The tipsters table, York Races, Friday, May 19, 2017

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

Tipster/ race	Dick Turpin	Sun	Times	Dail Mail	At The Races	GG.co.uk	Sporting Life	RacingTips.com
2.20	Formidable Kitt	Main Desire	Neola	Neola	Formidable Kitt	Main Desire	Formidable Kitt	Formidable Kitt
2.55	Dancing Breeze	Dancing Breeze	Tomyris	On Her Toes	Sibilance	Dancing Breeze	Dancing Breeze	On Her Toes
3.30	Simple Verse (nap)	Dartmouth	Clever Cookie	Crimean Tatar	Dartmouth	Dartmouth	Endless Time	Endless Time
4.05	Gibbs Hill	Burguillos	Southdown Lad	Cymro	Gibbs Hill	Fidaawy	Gibbs Hill	Southdown Lad
4.35	Carolinae	Hells Babe	Lil Sophella	Lil Sophella (nap)	Dark Intention	Shypen	Hells Babe	Hells Babe
5.05	Justanotherbottle	Savannah’s Dream	Angel Meadow (nap)	Jack Flash	Dakota Gold	Major Jumbo	Savannah's Dream	Justanotherbottle
5.40	Swiftsure	Swiftsure (nb)	Brimham Rocks	Alqamar	Swiftsure	Swiftsure	Alqamar	Dominating

Rain and soft, testing ground made it virtually impossible to rely on the formbook for the first two days of the Dante meeting.

Tuesday’s results make tough reading for most punters, with the Placepot registering a stupendous £10,865 to a £1 stake, and winners at 10/1 (twice), 11/1 and 20/1 (twice).

No favourites won, indeed favourites managed to make the frame just three times.

Can we fare any better on the final day? Over to tipster Dick Turpin for some good news, we hope.

Turpin writes:

There was no lack of excitement at Knavesmire on Tuesday, just a lack of winners for Turpin, the first time in five years that I have failed to stand and deliver a winner.

Fortunately, I think we can make amends today on the final day via a wonderful Yorkshire Cup contest.

I have had a strong word for the 2015 St Leger winner, Simple Verse, to get the better of likely favourite Dartmouth, both making their seasonal debuts here.

Muntahaa, having performed well at Newbury last month, has to be respected too. But confidence is with in-form Oisin Murphy to steer Simple Verse home safely and recoup Turpin’s ill-gotten losses for the week.

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The tipsters table, York Races, Thursday, May 18, 2017

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

Tipster/ race	Dick Turpin	Sun	Times	Guardian	Dail Mail	At The Races	GG.co.uk	Sporting Life	RacingTips.com
2.20	Robot Boy	East Street Revue	Orient Class	East Street Revue	Duke of Firenze	Robot Boy	Duke of Firenze	Soie D'Leau	East Street Revue
2.55	Queen's Trust	So Mi Dar	So Mi Dar	So Mi Dar	So Mi Dar	So Mi Dar	Queen's Trust	So Mi Dar	So Mi Dar
3.30	Crystal Ocean (nap)	Cracksman	Cracksman	Benbatl	Cracksman	Cracksman	Benbatl	Cracksman	Benbatl
4.05	Thikriyaat (n.b.)	Another Touch	White Lake (nap)	Chelsea Lad (nb)	Here Comes When (nap)	Home Cummins	Thikriyaat	Top Notch Tonto (nap)	Thikriyaat
4.35	Brian The Snail	Ardad	Brian The Snail	Brian The Snail	Brian The Snail	Ardad	Brian The Snail	Ardad	Brian The Snail
5.05	Makanah	Makanah	Makanah	Makanah	Global Tango	VJ Day	Makanah	Makanah	Masar
5.35	Graceland	Gaelic Tiger	Gaelic Tiger	Graceland (nap)	Blue Hussar	Gaelic Tiger	Mr Cripps	Graceland	Gaelic Tiger

The understandable late withdrawal of Cracksman from day 2 of the Dante has denied us the possibility of seeing this son of Frankel emulating his sire’s unforgettable appearance here not so long ago.

Soft ground has also obliged trainer John Gosden to withdraw his other clear favourite, So Mi Dar, from the Middleton Stakes.

