3.40pm Sole Power wins the Nunthorpe Stakes at 100-1
Will Hayler: Usually a 100-1 winner of a big race attracts a smattering of wild screams from around the racecourse, but you could have heard a pin drop as Sole Power passed the post in front under Wayne Lordan.
With fellow longshots Piccadilly Filly and Prime Defender finishing third and fourth, there are obvious questions to be asked about the strength of the form, but on the face of things it's hard to crab the winner, who travelled well throughout, off the pace, and then scored with something in hand from the staying-on Starspangledbanner.
That said, in clocking a time of 57.14seconds, he hasn't got near to Dayjur's track record (despite a course record time in the previous Listed contest).
Starspangledbanner (6-4 favourite) was predictably struggling for half a yard of pace from the start, but battled on with heart all the way to the line for second. The other well-fancied runners were simply never at the races.
Equiano may have resented being unable to dominate as he was never able to get close to the early pacesetter Rose Diamond, while Kingsgate Native simply doesn't seem to be firing at present.
2.40pm Rio claims Strensall Stakes
Will Hayler: Whoever said "They never come back" has been proved largely correct when it comes to Godolphin's team in recent years, but Rio de la Plata (7-1) well and truly bucked that trend in the Sky Bet Strensall Stakes.
A series of injury problems have seen the colt's racecourse appearances severely restricted in recent years, but he is a class act on his day (as evidenced by a Group One win at two and his second in the French Guineas) and his latest disappointing run was easily explained by the soft ground at Haydock. Whether he can ever go back to the heights of his heyday looks doubtful, but this was a good run nevertheless.
Rainbow Peak (5-4 favourite) came into the contest without the experience of his rivals and that might just have told as he took a few strides to reach top gear, but was closing in all the way on the winner. It will be a major surprise if he doesn't break his Group-race duck at some stage.
Olivier Peslier's decision to stick against the far rail with Confront failed to yield any great dividends.
1.35pm The word from the paddock
Chris Cook: I'll be running my eye over Borderlescott, Starspangledbanner and the rest of the Nunthorpe runners shortly after 3pm today and you can follow my thoughts here. I managed to spot that Midday was looking well before the Yorkshire Oaks yesterday and gave a big word for Eleanora Duse, who was placed at 25-1. I did not, alas, predict that Sariska would be left in the stalls. That would have been good work.
1.05pm No sign of Ryan Moore's return
Chris Cook: Ryan Moore still has no booked mounts and there is no indication that he will be returning to the track any time soon. The champion jockey's wrist injury, sustained at Windsor 11 days ago, was initially thought to be so mild that he would be able to ride from the start of this week, but it has taken much longer to resolve and there is still no end in sight.
I spoke to his agent, Tony Hind, last night and he told me he hadn't heard from Moore this week. At some point, he expects that the rider will call him and ask him to start booking mounts once more but, given Moore's silence, the suspicion must be that he is not even close to coming back.
12.30pm Market movers
Chris Cook: Paddy Power's man tells me the firm has been trying to lay Equiano against Starspangledbanner in the Nunthorpe but is struggling to persuade punters to back it. Apparently, they all want to be on Aidan O'Brien's horse, now best priced at 2-1 with Bet365 and Hill's.
Paddy Power's other movers:
1.45 Montparnasse (8-1 from 11s) and Mount Athos (11-1 from 16s)
2.15 Rainbow Peak (6-4 from 7-4 and their best-backed horse of the day so far)
4.05 Terdaad (7-4 from 15-8)
Is it weird that none of the movers we've been told about this week have moved out in the betting?
12.10pm Jockeys' title race watch
Chris Cook: Richard Hughes will be glad to get out of York and return to the beautiful south. The Irishman finally got into the places on a couple of rides here yesterday but he has now had 12 rides since the start of the meeting and has yet to get a winner. Meanwhile, his title rival Paul Hanagan scored easily on Wootton Bassett yesterday and is now 13 clear in the jockeys' championship.
