York Races: Betting Preview, racecard, tips and runners for Friday’ss Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes

TEN talented youngsters are set to clash in Friday’s Gimcrack Stakes (2.45) at York.

The Group 2 has been won by some smart types down the years. Our man Callum Jamieson takes a closer look.

PA:Press Association

At a brief look, I thought Friday’s Gimcrack had a lop-sided market. After a more in-depth look I felt even more strongly that that was the case.

Sitting at the top of the betting you have Owen Burrows’s Minzaal and Richard Hannon’s Mohawk King.

Handily for us, their form ties in closely with one another. Both made their debut in an Ascot maiden on King George day, won by Hannon’s colt wit Minzaal back in fourth.

Both ran well. Both are smart horses, but both can be taken on here. That form is not currently good enough to justify their odds in a strong looking Group 2 at a premier Flat festival.

Yes, Minzaal has won in style since at Salisbury. But he beat trees, in a steady enough time.

The Ascot maiden has hardly worked out either. The second has been stuffed and why I’m not one for collateral form, you have to take it into account.

The standard is set by Yazaman, and he would be the favourite in my book.

He may well have begun to plateau, and a string of seconds in decent races attests to that. He’s seen the backside of Tactical twice – once at Ascot and then in the July Stakes at Newmarket. That was followed by a Richmond second to Supremacy.

That is rock solid and why he has less scope than a few of these, this track may well suit him better than a rain-softened Newmarket and Goodwood where the winner was given an easy lead and that was that.

He was the only horse to run on at Goodwood and his race was over at an early stage after a few bumps lit him up and he had to travel widest of all throughout.

I expect much more here and he’s the one to beat. He is short enough for me though, and for punting purposes I have two others I want to back.

First up is Nigel Tinkler’s UBETTABELIEVEIT who tanked his way through a Listed race at Sandown last time out, winning with plenty up his sleeve.

Before that he had won a novice up at Doncaster in a fantastic time.

He shaped like a step up to six furlongs would suit and he is being seriously under-estimated in this.

Plenty went wrong at Sandown and Oisin Murphy hit the front far too soon, even if the horse gave him little choice.

There could be heaps more to come from this talented youngster and I want to be with him at the odds. The 8-1 around will not last long.

My other bet – this one each-way – is Richard Fahey’s ESCAPE ROUTE, last seen third in the July Stakes behind Yazaman.

That was only his second outing and he was one of the last, if not the last to come off the bridle that day. A step up in trip is bound to suit in time, but a well run six is more than adequate for now.

He struggled to pick up in the slow ground and it may be that a sounder surface could also bring out more.

A winner at York is the be all and end all to the Fahey team and you can beat your bottom dollar he knows which of his youngsters have the best chance this week. The 20-1 available at the time of writing criminally under-estimates his chances.

BETTING ADVICE

• Ubettabelieveit – 1pt win (8-1)
• Escape Route – 1pt EW (20-1)