York best bets: Reach out to land blow in conditions set to suit

16:10 York: Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap  (1 mile 2 furlongs 56 yards)

The front pair in the early market, Power Of Destiny and Al Anoud, resume rivalry after the latter’s narrow victory when clashing in a Class 2 fillies’ handicap at Goodwood late last month.

However, Power Of Destiny was sent off a clear favourite that day, and probably would have won had she enjoyed a clear passage when she tried to mount her challenge two furlongs out.

Her maiden win came at Haydock, which is another flat, galloping, left-handed track and if any rain gets in the ground, she will handle it because her maiden win came on slower ground and she also placed on soft ground on her career debut at Salisbury in May.

Next best bet: Power Of Destiny in the 16:10 at York

Power Of Destiny has improved with each of her four outings so far and she is progressive, but she has a double-figure draw and one who can beat her today is last year’s winner of this race, Reach, whose experience in these big-field handicaps will count for a lot.

The four previous renewals of this event have been won from stalls 3, 1, 1 and 4, so Reach is attractively berthed in stall 1, having been been lightly-raced since winning this on good-firm ground last year, on what was the final outing of her campaign.

She has raced just twice this season, both times over this favoured course and distance, and she has performed at least as well as she did in last year’s renewal, notching up two decent third-placed finishes.

She runs off an unchanged mark and she is racing against her own sex again today, so this will be a bit easier than her two efforts, both of which saw her never nearer than at the finish. 

Best Bet: Reach in the 16:10 at York

In the first of them it was noticeable that she came out of stall 13 whilst the winner and runner-up were berthed in stalls 1 and 2.

On her latest visit, she got shuffled back at the top of the home straight before finishing strongly and pulling almost two lengths clear of the fourth-placed finisher, so she was good value for finishing quite a bit closer.

Joanna Mason, who has ridden her on each of her visits here, is in the saddle again, and the mare has an unbeaten 2/2 record, beating all 18 rivals she has faced in handicaps against her own sex.

Still lightly-raced for her age, she has clearly been aimed at this race once again, and she comes here fresh from a short break, no doubt primed to peak on this third run of her campaign.

 

• Preview and tips provided Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr