Horse racing tips: Wednesday, May 14

Telegraph

14-05-2025

There's some cracking racing today at York (2.10-5.25pm) as the three-day Dante Festival gets under way, with the first five races being shown live on ITV1.
The Dante Stakes – a Derby trial – takes place tomorrow, but before then the fillies will be looking to stake their Classic claims in today's Musidora Stakes, a Group 3 trial for the Oaks. This meeting is the focus of my attention. I have a selection in each race and my NAP runs in a Group 2 sprint.
Ron Wood's selections:
NAP:
Elite Status (3.13, York) @ SP with Betfair ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Next best (NB):
Miss Tonnerre (3.45, York) @ SP with Betfair ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Others:
Almosh'her (2.10, York) @ SP with Betfair ⭐⭐⭐
Commanche Falls (2.42, York) @ SP with Betfair ⭐⭐
Gallant (4.18, York) @ SP with Betfair ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ballistic Missile (4.55, York) @ SP with Betfair ⭐⭐
Don Simon (5.25, York) @ SP with Betfair ⭐⭐⭐
Odds provided by Betfair and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (max 5).
If you already have a Betfair account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts.
2.10 York – Class 2 Handicap (1m 4f)
ALMOSH'HER has shown a lot of ability on the all-weather while being pretty raw, winning two of his three starts. He has further improvement in him and he could make a smart handicapper.
Last time out, in a Class 3 handicap over today's trip at Kempton in March, he started slowly, took a keen hold and hung left but still won by a nose – the narrowest of margins.
The selection has since moved trainers to Karl Burke's yard, which is no bad thing. This return to a left-handed track is in his favour and he should be fine with the switch to turf.
Selection: Almosh'her (2.10, York) @ SP with Betfair
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2.42 York – Class 2 Handicap (6f)
An open race in which the veteran of the field, COMMANCHE FALLS, gets the vote. The eight-year-old should be better for his recent return spin at Leicester and his most recent win came in a Listed race over course and distance in August.
That was in 2023 but he's on a handy-looking mark and this is a lesser assignment than the one he faced at this fixture last year, when he finished down the field in the Group 2 Clipper Stakes.
3.13 York – Duke of York Clipper Stakes (Group 2, 6f)
ELITE STATUS (NAP) makes plenty of appeal. This will be his first start of the campaign but he has been aimed at this race for a while and he has won first time out in each of the past two years.
He also landed a Group 3 contest at Newbury last summer following an extended pause, so he's fully effective when fresh.
After that, Elite Status came up short in a couple of Group 1 races, but soft ground was no use to him at Ascot when he was last seen in October and today's forecast quick conditions are in his favour.
The four-year-old has had only 10 starts and is expected to make a Group 1 horse this season.
3.45 York – Musidora Stakes (Group 3, 1m 2f)
MISS TONNERRE (NB) has the strongest form in this Oaks trial, with the potential for more to come.
Ed Walker's filly was fourth in last season's Group 2 May Hill Stakes over a mile at Doncaster and the first three finishers have either won or been placed in Group 1 company since then. Indeed, the winner and third finished first and second respectively in this season's 1,000 Guineas.
Miss Tonnerre was well beaten in France in October, but presumably didn't handle the heavy ground at Deaville and it seems likely she can confirm her earlier promise now, with her stable in form.
She's well bred, as you would expect of one who cost 300,000gns as a yearling, and her pedigree points to this step up in trip suiting her. The only slightly off-putting point is that she doesn't actually hold an Oaks entry for Epsom, but she could still be supplemented for the race and she is in the French equivalent, which may be the aim.
4.18 York – Class 3 Handicap (7f)
The form of GALLANT 's win in a novice contest at Kempton last October is good. Most notably, the runner-up West Acre has subsequently won two Group races in Dubai.
Gallant didn't kick on from that performance in his own next two starts, but he shaped well when fourth over six furlongs at Newmarket last month, when the race didn't unfold to suit him and he didn't handle the undulations of the track.
The time of the Newmarket race was good and the form was boosted when the third won a similar race next time. The step up in trip and return to a flat track should suit the selection.
4.55 York – Novice Stakes (5f)
With three lightly raced and three unraced two-year-olds in this one, there's too much guesswork to dwell on the race, but Shane Foley is an interesting jockey booking for BALLISTIC MISSILE.
This will be Foley's first ride for Richard Hannon, but he regularly partners the owner's horses in Ireland and this is his sole mount on the card. The selection cost €260,000 as a yearling.
5.25 York – Class 4 Handicap (1m 4f)
DON SIMON is 0-6 but he missed out by only a short head at Chelmsford most recently and he's a late-May foal who probably has more improvement in him as a four-year-old.
His dam was a multiple winner at the top level for the same connections and she has produced a couple of smart types.