Valdermoro looks cracking value at 6/1 with 888Sport to land the 7f Group 3 Acomb Stakes for juvenile colts on the opening day of the Ebor Festival at York this Wednesday (14:25).
This Richard Fahey trained son of declaration Of War was a massive eye-catcher on debut at Haydock when a highly promising 1 3/4 lengths third of eight to Mystery Power.
Valdermoro showed plenty of pace to track the leaders and was staying on strongly when denied a clear run in the closing stages.
The winner went on to land the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket, whilst the runner-up Subjectivist has also gone on to taste success.
That gives the form a solid look and Valdermoro duly showed the benefit of that experience last time out at Doncaster when running out the impressive 3 1/2 lengths winner of an eight-runner maiden.
After taking up the running approaching the final furlong, he stretched clear to easily beat highly-regarded Godolphin owned newcomer Global Spirit.
Valdermoro scored with any amount in hand and it was a most taking performance which suggested he was well worth a crack at this level.
He is also a strapping sort with bags of scope and hails from a yard that loves nothing more than having winners at this venue.
So, taking everything into account, Valdermoro looks overpriced at the odds on offer and the one to be on in a wide-open looking renewal of the Acomb Stakes.
Cobra Eye feared more than Persuasion
Persuasion heads the betting at 4/1 with Coral on the back of a taking success on debut when landing an 11-runner maiden by a cosy half-a-length.
The Charlie Hills trained son of Acclamation is clearly a smart prospect, but what he beat is questionable and as a result he looks plenty short enough in the betting. Our Ebor Festival day 1 preview says he’s opposable.
The John Quinn trained Cobra Eye, a 7/1 shot with Betway, also won at Goodwood on his second start and may well emerge as the main danger to Valcdermero.
This son of Kodiac didn’t get the best of passages, but dug deep and found plenty to get up on the line and score by a short-head under Frankie Dettori.
There was lots to like about the way in which he got the job done and Quinn has made no secret of the high regard in which he holds Cobra Eye. So, with dettori once again in the saddle, a bold bid to follow-up looks assured.
Gunmetal weighted to go well in Ebor Festival day 1 opener
In the 5f handicap that gets proceedings underway (13.55), Gunmetal looks weighted to go well.
This David Barron trained six-year-old won three of his six starts last season, with the last of those successes coming in the Great St Wilfrid Stakes at Ripon where he made all and ran on strongly to easily beat Dakota Gold by 2 3/4 lengths off a mark of 97.
He now meets that re-opposing rival on 8lb better terms, and prior to that Gunmetal had run well in the ultra-competitive Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood when a 3 3/4 lengths 11th of 26 to Gifted Master off a rating of 98.
The Clodovil gelding, who was fancied by many for this year’s renewal of the Great St Wilfrid only to get pulled out on account of the soft ground, has also posted some solid efforts in four starts this.
In the second of those over this course and distance, Gunmetal ran on strongly to finish a never nearer 1 3/4 lengths fourth of 19 to Duke Of Firenze off a mark of 103.
He backed that up with an excellent three-length sixth of 26 to Cape Byron in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, and was far from disgraced last time up when 15th of 27 to Khaadem in the Stewards’ Cup this year.
Gunmetal has since been dropped 2lb and his revised rating of 101 gives him every chance from a handicapping perspective on the pick of his form.
So, with forecast underfoot conditions ideal, he looks decent each-way value at 12/1 with Paddy Power who pay six places.
In-form Dakota Gold opposable in hat-trick bid
Dakota Gold is right at the top of his game at present and heads the betting at 5/1 with Betfred.
After winning over 6f here, this Michael Dods trained five-year-old ran out an impressive 2 1/4 lengths winner of the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon four days ago.
Given the emphatic manner of that success, it’s no surprise to see connections turn him out quickly under a 5lb penalty before the assessor has his say.
However, not those wins came on soft ground and Dakota Gold now returns to a much quicker surface.
He also has work to do at the weights with Gunmetal on their meeting in last year’s Great St Wilfrid, so at the odds on offer looks worth taking on in his hat-trick bid.
Infrastructure appeals each-way in stayers’ handicap
Infrastructure looks a fascinating contender and makes plenty of each-way appeal at the 15/2 on offer with Unibet now stepped up in trip in the 2m handicap (16:15).
This Martyn Meade trained four year-old took his form to a new level last season when sent handicapping, finishing a fine third to Ibraz at Nottingham before being beaten just a length when runner-up to Corgi at Sandown.
Infrastructure went on to gain a deserved success over 1m 4f at Salisbury when only having to be ridden out to readily beat Mekong by 1 1/4 lengths.
Given that Mekong was giving him just 1lb and has won twice since, finished a fine fourth in the Melrose Handicap at York, runner-up in a Listed contest at Ascot and second to Dee Ex Bee in a Group 3 at Sandown to be rated 109, it’s form that reads very well in relation to this.
It suggests that Infrastructure should be more than capable of winning races off his current mark of 92.
There was also lots to like about his reappearance run at Newmarket when a keeping on and not knocked about fourth over 1m 2f, and he duly built on that next time up when scoring by 1 1/2 lengths over the same trip at Chester.
Infrastructure also ran well last time out when a staying on 1 1/2 lengths third to Charles Kingsley over 1m 5f at Newmarket and just failing to get up for second.
He now meets the winner on 3lb better terms and given how he finished off that contest the extra two furlongs in this promises to suit.
