The 2025 Ebor Festival climaxes on Saturday and you can see Andy Newton’s York horse racing tips for day four – including the ‘big one’, the Ebor Handicap, where he’s against the hot favourite Hipop De Loire.
York Horse Racing Tips For ITV Racing: Ebor Festival Day Four
Five more ITV Racing contests on the final day of the 2025 York Ebor Festival and ANDY NEWTON continues with his York horse racing tips.
On Saturday, the action kicks off with the Group Three Strensall Stakes at 1:50pm – a race seven of the last 10 winners were drawn 5 or lower.
The Group One City Of York Stakes (3pm) is another feature as Sussex Stakes runner-up Rosallion will be looking to win his first race of the season.
But the final day at York is always about the Ebor Handicap (3:35pm) – the richest handicap run in Europe, with £300k on offer to the winner.
We look at the five ITV York Saturday races below.
Plus EVERY day here on SportsCasting we’ve got our best daily horse racing tips – that include NAP, NB and Lucky 15 picks.
York Horse Racing Best Bets: Saturday 23rd August 2025
1:50 York – Sky Bet Strensall Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m1f ITV
With 70% of the last 10 winners drawn in stalls 5 or lower this might help with eight runners. While despite two 3 year-old winners since 2022 – five of the last nine winners were aged 4.
However, despite this I think two of the three 3 year-olds GLADIUS and BOWMARK look interesting.
Yes, King’s Gambit will be popular as the top-rated and running a fair third at Royal Ascot last time – but the form taken a few knocks since.
It also might not be easy giving 7lbs away to two progressive-looking 3 year-olds.
Gladius was a gutsy winner at Goodwood last time out and looks ready to make the leap up in class.
Andrew Balding Won The Race Last Year
The Balding yard also won this last year with a 3 year-old too (See The Fire) and he’s now won three of his four starts.
There could be more to come and Oisin Murphy is an obvious plus in the saddle and also rode the stable’s winner 12 months ago. Oh, and last year’s winner for the stable also came out of stall 8.
Bowmark was highly-tried in the French Derby last time but is into slightly calmer waters here.
The drop back in trip will suit and we know the track is fine too – having bolted up here back in May in a Novice over 1m.
Plus, the slightly softer ground the last day probably wasn’t ideal either and back on a quicker surface and with a 83-day break to freshen up, is another that looks ready to kick on again.
🥇GLADIUSÂ
🥈BOMARK
🥉KING’S GAMBITÂ
2:25 York – Sky Bet Melrose Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (3yo) 1m6f ITV
All of the last eight winners here carried 9st 3lbs or less – and it’s also been a Mr Haggas (2 of last 6) and Mr Balding (2 of last 5).
They are both represented here too, with the Haggas yard running the Royal runner Golden Handshake, who is on a three-timer – but the form of last win has taken a knocks since, is up 4lbs and also up two grades. In short, looks progressive, but also has a lot more on her plate.
While Balding has the likely favourite with the horse racing betting sites – Tarriance and FANTASY WORLD.
The last-named will be the better value and having kept on well last time at Yarmouth over 1m 3 1/2f is taken to have more improvement now upped in trip (1m6f). While the form also looks solid with the 4th Carnival Day winning well at Epsom since.
Daiquiri Bay is another of interest for the Alan King team. Was 8th in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot and the winner Merchant has advertised that form by winning the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood since.
Has only had five career runs and is another that is taken to improve for the longer trip.
🥇FANTASY WORLDÂ
🥈DAIQUIRI BAYÂ
🥉TARRIANCEÂ
3:00 York – Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 7f ITV
The big Group One on the the day and on the ratings this should be going to the 120-rated Rosallion.
However, this horse was pulled out of running in France last weekend with a bruised foot and that coupled with the average form of the Hannon team at the moment suggest he’s worth taking on.
He’s also been chinned in his last three races this season – in the Lockinge, Queen Anne and Sussex Stakes – and might just be prone to an improver.
And is also back to 7f here, which might not be ideal based on how he’s been finishing his races this season.
So, step forward NEVER SO BRAVE, who certainly falls into the ‘improver’ category with two nice wins at Ascot.
