Wednesday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's three best bets on day one of York's Ebor Festival

• Go low in opening sprint handicap

• Mark's targeting a shock in the big juvenile race

• Irish stayer can land ITV closer

13:50 York - Back Trefor E/W @ 15/2

As always, York's Ebor meeting starts with a fiendishly tricky sprint handicap, but we do have five places to go at on the Sportsbook and that gives us a fighting chance of starting the week on the front foot.

A low draw has been advantageous throughout the season on York's straight track, so it should pay to stick with those drawn in single figures, while targeting one on the upgrade is also beneficial in races where plenty have been around the block.

Charlie Hills' Trefor fits both those criteria and he's finished out of the first four only once this term, that coming on his seasonal return at Newmarket in April. The selection won twice after that and ran a cracker just nine days ago at Windsor, finishing a narrow second to Chief Mankato.

Although all his winning form has come at 6f, Trefor is equally effective at shorter (finished third on his only start at 5f) and this intermediate trip of 5.5f could prove right up his alley.

Indeed, a good run here could well set him up for something like the Portland at Doncaster's St Leger meeting next month.

14:25 York - Back Gewan @ 14/1

The 7f Group 3 Acomb Stakes for juveniles can often throw up a surprise result and I'm hopeful it could be ripe for another upset this year.

The favourite at the time of writing is Godolphin's Distant Storm and his reputation preceded him when making a winning debut at Newmarket, where he was sent off a short price but only scrambled home by a short head. However, that form is working out very well, with no less than seven subsequent winners already emerging from the race.

Charlie Appleby's charge will surely be popular as he bid to make it eight, but I can swerve him at another short price and instead want to concentrate on one who is much longer in the betting but may have just as much potential.

Andrew Balding won this a couple of years ago with Chaldean and he fields Gewan, who made a promising winning debut himself at Newbury last month. Although there haven't been as many winners emerge from that race, the ones that have run have included one that was triumphant, while several of the other beaten horses have run well to be placed.

Gewan himself certainly knew his job on the day and did it readily, but that's not to say he can't improve with the experience under his belt and he's in good hands to do just that.

16:10 York - Back Alphonse Le Grande @ 7/2

Tony Martin is a past master with staying handicappers on the flat and he sends over last year's Cesarewitch winner for the extended 2m contest that closes ITV's coverage of day one.

As well as taking that marathon contest at Newmarket, the six-year-old was also victorious in handicaps at Dundalk, Chester and Newcastle, improving his official rating from 64 to 87 in the process.

He remains on a career-high mark of 93 here, but nothing he's done in his two outings this season suggests that it should prove beyond him. In fact, last time out at Ascot he shaped as if back in top form but didn't get the breaks when needed and finished with running left.

I like that he's been freshened up a touch since then and he'll come into this contest on the back of 64-day break, while the booking of William Buick for the ride looks a big positive.

There are still more good staying handicaps with Alphonse Le Grande's name on them and I'm confident he can give a good showing here on the way to potentially defending his Cesarewitch crown at HQ in October.

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