ITV Racing Tips on May 17th

York’s Dante Meeting kicks off with a cracking card on Wednesday, which features two Group races and a series of lucrative handicaps. Along with five races live from York, Wednesday’s ITV viewers will head to Newton Abbot to take in a competitive handicap hurdle.

Wednesday’s ITV Racing Schedule

ITV Racing Tips – Wednesday 17th May

Race 1 – Jorvik Handicap Tips

William Haggas, Tom Marquand and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum have teamed up to win this handicap with favourites the last two years. Like Ilaraab and Gaassee, La Yakel will carry the tag of favouritism into Wednesday’s opener. While the favourite certainly seems well-handicapped based on his undoubted potential, 7/2 is too short a price for me to be tempted by.

Backing a four-year-old with a low draw seems like a profitable plan and one who fits that profile is THUNDERING. Kevin Ryan’s charge lost out narrowly to Farhan during the Ebor Festival here last year, having run well at Newcastle on his previous two starts. 

Thundering returns to York running off the same mark of 90 that he came close to winning off last August and should strip fitter for his return outing at Ripon, where the ground was unsuitably soft.

Race 2 – Handicap Hurdle Tips

MONJULES has enjoyed a progressive season handicapping for Harry Fry, winning at Sedgefield on his stable debut before back-to-back victories at Fontwell. Fry’s charge was narrowly beaten off this mark on his most recent hurdles effort in April, and finished second again on the level at Salisbury 13 days ago. On his return to jumping obstacles, Monjules could go in again.

Race 3 – Churchill Tyres Handicap Tips

The average SP that the last ten winners of this handicap have returned comes in at just over 14/1, so it clearly doesn’t pay to back the fancied runners. I’m going to back two at each-way prices, starting with SILVER SAMURAI, who’ll be ridden by William Buick.

Buick was in the saddle when Marco Botti’s great struck at Newbury last May, a victory that Silver Samurai followed with a second triumph at Haydock two weeks later. Botti’s six-year-old then ran well in defeat several times off similar marks to this, including a one-length loss on the Sprint Trophy here at York in October, and he looks ready to contend again following two warm-up efforts to kick off his campaign.

Older horses have a decent recent record in this race and the old-boy GULLIVER has dropped back to an appealing mark. David O’Meara’s nine-year-old is a four-time winner on the Knavesmire and has gone close to winning on his reappearance the last two seasons. If he breaks well, then Jason Watson’s mount could be in the mix.

Race 4 – Duke Of York Stakes Tips

Race 5 – Musidora Stakes Tips

Before Savethelastdance routed her opposition in the Cheshire Oaks last week, INFINITE COSMOS topped the Oaks betting. Sir Michael Stoute’s filly only ran once as a juvenile and made a winning return to action at Newmarket during the Guineas meeting.

Infinite Cosmos was backed into 8/11 for what looked, on paper, like it would be a wide-open maiden and Stoute’s budding star ran out an impressive winner. Desert Crown’s rider, Richard Kingscote takes the ride on Wednesday and Infinite Cosmos can establish her position as the leading British contender for the Oaks with another power-packed display.

Race 6 – Conundrum Hr Consulting Handicap Tips

Like the opener, being drawn in a single-figure stall has proven to be a huge positive in recent runnings of this handicap. Perfectly placed to challenge from stall six is CARAGIO, who impressed for Roger Teal during his juvenile campaign.

A half-brother to Teal’s 2000 Guineas runner-up Tip Two Win, Caragio thrashed Charlie Appleby’s Highbank to claim his first victory at Leicester last October. Caragio then did well to finish sixth on his final two-year-old outing in the Horris Hill, where the ground was completely bottomless. 

Adam Kirby’s mount relish quick ground when scoring at Leicester and Caragio remains open to plenty of further improvement during the upcoming campaign.