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There is no better way to get prepared for the historic York Ebor Festival than follow ace tipster Newsboy. Over the next four days he will be providing in-depth analysis of every race in his not-to-be-missed column.

The day two Thursday card has the Yorkshire Oaks at the Group 1 feature but a disappointing field of four runners appears to provide dual Oaks winner Minnie Hauk with a straightforward task. The Sky Bet Lowther Stakes is the main support race.

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1.50 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes

STAYA is fancied to make it third time lucky at Group level. George Scott’s daughter of Havana Grey did everything right on her debut when galloping to a cosy two-length call in a fillies’ novice stakes at Yarmouth in May.

That victory earned her a crack at the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, where Staya ran above her 16-1 to take fifth, beaten just under two lengths at the line, behind True Love.

A drop in class to Listed company then did the trick 16 days later as my selection and Callum Shepherd justified 5-4 favouritism by a head from Military Code on what proved to be her final start at five furlongs.

Moving up to six for the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes on Ascot's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes undercard last time out, Staya produced a personal best with a one-length second to Fitzella.

Even that may not tell the whole story as the grey made her ground from the back of the 10-runner field while the winner made all the running.

There is more to come on the fifth outing of her career and Staya is well capable of making her presence felt back at this Group 2 level. America Queen and Royal Fixation are also fillies of prodigious promise, while Argentine Tango won’t go down without a fight.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 STAYA, 2 AMERICA QUEEN, 3 ARGENTINE TANGO

2.25 Harry's Half Million By Goffs

ANTHELIA has already won nearly 30 times her purchase price - and she isn’t done with yet.

Rod Millman did yet another shrewd piece of business when he bought Supremacy’s daughter for £6,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale last August - he got two-thirds of the money back when Anthelia made a winning debut at Bath in April.

She defied a penalty to double up at Salisbury a month later and then completed the hat-trick when stepping up to Listed class to beat First Legion by one length for the National Stakes at Sandown Park 25 days later.

A first try at today’s six-furlong trip brought a first career defeat as Anthelia came home in fifth, a couple of lengths behind winner Argentine Tango, in the Listed Empress Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket on her penultimate outing.

But Lewis Edmunds’ partner was back in business in the Weatherbys Super Sprint over the minimum trip at Newbury last time, battling on bravely to the finish to hold Havana Hurricane by a short head.

Although she suffered her only defeat at today’s distance, six furlongs should not be an issue for Anthelia and another good account is on the cards.

Richard Hannon’s record in this race makes Super Sprint sixth Raakeb of interest, with Front Line Fury and Song Of The Clyde others to throw into the mix.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 ANTHELIA, 2 RAAKEB, 3 FRONT LINE FURY

3.00 Clipper Handicap

APIARIST is worth making a beeline for. The bad news for backers of the Kevin Ryan-saddled four-year-old is that, while he has an impressive 3-6 all-weather strike-rate, Apiarist has collected just once from 15 attempts on turf.

But the good news is that his sole victory on the natural surface came at York, and he also made the frame on his other three visits to the Knavesmire.

Among those defeats came an excellent fourth in the three-year-old handicap, run over this course and distance, at last year’s Ebor Festival when, anchored at the back of the field from a wide draw, my selection motored home to be beaten three and a half lengths at the line behind Treasure Time.

Having captured handicaps at Newcastle, Chelmsford City and Southwell during the winter Apiarist didn’t cut much ice when 10th in the Lincoln at Doncaster on his return.

But he ran better in Royal Ascot’s Buckingham Palace Handicap than his eight-of-27 finishing position might have you believe and also came home well, after being messed about at the start, to finish fourth at the Galway Festival 18 days ago.

Back at York, Tom Eaves’ partner is expected to reward each-way support - at the least.
Bullet Point is due a change of luck and is feared most, ahead of Leadman and Old Cock.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 APIARIST, 2 BULLET POINT, 3 LEADMAN

3.35 Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks

MINNIE HAUK is deservedly a hot favourite to bag a third Oaks - and Group 1 prize - on the bounce.

Frankel’s daughter, a €1.85m purchase as a yearling, kept it low key with a couple of starts during her two-year-old season, bettering a full-of-promise second at Cork in October with a half-length beating of Subsonic in a one-mile fillies’ maiden at Leopardstown 18 days later.

But Minnie Hauk’s career has gone to a new level - the highest level - at three. On the back of a 200-day absence, my selection was given the chance to prove her Epsom credentials in the Listed Cheshire Oaks at Chester in May.