The last was in the G2 Summer Mile (watch below), so needs to step up again, but has kicked on this season after being gelded last November with 2-1-1 form figures.
Oisin Murphy, who was on at Royal Ascot, rides and the Balding yard have won this three times since 2009.
Never So Brave is also one of Andy’s big fancies on the weekend FINAL FURLONG PODCAST this week.
Of the rest, French raider Maranoa Charlie was a close second in the Prix Jean Prat last time, but the third The Lion In Winter didn’t run well last weekend to knock that form.
Audience was 4th in the race last year and second in 2023, but is a hard horse to catch right but the first-time blinkers might help. That said, they tried the cheekpieces for the first time last time in the Lennox (3rd).
Lake Forest can go well too though.
He was second in the Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood – having run on well that day. We know he likes the track, having won the 2023 Gimcrack here and the Haggas team continue to be in flying form.
🥇NEVER SO BRAVEÂ
🥈LAKE FORESTÂ
🥉ROSALLIONÂ
3:35 York – Sky Bet Ebor Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 1m6f ITV
The Ebor Handicap trends tell us that this race tends to go to horses aged 6 or younger – so the 8 year-old favourite Hipop De Loire, who was 5th last year, has this age stat to overcome.
We’ve also only seen three winning market leaders since 1999 and the last horse to win with more than 9st 9lb was Sea Pigeon in 1979.
So, you can see where I’m going here – despite two Ebor wins, the Willie Mullins-trained Hipop De Loire, who won over hurdles at Galway last time, looks little value.
I’d rather be with his other runner – his Royal Ascot winner Ethical Diamond (watch below). But he’s up 8lbs for that win and the value could be to side with a horse that was 4th that day at Ascot – SIEGE OF TROY (e/w).
This Johnny Murtagh runner stayed on that day to only be beaten 4 3/4 lengths and is 8lbs better off now with Ethical Diamond – but three times the price.
He’s since run well (3rd) in a Group Three in Ireland and gets back into a handicap on the same mark as his Ascot run (99).
Murtagh Camp Have Won The Ebor Twice Before
The yard also know how to take this – winning the pot in 2021 with Sonnyboyliston and 2014 with Mutual Regard.
Oh, and they are also putting a 7lb claimer on Siege Of Troy too. Draw 13 is fine too – with seven of the last nine winners from gates 12+.
With the Irish having a good overall record (4/6) then, of the rest, the versatile Ascending – for last year’s winning yard of Henry De Bromhead – is another to note. As is Aeronautic (reserve) if getting in.
London City represents Aidan O’Brien and will have his backers too – having run well in a G2 in Ireland last time and also being a proven York winner.
But it’s interesting Ryan Moore rides Queenstown for O’Brien, who was 17th in the race last year and is four times the price.
Moore is still to win the race, while O’Brien’s sole success came in 2001 with Mediterranean.
🥇SIEGE OF TROY (e/w)
🥈ASCENDINGÂ
🥉ETHICAL DIAMONDÂ
4:10 York – Sky Bet Constantine Handicap (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (3yo+) 6f ITV
Stewards’ Cup winner Two Tribes (watch below) will be popular and has Ryan Moore booked to ride too. But is up another 8lbs here and having won the International at Ascot before that – this would be some handicap treble inside four weeks.
While 50% of the last four winners came from stall 2 – and Two Tribes has this berth.
Strike Red was second last year and is only 2lbs higher so commands respect. And Tropical Storm, with Oisin Murphy riding could bounce back at a track he’s 2-2 at.
But another horse that ran in this race last year was the old-boy COMMANCHE FALLS, who was a close third.
He’s back on a 9lb lower mark as he’s on a run of no wins in 17. But this means he’s dipped below a rating of 100 (98) for the first time since July 2021.
He’s a CD winner here at York too and was also runner-up in his in 2022 off a mark of 109.
Yes, he’s not getting any younger. But ran on well to be 7th in the Stewards’ Cup last time – beaten just four lengths – and is 10lbs better off with Two Tribes now.
🥇COMMANCHE FALLS (e/w)
🥈TROPICAL STORMÂ
🥉STRIKE RED