Over to Dick Turpin our resident tipster…

Turpin writes:

The rain and softening ground made fools of all the experts yesterday with winners at 12s, 14s and 25-1. But short-priced (4/7) Shutter Speed was an impressive winner of the Musidora in ground she clearly disliked.

She now looks set to avoid the Epsom Oaks and go for the ‘French Oaks’ the Prix Diane instead.

The ground remains on the soft side, so caution is advised again.

The withdrawal of Cracksman is a gift for Crystal Ocean in today’s highlight, the 1m2f Dante Stakes (3.30).

Benbati and Rekindling are the dangers – and the continuing soft ground, despite the welcome sunshine, means the track remains testing. Definitely not a day to bet the farm

Later, the Hambleton Handicap (4.05) looks a fine opportunity for Sir Michael Stoute’s Thikriyaat at decent odds.

If you’re looking for one great longshot chance, Home Cummins (25-1) at the time of writing) might be just the ticket in this race. Never out of the first two in her last three York appearances.

But, again, be warned, the soft ground could make this – and the other six races – something of a lottery today.

The tipsters table, York Races, Wednesday, May 17, 2017

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

Tipster/ race	Dick Turpin	Sun	Times	Guardian	Dail Mail	At The Races	GG.co.uk	Sporting Life	RacingTips.com
2.20	Lovell	Innocent Touch	Lovell (nb)	Repercussion (nap)	Erik The Red	Lovell	Shabeeb	Lovell	Repercussion
2.55	Wentworth Falls	Al Qahwa	Udontdodou	George Bowen	Muntadab (nap)	Wentworth Falls	Muntadab	Muntadab	Muntadab
3.30	Suedois (nb)	Suedois	Suedois	Brando	Brando	Brando	Brando	Tasleet (nap)	Brando
4.05	Shutter Speed (nap)	Shutter Speed	Serenada	Shutter Speed	Vociferous Marina	Shutter Speed	Shutter Speed	Shutter Speed	Shutter Speed
4.35	Harbour Grey	Chessman	Akhlaaq	Starlight Romance	Chessman	Orewa	Senator	Harbour Grey	Battered
5.05	Knockout Blow	Rocket Man Dan	Santry	The Right Choice	Santry	Santry	It Don't Come Easy	Palmer	It Don't Come Easy
5.35	Theydon Grey	Mukhayyam	Lac Leman	Richie McCaw	Busy Street	St Malo	St Malo	Samtu	St Malo

It’s the Dante curtain-raiser – with seven fascinating contests making it a mouth-watering opening day on Knavesmire for 2017.

Highlight of the day is the Musidora Stakes (4.05) which attracts just five runners, with unbeaten Shutter Speed expected to enhance her claims for the Oaks.

But the story of the other six races, all attracting large fields, needs an expert eye to guide beleaguered punters.

So, who better than a 300-year-old highwayman to ghost his way through the form? Over to our favourite tipster, Dick Turpin.

Turpin writes:

Last year’s Musidora attracted just seven entries; this year, it’s little surprise that only four rivals will be taking on the scintillating Shutter Speed.

John Gosden’s flying filly has done nothing wrong in her two starts, and with Frankie Dettori on board looks set to enhance her credentials over the 1m2f in the 4.05 race.

Next month’s Oaks, over an extra two furlongs, is looking a confident target for the team.

The Duke of York Stakes (3.30) is shaping up to be a thriller too, as Brando makes his reappearance following a decisive Group 3 win at Newmarket last month.

The Ryan-Eaves combo will take all the beating. But Turpin has heard a strong word about the chances of last year’s runner-up, Suedois – and your favourite highwayman loves to go for the longer-odds selections.

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The selection was narrowly beaten in 2016 by Magical Memory, and the pair do battle again.

Word from the O’Meara yard is that the six-year-old gelding has the beating of his rival this time, as long as Brando doesn’t spoil the party.

Low stakes are recommended in the opener (2.20) which promises an exciting blanket finish. Strong claims can be made for Shabeeb, Erik The Red and Al Neksh.

But Turpin’s preference is for the relatively unexposed four-year-old, Lovell from a yard in top form.

It wouldn’t be a York raceday without a strong showing from Middleham superstar Mark Johnston.

Knockout Blow is easily the best of his clutch of runners today, and the booking of top jockey Ryan Moore for the five-furlong dash at 5.05 is about as strong a pointer as you can get.