York, Friday 24 July 2026: Full Card Tips

York, Friday 24 July 2026: Full Card Tips

York on a summer Friday evening is one of the best cards the northern circuit produces, and with Good To Firm ground across the board tonight, pace will be at a premium and horses that handle quick conditions are at a massive advantage. Six races, strong fields, and some genuinely interesting handicap angles to work through. With Glorious Goodwood kicking off in just four days, several shrewd yards will be targeting quick-turnaround wins before the Sussex showpiece dominates the agenda.

5:32 — eventmasters.co.uk Handicap Stakes (7f, 18 runners)

Selection: Quest For Fun Each-Way at 13/2 (Boyle Sports), with 6/1 available at LiveScore Bet.

Eighteen runners, five places, and a horse that rates second of the entire field on speed figures while trading at a price that suggests the market hasn’t fully caught up. Quest For Fun has experience of this trip and Good To Firm conditions, and his figure puts him comfortably above his official mark. The blank finish last time is the one caveat, but Tim Easterby’s yard has been operating at a solid clip lately, sending out eight winners from 68 runners across the past fortnight. Quick turnaround within a fortnight could suit a horse that clearly isn’t being given long gaps between runs.

The alternative angle is Lord Bertie at 12/1, who tops the speed figures in this field overall. David O’Meara’s runners have found form in recent weeks and the apprentice jockey booking keeps the weight manageable. His recent finishes look modest on paper, but if the figures are right and he’s dropped to a workable mark, there’s place money at minimum in an 18-runner handicap with five places paying at 1/5 odds.

6:05 — Elevator Company Handicap Stakes (2m½f, 14 runners)

Selection: Rogue Empire at 7/2 (Boyle Sports/LiveScore Bet).

Three wins from his last five starts, including three consecutive victories, is the kind of form sequence that demands serious attention. The speed figure is modest relative to rivals, and the figures rank him only seventh of 13, but horses in this kind of form with this kind of momentum over two miles-plus are exactly the type to keep following until the handicapper catches them. Roger Teal’s 15% win rate at York (2/13, A/E of 1.67) is excellent and suggests the yard knows how to target this course. Rogue Empire has experience of this trip, and on Good To Firm going, front-runners and progressive types thrive.

The figures-based alternative is Venezuelan at 18/1 Each-Way, who tops the speed figures in this 14-runner field. Gary Hanmer’s yard has been going well, sending out two winners from ten runners, and with four places paying at 1/5 odds, there’s a clear place case for a horse sitting at the top of the ratings.

6:40 — EBF Restricted Novice Stakes (7f, 8 runners)

Selection: Coral Cove at 10/11 (Boyle Sports/LiveScore Bet).

Small field, eight runners, no each-way angle needed here. James Owen has been in outstanding form with 13 winners from 38 runners in the past fortnight, and Coral Cove represents his yard’s best chance. A runner-up finish on debut shows she handles competition, and Kieran Shoemark is the most accomplished jockey in the line-up. The market has made its opinion clear at 10/11, and with trainer form this strong backing it up, there’s little reason to look elsewhere.

Travellers Girl at 5/2 is the obvious danger, bringing stronger form into the race with three runs to her name (fourth, third, third), but the trainer angle for Roger Fell is modest at 1 from 17 lately, and Shoemark on the Owen runner is the more compelling booking.

7:15 — Tomahawk Handicap Stakes (6f, 22 runners)

Selection: Aberama Gold Each-Way at 6/1 (Boyle Sports/LiveScore Bet).

Twenty-two runners is a big field, five places at 1/5 odds, and Aberama Gold has been runner-up in both his last two starts. A horse that keeps hitting the frame in this kind of consistent fashion is exactly the profile you want in a crowded sprint handicap. David O’Meara’s yard has been ticking over nicely, five winners from 43 runners, and Aberama Gold has the course, trip, and going experience all in his favour. Coming back within nine days suggests connections are confident he bounces quickly, and a rating of 85 puts him competitive at the top of this field.

Almarada Prince at 7/1 is the trainer’s other angle here via Paul Midgley, trending the right direction with back-to-back placed efforts, but I prefer the horse that’s already knocking on the door for second place money consistently.

7:50 — British EBF Lyric Fillies’ Stakes (Listed Race, 6 runners)

Selection: Diamond Rain at 8/13 (Boyle Sports).

Six-runner Listed race with a clear class leader. Diamond Rain tops the ratings on 115, has never finished outside the first three in her last five starts, and Charlie Appleby’s yard is firing at eight winners from 28 runners lately. William Buick takes the ride, which tells you everything you need to know about how seriously the stable is treating this assignment. The odds-on price is fair for what is a near-certainty on form, class, and trainer angle combined.

The each-way market only pays two places at 1/4 odds here, so backing win-only at 8/13 is the play. Small fields and short prices are not the terrain for each-way punting.

8:25 — Sky Bet Go-Racing-In-Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap Stakes (5½f, 12 runners)

Selection: Go Vince Go Each-Way at 5/2 (Boyle Sports/LiveScore Bet).

Go Vince Go tops the speed figures in this 12-runner sprint on 89, with a strong 83 speed figure backing it up. He has run over this trip and Good To Firm going before, and Tim Easterby’s yard is in excellent recent nick with eight winners from 68 runners across the past fortnight. He remains a maiden, but a third-placed finish among his six starts shows he can hit the frame at this level, and a horse at the top of the ratings in a sprint handicap with quick ground is the kind of systematic angle that pays long-term.

Dolos Dream at 11/2 is the danger, rated fourth on figures and clearly in winning form with two victories in recent starts. The 42-day gap is worth watching, but if freshened she could outrun her price.

• 5:32: Quest For Fun (EW) — 13/2 Boyle Sports
• 6:05: Rogue Empire — 7/2 Boyle Sports
• 6:40: Coral Cove — 10/11 Boyle Sports
• 7:15: Aberama Gold (EW) — 6/1 Boyle Sports
• 7:50: Diamond Rain — 8/13 Boyle Sports
• 8:25: Go Vince Go (EW) — 5/2 Boyle Sports

Today’s NAP

Rogue Empire — Elevator Company Handicap Stakes (6:05, York)
Odds: 7/2 — Boyle Sports (others: 7/2 LiveScore Bet)

Three wins on the spin is a sequence you simply cannot ignore in a staying handicap, and Roger Teal’s 15% strike rate at York with an A/E of 1.67 confirms this is a trainer who targets the course with intent. Rogue Empire has the trip experience, the form momentum, and a yard that hits York at a healthy clip. The modest speed figure is the only caveat, but horses arriving with this kind of winning run tend to have more in the locker than the figures immediately suggest, and Good To Firm ground at York is a genuine leveller that rewards travelling horses with a clear rhythm. Back him to win.