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Daquiri Bay looks a horse on the up with decent Melrose claims
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Ethical Diamond cut in the week to 11/26.50 is Alan's Ebor tip
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Alan Dudman's ITV televised Yankee pays 7200/17201.00 on Saturday
York - 14:25: Back Daiquiri Bay E/W four places @ 15/28.50
For a maximum field of 22, it's quite sad to see the Melrose Stakes having just 12 runners, but that's the dying breed of the stayer for you in the modern game.
However, Alan King is flying the flag for us on Saturday and I am hoping Daquiri Bay's stamina will be better suited to this rather than Goodwood last time.
That was over 1m2f and looked too much of a test of speed at the track, and while he acquitted himself well enough at Royal Ascot in the King George V, I am really hoping the step up to 1m6f will suit him and draw out some improvement.
His dam was a stayer over 2m and it was fairly remarkable he won his maiden at Chester earlier in the season as he was pushed along early and looked green, but the stamina was there for all to see and off 93 he's unexposed.
York - 15:00: Back Maranoa Charlie E/W three places @ 8/19.00
This looks more of a left-field selection for the now upgraded to Group 1 City Of York with French raider Maranoa Charlie. They're always raiders aren't they?
I've got no interest in backing Rosallion at 11/82.38. As good as he is, he has had his chances to get his head in front in what isn't the best mile division and if he wins, fair enough, down to 7f.
Maranoa Charlie is a confirmed front-runner, won over a mile as juvenile and landed two Group 3s earlier this season, so he's a three-year-old on the up, and confirmed that with a great effort in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat seven weeks ago.
That performance, alongside his previous win in Paris earned a pair of 116 ratings from Timeform, so he isn't too far away from Rosallion's best from last year.
The ground is obviously presenting a bit of a doubt, but the Knavesmire has been watered well and the pick is getting 5lbs here too.
The 8/19.00 just looks too tempting with the three places. And if Audience wins, I'll get my coat.
York - 15:35: Back Ethical Diamond E/W five places @ 11/26.50
Ethical Diamond was one of my antepost selections earlier this week in Tuesday's column, and the 8/19.00 has since become 11/26.50. While that is at the complete bottom end of my idea of an each-way price, getting evens on a place keeps alive the others - which is one way to look at it with the five places.
He won the Duke Of Edinburgh by 2L at the Royal meeting and looked worth more for the win as he was short of room at one stage but once he got out entering the straight, he stayed ever so strongly.
With that in mind, I am not in a dissuasive mood with the Ebor distance despite the fact he has been keen in the past. However, the midfield tactic to bury him deep worked well at Ascot and it might have to be the same again from stall 21.
He's 2-6 on the level, and as a five-year-old has a great profile, and Willie won it with the owners' Absurde two years ago - who was also a five-year-old.
Goodwood - 14:05: Back Palmar Bay E/W four places @ 8/19.00
One at Goodwood for the multiple, and Ralph Beckett as one of the top trainers in the Kimpton area has Palmar Bay as a live runner looking for his third win of the year.
He's progressive with an excellent turn of foot and showed that with a personal best at Chester last time over 7f - readily accounting for a 0-100 field and in the process broke through the triple-digit Timeform ratings for the first time posting a figure of 102.
Palmar Bay was the only runner to clock a sub-12 second final furlong off a good pace, but it was the way he went through the gap on the inside that excited me.
Beckett won this with Qirat 12 months ago - and he's been quite interesting since. It's a bit of a bonkers Yankee price, but Qirat proved the game all bonkers in the Sussex Stakes.
Back Saturday's Yankee across York and Goodwood in one click here