As Aidan O’Brien mopped up one trial after another, Ryan Moore’s mount put into the Ballydoyle pot with a one-length beating of Secret Of Love to earn her place in the Classic line-up.

Sent off the 9-2 second choice for the Oaks - 1,000 Guineas heroine Desert Flower led the market - Minnie Hauk passed her toughest test with flying colours, getting the better of a battle with stable-companion Whirl by a neck.

Her follow-up in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh last month was routine rather than spectacular as the 2-11 hotpot ground to a length-and-a-quarter supremacy from Wemightakedlongway.

As the only Group 1 winner in the three-runner line-up, Minnie Hauk is a class above - and it will be the shock of the meeting if she loses.

Lancashire Oaks heroine Estrange is taken for the silver medal, with Oaks eighth Qilin Queen preferred to Garden Of Eden for the final place on the podium.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 MINNIE HAUK, 2 ESTRANGE, 3 QILIN QUEEN

4.10 British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes

LADY VIVIAN didn’t shine at Royal Ascot - but it’s early days to be writing her off.

Too green to do herself justice at Lingfield Park last November when making her racecourse debut, Ralph Beckett’s daughter of Camelot finished a return-to-action second at Southwell in February before going one better at the Rolleston course a month later.

That victory earned Lady Vivian a British Horseracing Authority mark of 80 and she proved ahead of that assessment at Chester’s May meeting, making all the running to hold Way Of Stars by one length.

Wathnan Racing then recruited my selection for Royal Ascot and Lady Vivian took on 10 rivals for the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes.

Sent off at 11-1, James Doyle’s partner came home a so-so seventh, unable to land a blow in the straight and beaten just over seven lengths, behind Garden Of Eden. But there are reasons to expect a more prominent showing today from a filly who is far from fully exposed.

For a start, this Listed contest represents two steps down the class ladder, and the form of the Beckett stable - unusually quiet during Royal Ascot - is now red-hot with a strike-rate above one in five during the past two weeks.

Rainbows Edge is the clubhouse leader in terms of form and commands respect, along with fellow royal runner Aeolian and Alice Monet.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 LADY VIVIAN, 2 RAINBOWS EDGE, 3 AEOLIAN

4.45 Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap

AMAZING JOURNEY did enough at the Qatar Goodwood Festival to be of definite interest this afternoon.

There was plenty of encouragement to be gleaned from his debut when the son of Starspangledbanner finished fourth at Chelmsford City at the beginning of June - and he duly went three places better in a novice stakes at Chepstow 22 days later.

Jamie Osborne then sent his colt for a six-furlong nursery at York, and Amazing Journey defied an opening handicap mark of 76 to beat Son Of Sarabi by half a length.

But the South Downs have been the scene of many a hard-luck story and so it proved as the youngster and Osborne’s daughter Saffie sought the hat-trick in a similar event over seven three weeks ago.

Amazing Journey had anything but, shuffled back to ninth passing the furlong pole but flying home once in the Clare to take fifth behind Sir Albert.

A 1lb nudge up the weights is neither here nor there for Amazing Journey, who still has untapped potential to draw upon as he steps onto a racecourse for the fifth time.

In a field of two-year-olds whose best days lie ahead of them, Daydreama, Peel Park and Champion Island all merit a second glance.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 AMAZING JOURNEY, 2 DAYDREAMA, 3 PEEL PARK

5.20 British EBF Fillies' Handicap

PERFECT PART is nearer the bottom of the betting list than the top - but don’t let that put you off.

Brian Ellison’s daughter of Mehmas, who marked her racecourse bow with a 125-1 skinner in Beverley’s Hilary Needler Stakes in June 2024, ran above her 50-1 odds when fifth to Celandine in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at this fixture 12 months ago.

And she took the eye back here for a 14-runner handicap over this afternoon’s seven-furlong trip in May, having to wait for a gap before coming home with gusto to take fourth to Rare Change.

A 22-1 Listed-race fourth at Musselburgh two starts ago was no disgrace and Perfect Part then filled the same placing at Chester - the first three were all prominently ridden - on her latest outing.

A British Horseracing Authority mark of 94 - the same as for her last visit to the Knavesmire - looks within reach for Cam Hardie’s mount.

In an open finale, Dance In The Storm, Maybe Not and Ormolulu are capable of having a say in proceedings.

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 PERFECT PART, 2 DANCE IN THE STORM, 3 ORMOLULU

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