who is now rated 14 lb higher in the handicap.

Wild Waves and The Equator are the only two in this field to hold St Leger entries still, and I expect Wild Waves to prove the best of these. He is unexposed at this trip, and his two-year-old form is noteworthy, while Andrew Balding has won this race twice in recent years.

Back him at 9/25.50 or bigger.

14:40 Goodwood - Back Poker Face @ 7/18.00 1.5pt

The play here is to back both Ice Max and Poker Face--7/18.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook--who are the outsiders in the field at the time of writing. However, I expect everything will change with the rain due at Goodwood arrives on Saturday morning.

The case for Poker Face is straightforward. He is the best horse in the race on a going day. His last two runs have been too bad to be true, stopping to almost a walk. However, in the hope that the ten weeks off has solved the issue that was bothering him, and he can return to any single piece of form from last year or his outstanding effort on seasonal reappearance in April, he is more than worthy of landing this weak-looking Group 2.

His seasonal return saw him split the outstanding Charyn and Lord North at Sandown with Witch Hunter well behind. That effort was in first-time cheek-pieces, and they are now removed, having been worn on his two poor runs the next twice. Still, he was brilliant last year, landing Listed, Group 3 and Group 2 races in France, and he has never been better than when following a break.

His price is well worth the chance that he can bounce back against this bunch with a record with soft in the going description reading 221112 over 1m. Furthermore, the rain will undoubtedly inconvenience favourite Lead Artist, who needs to learn to settle, and Sonny Liston hasn't performed at his best on this Goodwood track. Royal Dress has been excellent against her own sex, but today is a tougher ask.

Ice Max at 6/17.00 or bigger is the cover bet for punters for half-point stakes, which should protect us if Poker Face can't bounce back. He would have made this column had his 16/117.00 or 12/113.00 stuck around past 10.30 am

Back Poker Face at 4/15.00 or bigger.

15:00 York - Back Audience @ 6/42.50 2pt

Audience - 6/42.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - has now posted RPR ratings of 124 and 123 in two of his last three starts, and that would have been good enough to win the last ten runnings of this race. Perhaps he was outstayed at Ascot over a stiff mile in between. Seven furlongs looks to be his optimum trip, and he is thriving, so while some may think they can get at this favourite, it's wise to believe following his outstanding Goodwood victory.

On his win at Goodwood, Audience now sees himself as the top-rated horse in Britain and Ireland and third on the planet. He thumped Kinross at Goodwood and is five pounds better off with him at the weights today. Although the sectionals speak narrowly in favour of Kinross, who was poorly positioned, Audience will always have the first run on an ageing Kinross. He could have even more to come, having been eased down inside the final furlong, and he was only 0.11 seconds slower through that section, marking him down as the horse to beat. Furthermore, last year, he was coming back at the Ralph Beckett horse at the line.

Providing he doesn't flop, he has a good draw, ideal ground and the perfect race to follow up and continue his outstanding season.

I expect Kinross to finish second ahead of Lake Forest and Shouldvebeenaring.

Evens or bigger is acceptable as he should be a 10/111.91 chance. He would represent a stronger staked bet if we were in September and not August.

15:35 York - Back Queenstown @ 6/17.00 1pt

This is a poor renewal of the Ebor, so it is impossible to ignore the presence of Queenstown - 6/17.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook. He is only one of a handful that have been laid out for this race, with the rest probably surprised they are even lining up - half won't stay the trip.

Ratings of 95 (last year), 100 (2022), 101 (2021), and 96 were the basement marks to get in this race in the last four years, and today, we have a bottom weight of just 86. Eleven of these would not have gotten in the race in 2021, so there's little doubt this is a below-par renewal.

Aidan O'Brien's Queenstown is entirely unexposed after just six career starts. On his last two outings, he has bumped into the best stayer for four years in Kyprios. His last two outings were his only efforts on genuine good ground, and he fits all the trends for this race. Stall 22 will prove no issue in this race, and his trainer has made it clear he has been laid out for this and is "well handicapped."

According to reports, he has been trained differently since running at Leopardstown in May, and the vibes are strong. He makes plenty of appeal at 6/17.00 or bigger against exposed horses in a weak event.

15:50 Goodwood - Back Goodwood Odyssey @ BSP 1pt

I'd be amazed if Goodwood Odyssey wasn't good enough to defy this mark of 90 now tackling slower conditions and fitted with the blinkers.

David Menuisier's runner did remarkably well at Newmarket, having burrowed his own path behind a subsequent Goodwood Festival runner-up who is now ten pounds higher in the handicap. He was outpaced at a crucial stage and wondered under pressure, showing signs of greenness, but he stuck to the task well. The fourth is a subsequent winner and lines up in the Melrose off seven pounds higher, and the fifth won a race in the Racing League.

He has lots more to offer, and the headgear looks like a good move. Miller Spirit, City Burglar, and Maghlaak are all respected. Quietness wants a sounder surface than he is likely to get.

Look for around 3/14.00. Take no shorter, but his BSP is expected to be around 7/24.50.

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