YORK VALUE BETS: YOU WILL WANT THESE! I was originally planning to do a dedicated YouTube video for Royal Ascot, but to be honest, I don’t think I quite have the specific audience size for it yet. I’ve always taken the effort-to-reward ratio into serious consideration, and for a massive, hyper-analyzed festival like that, it’s coming up well short. With that said, I will be adding more “long-term” educational racing videos over the coming month, following the exact same blueprint as the recent one: Pro Gambler: How to Profit from Horse Racing in 2026.
In the meantime, we have a highly playable card today. Here are three value angles for York that you will absolutely want on your side.
YORK VALUE BETS: YOU WILL WANT THESE!
YORK 13:50 – CHILLINGHAM 13/2
I always look forward to these amateur rider handicaps because jockeymanship is worth significantly more here than it is in everyday racing. Most of the runners in this field arrive completely out of form, and I really don’t think this contest is anywhere near as competitive as the numbers on the page suggest.
To cut straight to the chase, I’m going to side with the four-time winner CHILLINGHAM. The 7-year-old was actually awarded this exact race last year following the disqualification of MY DREAM WORLD, who lost the prize due to a whip breach. In any case, the gelding was only beaten a head on the day, with the third horse a further length and a half away. It is also well worth noting that Becky Smith’s mount is now 6 pounds lower in the weights than he was for that performance, and he would have desperately needed his recent comeback run to sharpen him up. With arguably the most competent jockey in the race booked, we have to support the Micky Hammond-trained runner.
YORK 14:25 – MIRABEAU 9/1
If you regularly follow our horse racing previews, you will already know that I stay well clear of runners from the Ian Williams yard. For the record, blindly backing runners from the Gloucestershire-based trainer at level stakes would leave you with a brutal 30% loss per runner. Furthermore, Williams is currently enduring a dismal 0-for-32 cold streak, and his charge, ADALTO, will need to improve significantly on what he’s shown so far to take this.
The twice-raced EXTREMELY ZAIN looks like the logical public pick. After all, he hails from a powerhouse stable that knows exactly how to progress them, and he has won both of his career starts to date. However, while his lofty Group One entry suggests connections think he has plenty more to give, an opening handicap mark of 91 looks high enough for what he has actually achieved.
With a bit more help from the saddle in yesterday’s apprentice handicap, LIR SPECIAL would have won. Unfortunately for connections, he went down by the absolute narrowest of margins. While the 7-year-old is fully entitled to run another big race today, this is a much deeper contest.
Instead, I want to chance the in-form MIRABEAU, who comes into this on the back of a highly encouraging second-place finish at Newbury. In my opinion, the step up to an extra furlong on a big, galloping track like York will bring out the absolute best in him at a very workable price.
YORK 15:00 – GREGORY 5/1
This is a fascinating Listed event, featuring the genuine Group winner AL QAREEM, who sits as the class horse of the race rated a solid 114. With an impressive 13 wins from 37 career starts, the Karl Burke-trained 7-year-old is clearly a very capable operator on his day. With that said, Clifford Lee’s mount needs to bounce back from a highly disappointing latest effort, and he has to shoulder a mandatory 5-pound penalty today.
In my opinion, MOUNT ATLAS is far too short in the betting and represents terrible value. In fact, I would comfortably put EPIC POET ahead of him in the pecking order. The David O’Meara-trained son of Lope De Vega has been a bit unlucky in running recently, and securing Ryan Moore is a top-tier booking.
However, I prefer taking a chance on GREGORY. Despite being off the track for a considerable length of time, the John & Thady Gosden-trained 6-year-old was mainly campaigned at the highest level in Group One and Group Two company. He is exactly the type of high-class performer who doesn’t take a lot of getting ready at home, and today’s conditions should be absolutely ideal for him to strike.
