York Racing Tips: May 14

York’s Dante Festival kicks off on Wednesday, and the Group 2 Musidora Stakes will provide some more Classic trial action. Wednesday’s main event, however, is the Group 2 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes, and we could get some Royal Ascot form pointers.

The action begins at 14:10 and concludes with a 1m4f handicap at 17:25, so our expert has selected three strong fancies to follow at York, and these include the Irish raider Whirl, who is likely to thrive now stepping up in trip.

York Betting Tips

Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and correct at the time of publishing

Ladbrokes Betting Offer

14:10 York - Marhaba The Champ

Kevin Ryan’s MARHABA THE CHAMP didn’t have the best of seasons last year and the handicapper has taken their time to respond but is starting to do so. It surely won’t be long until he returns to form and this looks like a good time to do so.

His last win came over course and distance back in 2023 off a mark of 91, which is 5lb higher than his current rating. That was a very valuable race and he managed to win despite being keen and getting off to a slow start.

The son of Galileo also won here over a shorter trip in the past and a fifty per cent course record certainly bodes well. Clearly, he has enough form in the book to suggest victory is by no means out of the question and it would be unwise to rule him out here.

There wasn’t much to be positive about after his pretty underwhelming display at Pontefract on his seasonal debut, but a 2lb drop in the weights certainly won’t go amiss. You would imagine he’s entitled to improve for the run, too, and a much better display is expected this time.

15:13 York - Inisherin

Another Kevin Ryan runner, INISHERIN began his three-year-old campaign with an impressive win over subsequent Group 1 winner Kalpana in a Newcastle novice over a mile. A more than respectable sixth-place finish followed in the 2000 Guineas, and he was too keen.

It’s therefore no surprise that connections then opted to drop him back in trip and that plan was immediately successful. He bolted up in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock after that and established himself as a major Commonwealth Cup candidate.

Further success then followed in the Royal Ascot Group 1 and he went on to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths. Fifth in the July Cup after that, it was a decent run but not quite to the standard of his two previous efforts.

Inisherin was a tad disappointing in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, but connections have opted to give him wind surgery, which could make a difference if it has the desired effect.

15:45 York - Whirl

It took a couple of runs for WHIRL to get the hang of things as a juvenile last term, but she won her maiden at Doncaster in good style back in September.

Going in again when upped to a mile in Group 3 company next time, her profile suggests there should be more to come at three.

She was a tad disappointing on her seasonal debut at the Curragh, but the mile trip was probably inadequate and she appeared to be badly in need of the run.

Aidan O’Brien has been mopping up in the Derby and Oaks trials, winning no fewer than seven last week. Confidence is therefore high, and a much-improved performance could be on the cards, now trying an extended 1m2f for the first time.