York, Saturday 23 May — Full Card Tips

York, Saturday 23 May — Full Card Tips

A proper Saturday card at York, seven races, good ground, and some genuinely competitive handicaps alongside the Group 3 Bronte Cup. The going is described as good and the weather is partly cloudy, which should suit most of the fancied runners. With the Canadian Grand Prix kicking off tomorrow in Montreal, this is the perfect day to get the racing in before the F1 weekend takes over the television. Here are the selections.

1:30 — William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Handicap (6f, 22 runners)

Selection: Kiniro Each-Way — 8/1 Boyle Sports

Kiniro is the angle here. Two wins for Harry Charlton over 6f at Lingfield on the AW and then a move to Dan Horsford’s yard, where his Chester return last time was a complete non-event in terms of what we actually learned about him. He was repeatedly denied a clear run and finished eighth, but the form students who watched it closely came away thinking he’d have been in the finish with a fair passage. Chester on debut for a new yard over a tight track is about as awkward as it gets for a horse who clearly needs daylight. York’s straight six furlongs is the polar opposite: a wide, galloping track where a horse with a good cruising speed gets every chance to show it. The 8/1 on good ground looks genuinely exploitable. Mae Amor and Al Hussar are respected but both carry the weight of confirmed narrow margins at this level.

• Best price: 8/1 Boyle Sports
• Each-way: 5 places at 1/5 odds

2:05 — Tomahawk EBF Restricted Novice Stakes (6f, 8 runners)

Selection: Possessive — 7/2 Boyle Sports

Karl Burke is one of the sharpest operators in the north with two-year-olds and his yard has been in fine form over the past fortnight. Possessive is by Lucky Vega out of a mare who won at Group 2 level in Germany, and the family oozes class at six and seven furlongs. He’s bred to be useful from the off rather than a horse who needs the summer to find his best. Cuban Heels is the market leader on the back of a promising third at Ascot and deserves respect, but the Gosden pair often need a run and the 5/4 is too short to take on trust. Possessive at more than double the price with Burke in form is the play.

• Best price: 7/2 Boyle Sports

2:40 — William Hill Epic Boost Handicap (5f, 21 runners)

Selection: King Of Light Each-Way — 7/1 Boyle Sports

King Of Light ended 2025 with momentum and translated that into an encouraging return at Goodwood over 5f on good ground earlier this month, finishing second. Crucially, he has previous over course and distance, so York’s five furlongs holds no fears. Stuart Williams has been keeping busy with three winners from 23 runners over the past fortnight and this horse is operating off a realistic mark. In a race where several rivals either have question marks over the minimum trip (Stratusnine, Partisan Hero) or have had interrupted preparations, a horse who clearly handles the conditions and the track stands out. The 7/1 available with Boyle Sports looks bigger than it should be given the C&D form.

• Best price: 7/1 Boyle Sports (13/2 LiveScore Bet)
• Each-way: 5 places at 1/5 odds

3:15 — William Hill Bronte Cup Fillies’ Stakes (Group 3, 1m6f)

Selection: Miss Alpilles — 5/1 Boyle Sports

The obvious call here is to take Danielle at 8/11, but the value lies elsewhere. Miss Alpilles won a Listed race at Newmarket over 2m last autumn and then came back to run a perfectly creditable third against male rivals in the Group 3 Sagaro at Ascot on reappearance, beaten eight lengths by what looked a strong performance from the winner. She’s a thoroughly genuine, upwardly mobile mare and Ed Walker has her fit and ready. The slight drop back from 2m to 1m6f is flagged as a negative in the Spotlight, but she won over this trip as a four-year-old and there’s no reason she can’t handle it again. At 5/1 with seven runners, the each-way terms are two places only, so this is a win play. Danielle is vulnerable fresh from a winter break and at odds-on that vulnerability is poorly priced.

• Best price: 5/1 Boyle Sports

3:50 — Reg Bond ‘Always And Forever’ Handicap (7f, 22 runners)

Selection: Moscow Power Each-Way — 5/1 Boyle Sports

Moscow Power is lightly raced, unexposed, and doing his best work late on over six furlongs. The step up to seven furlongs today looks a natural fit. His Ascot run three weeks ago was seriously good: he beat all bar two of 18 rivals in a warm handicap and the runner-up has since gone on to win, boosting the form considerably. Michael Appleby’s yard is cold over the past fortnight, which is worth noting, but this horse’s profile and the form upgrade mean he’s hard to leave out. Reliable Ricki, the 4/1 market leader, is respected after his strong Doncaster win, but at similar odds Moscow Power offers more intrinsic value given the boosted form. The Resdev Scholar is solid but likely needs everything to drop right to win a race this competitive.

• Best price: 5/1 Boyle Sports
• Each-way: 5 places at 1/5 odds

4:25 — Royal Yorkshire Regiment Handicap (1m2½f, 11 runners)

Selection: Bridge Of Eagles — 5/2 Boyle Sports

This is the standout confidence play on the card. Bridge Of Eagles won his handicap debut at Goodwood three weeks ago in what looked a strong contest, coming from off the pace to win narrowly at 11/2. The runner-up went one better on Monday, which is immediate and reliable form validation. David Menuisier is a trainer who improves horses significantly between runs, and the Spotlight explicitly notes the 3lb penalty will underestimate Bridge Of Eagles. With only 11 runners and a horse whose form has been boosted since he last ran, 5/2 is a fair price. Stoneacre Donny is consistent and respected, but he’s gone up 4lb after a second-place finish and Bridge Of Eagles looks the fresher, more progressive horse on an upward curve.

• Best price: 5/2 Boyle Sports (9/4 Betfred)

5:00 — William Hill Boosts Every Day Handicap (7f, 22 runners)

Selection: Leadman Each-Way — 7/2 Boyle Sports

Leadman is the most frustrating horse on this card and also arguably the most talented in this race. He was second of 22 over course and distance just eight days ago and would almost certainly have won with a clear run. The concerns are real: he’s up 4lb, drawn wide again, and David O’Meara’s yard has been in a cold patch. But the talent is undeniable, Daniel Tudhope knows him well, and in a 22-runner sprint-type handicap at seven furlongs, the each-way market at five places returns even if things don’t go entirely to plan. Rascal Recknell is the interesting longer-priced alternative at 16/1 after a season of consistent form and a narrow defeat last time, but Leadman’s proximity to the York form makes him hard to oppose at the top of the market even with the caveats.

• Best price: 7/2 Boyle Sports
• Each-way: 5 places at 1/5 odds

Today’s NAP