Newsboy’s 1-2-3 for York on ITV plus tips for Friday’s other meetings

1.50 Sky Bet Handicap

GREY CUBAN gets the vote to rack up a hat-trick now that he tackles a mile and a half for the first time.

The Hugo Palmer-saddled son of Havana Grey missed the target in five outings as a two-year-old but returned with an eight-length supremacy in a novice stakes at Wolverhampton in April, and is on a roll after being fitted with a hood this summer.

Grey Cuban doubled his career tally with a half-length call from Dream Harder over an extended 10 furlongs on the Roodee two starts ago.

Raised 3lb to a British Horseracing Authority mark of 88, my selection then followed up in emphatic style, making all the running under Jason Hart – Silvestre de Sousa is in the plate today – to humble More Thunder by four and a half lengths.

The assessor was never going to take that performance lying down and Grey Cuban is a further 7lb higher on 95 here.

But the extra yardage is a plus – dam Serena Grae won over an extended mile and five – and another good account is on the cards.
Wafei is heading in the right direction and poses a threat, along with Lieber Power and Irish challenger Derry Lad .

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 GREY CUBAN, 2 WAFEI, 3 LIEBER POWER

2.25 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup

ALSAKIB is lightly raced in the staying sphere and has the potential to give Andrew Balding, successful with Coltrane in 2023, back-to-back Lonsdale Cup wins.

Unraced as a juvenile, Kingman’s son made up for last time with four victories, the latter two in big-money handicaps over a mile and a half at Ascot and Newmarket, last season.

His first two forays into Group 3 company – Alsakib finished sixth behind Hamish in Newbury’s John Porter Stakes in April before a seven-and-a-quarter-length third to Port Lonsdale in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester 19 days later – raised questions over whether the grey was up to Pattern class.

But a victory in the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup over York’s mile and three-quarters last month – my selection had previously run better than his fourth placing suggests in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot – gave the answer Alsakib’s followers were looking for.

Sent off at 6-1 in a field of eight, he looked an unlikely winner when feeling the pinch early in the straight.

But Alsakib kept responding to PJ McDonald’s calls, hitting the front a furlong out to beat Al Qareem by a length and a half and this two-mile trip looks just what he needs.

Port Lonsdale, also stepping up in distance, is feared most, ahead of Align The Stars and Gregory .

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 ALSAKIB, 2 PORT LONSDALE, 3 GREGORY

3.00 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes

THE STRIKIN VIKING, with near-misses at this level on his last two visits to the track, rates the clubhouse leader.

The Inns Of Court-sired two-year-old, named in honour of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, made a winning debut for Kevin Ryan and owners Middleham Park Racing with a cosy two-and-three-quarter-length margin from Tiger Mask over this course and distance in mid-June.

Ryan then aimed his youngster at the Group 2 Railway Stakes on the Curragh’s Irish Derby undercard 15 days later, and The Strikin Viking enhanced his reputation with a half-length second to Henry Matisse.

His first two runs caught the eye of big-spending Wathnan Racing, who moved their purchase from Ryan to Newmarket-based Qatari Hamad Al Jehani before The Strikin Viking’s appearance in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

James Doyle’s partner, the 11-10 favourite, looked set to collect when taking the lead at the furlong pole, only to be run down late on by half-length victor Black Forza.

A reproduction of either of his last two runs – let alone another step forward – and The Strikin Viking will be hard to beat.
Goodwood’s Molecomb Stakes winner Big Mojo is taken to fight it out with Shadow Of Light and Caburn for the podium places.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 THE STRIKIN VIKING, 2 BIG MOJO, 3 SHADOW OF LIGHT

3.35 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes

BRADSELL, drawn away from the action when third 12 months ago, makes plenty of appeal as he bids to go two places better.

After running the son of Tasleet over six furlongs for the first five starts of his career – one of those outings yielded victory in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June 2022 – Archie Watson hatched a ploy to bring Bradsell back to the minimum trip for what is now the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes on the royal heath 12 months later.

The gameplan worked to the letter as Hollie Doyle starred at the highest level with a one-length defeat of Highfield Princess.
Their attempt at a Group 1 double in the 2023 Nunthorpe Stakes ended in honourable defeat.

Racing towards the stands’ side as Live In The Dream blazed a trail towards the far rail and, Bradsell made inroads on the leader when the runners merged into one group but was still a length and three-quarters down in third at the line.

Bradsell didn’t shine in the top-tier Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh in September on what proved to be his final start of the year, but his return-to-action Listed score at Deauville 19 days ago will have brought my selection, who still has more to offer, to concert pitch for today.

This summer’s King Charles III Stakes heroine Asfoora , edged out by Big Evs (received 5lb) at Glorious Goodwood, is greatly respected, while Regional and Azure Blue are others to consider.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 BRADSELL, 2 ASFOORA, 3 AZURE BLUE

4.10 Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap

REACH, who captured this race 12 months ago, is the choice to mount a successful defence of her title.

The 260,000-guinea foal, who didn’t make the track for Godolphin, was knocked down to Mick and David Easterby for 1,500 guineas in December 2021.

That proved to be a shrewd piece of trading, even for the sharp-as-a-cuthroat-razor Easterbys, as Reach added to a Pontefract maiden score in October 2022 with three handicap successes at Nottingham, Beverley and York – Jo Mason’s mount held Sisyphus Strength by a neck at the 2023 Ebor Festival – last summer.

The six-year-old will come on for third placings over today’s course and distance in May and June this season and a 5lb higher mark looks within range.

Al Anoud and Power Of Destiny , separated by a head at Glorious Goodwood, are two obvious names to throw into the mix, along with Bint Al Daar .

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 REACH, 2 POWER OF DESTINY, 3 BINT AL DAAR

4.45 British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes

ANGELO BUONARROTI did enough in the face of his Royal Ascot baptism of fire to suggest he can figure prominently today.

Nobody could accuse owner Amo Racing Ltd’s Kia Joorabchian of being a slave to convention and, by traditional standards, the decision to give the €1,000,000 breeze-his debut in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes came out of left field.

Under the circumstances, a 16-1 ninth of 22, three lengths behind winner Rashabar, rates a respectable start.

Amo’s revolving door has seen Angelo Buonarroti, Brazilian Raphael Freire’s first runner as a trainer in Britain, move to Ralph Beckett, and a step forward is anticipated.

Whirl , Realign and Ultrasoul come here on the back of promising debuts and are strong candidates for the minor medals.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 ANGELO BUONARROTI, 2 REALIGN, 3 ULTRASOUL

5.20 Sky Bet Mile Handicap

NATIVE WARRIOR has made the podium at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood and should again show to the fore.

Karl Burke’s son of Wootton Bassett took four attempts to get off the mark, landing a Nottingham maiden in May, before going into handicaps.

My selection went off a 22-1 chance for the Britannia Stakes and led home a troupe of 10 horses racing down the near side with a third to Mickley.

Upped 3lb for that effort, Native Warrior set off in front on the South Downs and gave best only inside the final furlong for a three-quarter-length second to Paradias.

The evidence of that run is that coming back to a mile from nine furlongs will do no harm and a 1lb nudge up the weights is neither here nor there.

Threats lurk at every turn, with improvers Dosman, Paborus and Takenomics at the top of a long shortlist.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 NATIVE WARRIOR, 2 DOSMAN, 3 PABORUS