Today's Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's best bets on Day 2 of the York Ebor Festival

Mark's Bet of the Day: Lowther Stakes, York 13:50 - Back Star Of State @ 5/23.50

18 (6)

Star Of State (Ire)

• J: D. B. McMonagle
• T: Joseph Patrick O'Brien, Ireland
• F: 21

• SBK 5/2
• EXC 4

Libertango sets a good standard in this year's Lowther Stakes having won her first two starts, including in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, while she lost little in defeat when second to Senorita Bonita in the Duchess Of Cambridge at Newmarket last time.

Her chance is clearly a good one but her draw in stall 15 may not be, as generally lower numbers have been favoured on the York straight track throughout the season.

I'd prefer to side one from a lower draw and Joseph O'Brien's promising filly Star of State fits the bill.

The daughter of State Of Rest shaped with plenty of promise when second to Livenka on debut despite looking green and built on that in no uncertain terms when bolting up by nine lengths at Leopardstown last time.

Livenka also runs here, but given the selection was conceding experience to her on their first meeting, I'm hopeful that the tables can be turned this time around, particularly as her old rival doesn't look as well berthed in stall 18.

Notable winners from Mark in recent weeks

Pure Passion @ 9/2
Galen @ 4/1
Edward Sexton @ 7/2
Free World @ 3/1
Archers Bay @ 3/1
Influencer Man @ 11/4
Quest For Stars @ 5/2

York, 15:00 - Back Bullet Point @ 5/16.00

6 (10)

Bullet Point

• J: Tom Marquand
• T: William Haggas
• F: 22170-702

• SBK 5/1
• EXC 7.4

I was with Bullet Point when he finished second at Ascot last time and see no reason to desert him here, particularly as he ought to strip fitter with that run under his belt, where he was returning from 84 days away.

The William Haggas-trained five-year-old won this race last year from just a pound higher in the weights and he'll come here fresher than the majority of his rivals with this being just his fourth run of the season.

He'd shaped as if in need of the run on his reappearance at Newmarket back in May and then wasn't seen to anything like best effect when meeting trouble at Newbury later that same month.

It presumably wasn't all plain sailing after that, though, as we didn't see Bullet Point again until that Shergar Cup run just under a fortnight ago, and there's every chance that that will have blown away a few cobwebs and put him spot on for a repeat bid in this valuable handicap.

As you'd expect with a race of this nature, there are plenty of dangers lurking, but I'm hopeful Bullet Point will prove the strongest of the 17-strong field.

Yorkshire Oaks, York, 15:35 - Back Minnie Hauk @ 10/34.33

2 (4)

Minnie Hauk (Ire)

• J: Ryan Moore
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F: 1126-1528

• SBK 10/3
• EXC 5.5

Andrew Balding's Kalpana looks better than ever at the age of five and she took her form to a new level when landing the King George from Calandagan last time. The admirable mare was going one better than in the same race last year and is clearly the one to beat if turning up in the Yorkshire Oaks in the same sort of form.

However, Minnie Hauk's runner-up finish in last season's Arc isn't far off the same level in form terms and it's worth noting that Kalpana was behind her in seventh that day.

The knock is that she hasn't yet reproduced that effort in 2026 and she did run poorly behind Kalpana in the aforementioned King George last time. That clearly wasn't Minnie Hauk's running, though, and it could be significant that Aidan O'Brien is prepared to give her another shot at the Balding filly.

It does take a bit of a leap of faith to see her reversing that, but she's a decent enough price on her best form, and I'm happy to take the chance that the Master of Ballydoyle can get Minnie Hauk back on track to win this contest for the second successive year.

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