Who’ll win at York Races? Tips for the First Saturday 2018

The tipsters’ table, York Races, Saturday, May 26, 2018

Who's tipping what: scroll horizontally to see all the picks

Tipster/ race	Dick Turpin	Sun	Mirror	Daily Mail	Times	Telegraph	Guardian	Sporting Life	At The Races	GG.co.uk	Daily Star
2.00	Salateen	Get Knotted	Golden Apollo	Golden Apollo (nb)	Gilgamesh	Get Knotted	Salateen	Get Knotted	Hayadh	So Beloved	Salateen
2.35	Battersea	Carnageo	Thistimenextyear	Across The Stars	Thistimenextyear	Je Suis Charlie	Zack Mayo	Tawdeea	Carnageo	Battersea	Across The Stars
3.05	Isabel De Urbina (nap)	Precious Ramotswe	Isabel De Urbina	Precious Ramotswe	Mam’selle	Do Re Mi Fa Sol	Do Re Mi Fa Sol	Isabel De Urbina	Isabel De Urbina	Isabel De Urbina	Do Re Mi Fa Sol
3.40	Carlton Frankie	Final Venture	Evergate	Major Jumbo (nap)	Evergate	Carlton Frankie	Carlton Frankie	El Astronaute	Edward Lewis	Mr Lupton	El Astronaute
4.15	Jfoul	Moyassar	Moyassar	Moyassar	I Am A Dreamer	Moyassar	Pacino	I Am A Dreamer	Jfoul	Broken Spear	I Am A Dreamer
4.50	Desert Diamond (nb)	Akvavera	Desert Diamond	Shazzab	Akvavera	Desert Diamond	Desert Diamond	Akvavera	Desert Diamond	Desert Diamond	Akvavera (nb)
5.25	Explain	My Amigo	Sir Roderic	Theodorico	Scofflaw	Theodorico	Mon Beau Visage	Our Charlie Brown	Theodorico	Alfred Hutchinson	Sir Roderic

At YorkMix Towers (just at the top of Shambles), we’re still recovering from Dick Turpin’s astonishing performance at the Dante meeting last week.

He tipped winners galore, narrowly missing out – by just one selection – on the Tote Jackpot along the way.

Not bad going, considering he was threatened with the sack after his dismal performance in the mud of the second half of last season.

Let’s hope he hasn’t peaked too soon this year. We’ve managed to drag the wayward highwayman out of one of his favourite haunts to offer his selections for today’s First Saturday meeting at Knavesmire.

 
Yesterday’s rain means the all-important going is likely to be good, at best, tipster Turpin writes. Let’s hope there’s little or no overnight rain, as we all know what happens to our selections when the going becomes soft.

The big money today, (£51,039 for the winner) comes in the stamina test for fillies (3.05) with Isabel De Urbina, the clear choice.

Ralph Beckett’s classy four-year-old trotted up nicely in her seasonal reappearance in the Good-to-Soft at Goodwood. With Harry Bentley aboard again, she looks set to do the same today, in this six-runner contest over 1m 5f.

Much will depend on a true pace from the off. She should account for Precious Ramotswe, stepping up from a good win at Brighton three weeks ago.

In the other six-runner contest, the Fillies Handicap (4.50) for three-year-olds, I’m looking no further than Sir Michael Stoute’s eye-catching Desert Diamond who kicked off her season with a comfy win at Wolverhampton earlier in the month, and looks a class above most of these.

Only the relatively unexposed Akvavera (that Beckett/Bentley combination again) poses any real threat to the selection.

The most exciting race of the day is likely to come in the five-furlong Sprint Handicap (3.40) as El Astronaute, who scuppered our jackpot bid last week, tries for a swift repeat.

Major Jumbo and Carlton Frankie look well placed to spoil the party, though, with Turpin’s preference – but only just – for the latter, Mick Easterby’s well-regarded four-year-old filly.

The last race (5.25) 20-runner highlight could be the opportunity for Explain to make amends for getting crowded out at Chester recently, when the gelding looked ready to score.

But the old stager, ten-year-old top weight Alfred Hutchinson, represents danger, as do My Amigo, Heaven’s Guest, Theodorico and Heaven’s Guest. Small stakes advised!

Turpin’s tips