York best bets: Conditions tailor-made for Got To Love A Grey in five-furlong dash

16:45 York: Visit Irish Yearling Sale With ITM Fillies’ Handicap  (5 furlongs)

The early market leader is Gutsy Girl, a six-furlong specialist who is as yet untried over this minimum trip. Her sole turf success was over an uphill six furlongs, so five furlongs on this speed track will test her raw pace and a far more attractive option at the early prices is Got To Love A Grey, who arrives in top form and who is already fully proven over this course and distance.

The three-year-old was last seen running a close-up second of 16 (beaten a neck) in a big five-furlong handicap on good-firm ground at Goodwood, which is another straight, sharp track. Showing bags of early pace, she was very prominent throughout and she was only narrowly beaten for a bit of finishing speed on that downhill track.

This flatter, galloping track suits her better and she won a fillies’ Listed race in similar conditions over this course and distance as a two-year-old last season.

Best Bet: Got To Love A Grey in the 16:45 at York

Her recent Goodwood run, which came at the start of this month, was in a mixed handicap for three-year-olds and the only one able to beat her was one of the joint-favourites, Shagraan, a very solid yardstick in high-class sprint handicaps who ran fifth of 28 in the valuable Palace of Holyrood House Stakes at Ascot in June.

Against just her own sex this time, and facing rivals rated lower than the two males who finished either side of her at Goodwood, Got To Love A Grey looks a very decent bet in her current mood.

Both of her wins have come on fast ground, and as well as showing the speed for Goodwood’s downhill five furlongs, she has also won over a flat six, so she will be strong at the finish here.

The stronger the pace, the better her chances will be, and there is plenty of early speed in evidence here, including potential front-runners either side of her in stalls 10 and 13, so she looks in the right place to enjoy an ideal tow through the race from stall 11.

Of the others, the top weight Designer could be set for yet another big run here from stall 9, with Brandon Wilkie’s claim effectively means the mare is a pound lower than when winning this event last year..

She returns to action following a wind operation and she has won when returning from two of her last three breaks, so this could be the time to catch her, especially as she has won this particular race in each of the last two years (including on return from a break) when the ground was good-firm and good.

Next best bet: Designer in the 16:45 at York

 

 

• Tips and preview provided by Steve Jones who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr