The 2025 Ebor Festival moves into Friday and Andy Newton continues with his York horse racing tips today for day three – including for the Lonsdale Cup and Group One Nunthorpe Stakes.Â
York Horse Racing Tips Today For ITV Racing: Ebor Festival Day Three
Five more ITV Racing contests to look forward to on day three of the 2025 York Ebor Festival and ANDY NEWTON returns with his York horse racing tips.
On Friday the action sees two Group Two contests – the Lonsdale Cup (2:25) and Gimcrack Stakes (3:00), but the day three card is showcased by the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes (3:35).
This year the five furlong contest will see a stack of speedsters from around the world in action – however, most of the attention will be on the 2 year-old Irish filly Lady Iman, who will be flying both the ‘Girl Power’ and ‘Youngster’ flags.
She looks to become the first 2 year-old filly winner since Lyric Fantasy in 1992.
Plus – EVERY day here on SportsCasting we’ve got our best daily horse racing tips – that include NAP, NB and Lucky 15 picks.
Note: All odds on this page are subject to change.
York Horse Racing Best Bets: Friday 22nd August 2025
1:50 York – Sky Bet Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (3yo+) 1m4f ITV
The horse racing trends here tell us that 21 of the last 22 winners were aged 5 or younger – which leaves us with French Duke, Mount Atlas, Insanity, Naqeeb, Asgard’s Captain and Champagne Prince.
Roger Varian has trained two of the last nine too and tries again with French Duke. But despite this he needs to bounce back from two average runs at Ascot and Goodwood – while the stable are not in great overall form.
The Balding team, however, continue to tick along nicely and their MOUNT ATLAS, is interesting with Oisin Murphy riding.
This 4 year-olds was a good winner at Ascot last time out and the form of that run has been franked since with the second Night Breeze winning at the Shergar Cup next time.
A 5lb rise makes life harder and 10st to carry won’t be easy, but he also finished ahead of French Duke at Ascot and is taken to confirm that form.
Of the rest, the consistent Naqeeb, who was third in that same Ascot race (Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes) Mount Atlas and French Duke ran in (watch below), can also go well.
🥇MOUNT ATLAS (9/4)
🥈NAQEEB (6/1)
🥉FRENCH DUKE (9/2)
2:25 York – Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (3yo+) 2m½f ITV
Sweet William is just that – a ‘sweet’ horse that is always thereabouts, but is placed more often than he win. And more of the same looks on the cards for him.
Especially with former Ebor Handicap winner TRAWLERMAN in the race – he’s the clear one to beat in this staying division at the moment.
This Godolphin-owned 7 year-old has won over £1.4m in total prize money and heads here as the Ascot Gold Cup winner – after slamming Illinois by 7 lengths there (watch below).
It’s a weak division at the moment and being rated 121 has loads in-hand with the rest – all this despite having to give a small bit of weight away (3lbs to most).
His trainer John Gosden knows a thing or two about winning this race too – having mopped up four wins in the last seven years. It will be a shock if he’s not taking this and the horse racing betting sites agree – making him one of the day three York bankers.
Of the rest, Shackleton is a ‘boat’ and will plug on all day, so could nick a place too. And being a 3 year-old will also get 14lbs off the favourite – which brings his mark of 107 bang-on Trawlerman’s 121.
While, at a big price, last year’s second Al Nayyir could easily out-run his odds again.
🥇TRAWLERMAN (5/6)
🥈SWEET WILLIAM (9/2)
🥉AL NAYYIR (16/1)
3:00 York – Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes (Group 2) (In Honour Of Tom Lacy) (Colts & Geldings) Cl1 (2yo) 6f ITV
Some stars of the future on show here for this 2 year-old contest over 6f.
The top-rated in the field is Do Or Do Not, who ran a blinder to be third to the classy Zavateri in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last time (watch below).
He was also second in the Coventry Stakes to Gstaad at Royal Ascot and runner-up in the July Stakes.
All these runs give him the best form on show here, but the niggle is this Ed Walker juvenile is still 0-5 in his races and so yet to win. While the first-time cheekpieces are also on today.
Lifeplan could be anything after a smooth win on debut at Thirsk, but this is, of course, harder.
Rock On Thunder was 9th in the Coventry, and then second in a Listed race at Newbury.
But having pulled and not stayed the 7f trip last time at Ascot, the Karl Burke runner – RECIPROCATED (e/w) – is taken to bounce back now returning to 6f.
He won well over this trip in June at Carlisle and the form of his debut Nottingham win has since been franked with the second Silent Applause winning since.
🥇RECIPROCATED (e/w) (8/1)
🥈DO OR DO NOT (2/1)
🥉LIFEPLAN (11/2)
3:35 York – Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (2yo+) 5f ITV
A cracking renewal of the Nunthorpe with cases to be made for many, including last year’s 4th Asfoora.
But this top-class Aussie sprinter just seems a bit on the decline now aged 7 and 21 of the last 23 winners finished in the top 5 in their last races – she was only 7th.
20 of the last 23 winners have been from stalls 11 or lower – so might help knock six of the 17 runners out.
The sprint division is wide open at the moment though and that means all the connections will fancy their chances.
We last saw an Irish winner in 2014 with Sole Power and they’ve got a leading hand with Arizona Blaze and LADY IMAN – with the last-named looking to create history by winning as a 2 year-old.
Kingsgate Native won as a juvenile in 2007, but the last 2 year-old winning filly was Lyric Fantasy in 1992 for the Richard Hannon Snr team.
Lady Iman has looked a classy sprinter this season – with her only defeat coming over 6f at the Curragh two runs back.
She’s 3-3 over this 5f trip and even though she lacks experience herself will get plenty in the saddle from veteran jockey Joe Fanning.
Lady Iman Will Get Plenty Of Weight Too
The added plus for being a youngster (and a filly) is she has only 8-2 to carry – meaning she gets a stack of weight, including a massive 25lbs from Arizona Blaze.
She’s drawn okay in 4 too and fillies in general (all ages) have done well recently – with eight winning in the last 14 runnings – and comes here having won the Molecomb at Goodwood last month (watch below).
Of the rest, the ultra-consistent pair of She’s Quality and Jm Jungle, who won the King George Stakes at Goodwood, can go well again, but does need to defy stall 13.
🥇LADY IMAN (6/1)
🥈JM JUNGLE (9/1)
🥉SHE’S QUALITY (11/1)
4:10 York – Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 1m2½f ITV
Just the five past runnings of this and we are yet to see a winning favourite – with a 25/1 winner last year.
Zgharta, Cape Flora and he consistent Blessed Star have claims, as does Akecheta from Ireland.
But with the William Haggas yard still in great order and having a 21% SR with their 3 year-olds at the track – their WONDER STAR is shortlisted.
This well-bred Sea The Stars filly ran a close second in a similar race at Glorious Goodwood last time on handicap debut and is only 2lbs higher.
That run also came having taken a bit of a hold, so can probably be upgraded – if Tom Marquand is able to settle her a tad better then there should be more to come.
She rates the final our York horse racing tips today.
While – Cape Flora, who bolted up at Leicester last time, is also respected for the Gosden camp.
🥇WONDER STAR (9/2)
🥈CAPE FLORA (11/2)
🥉ZGHARTA (5/2)