Hughes had three rides here today but has given up Moriarty in the 4.05pm and Johnny Murtagh will now take the ride. I presume the thinking is that Hughes will have more time to get to Salisbury, where he has four rides, including the fancied Royal Exchange at 6.30pm.
That leaves Hughes with two here at York, Desert Recluse (18-1 for the opener at 1.45pm) and Carnaby Street (50-1 for the 2.50pm). Not too much reason to hope there, then. It will be just Hughes's luck, at the moment, if Moriarty wins.
Hanagan's mounts aren't strongly fancied but nor are they rank outsiders and at least he has six of them. The highlights are Castles In The Air (10-1 for the 2.50pm) and Rose Blossom (16-1 for the Nunthorpe).
Today's best bets, by Will Hayler
There was plenty of rain pouring down my windows last night, but according to the official going report it has actually dried out overnight on the Knavesmire and is now "Good to Firm, Good in places", with a Going Stick reading of 7.5. There' is still plenty of drizzle in the air though, so don't be surprised to see another shower or two turn up before racing.
It's also still not clear whether the ground on the stands' side is genuinely riding quicker than the rest of the track, although with all of the use that it has had during racing on the last two days, it is probably now more compacted than the turf on the far side and if the stands' side is the place to be then you'd certainly rather be on the rail than towards the middle.
The question in the big race is whether Starspangledbanner has the pace to make the most of his draw right against the rail over five furlongs, or whether he might end up encountering traffic problems if he is headed by the likes of Stone Of Folca in the early stages of today's Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes and has to try and pick a passage through the field.
For that reason I prefer Equiano (3.25) today, although really it's not a strong selection in a race which I fear could end up being messy.
Rainbow Peak (2.15) has so few miles on the clock that he could still rise to any level and he is a much stronger fancy to make the step up to pattern-race company today.
Away from the main meeting, Calipatria (4.25) should score at Sandown. Despite having finished as powerfully as any of her rivals in both of her starts, John Gosden's filly is still to get her head in front.
But with the form of her latest third having already been boosted, she can break her duck against some ordinary looking rivals. The stiff finish at Sandown ought to allow her strong finish to come into play.
Tipping competition, day five
JahLion struck out yesterday and Copshaw found Midday (11-4) to edge within 25p of the leader as our competition enters its final day. The big mover was pops2, who missed the first nine winners this week but then bagged Midday and Ransom Note (8-1).
For today's thrilling climax, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 2.50 York, 3.25 York, 4.40 York.
Get those tips in early! In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day (i.e. today!).
This week's prize is a copy of The Gambling Adventures of Father Green, a collection of short stories by the former Racing Post man Michael Church, now the official historian of the Derby.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -12.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
Standings after day four
JahLion +12.25
Copshaw +12
mike65ie +7
johne5knuckle +1
pops2 +0.75
Onmeheadson +0
MoleMan01 +0
sandiuk +0
15244 -0.25
BearRides -0.50
MrPositive -2.50
Woadboy -2.50
mulldog -3
carl31 -4.50
chrishol -5.50
lasramblas -5.50
diegoisgod -5.50
millreef -5.75
shears39 -6.50
scandalous -6.50
orso -6.50
JimmySi -6.50
chris1623 -6.75
KeejayOV -6.75
sangfroid -8
Ormrod76 -8
thegreasedscotsman -8
23skidoo -8.25
stee33 -8.25
leviticus67 -9.25
MauriceNL -9.50
chiefhk -9.50
slackdad38 -9.50
Shrewdette -9.50
spiller -9.50
titusisashambles -9.50
Touche1 -9.50
tom1977 -12
xwireman -12
peterpickum -12
erifder -12
moidadembums -12
LorrainePa -12
melonk -12
Slicker66 -12
WalthamstowLad -12
Brochdoll -12
twig28 -12
Mai11 -12
Viejo -12
Ellandback -12
Harrytheactor -12
snowy81 -12
drupat -12
goofs -12
londonpatrick -12
suckzinclee -12
Smidster -12
LeoSayer -12
TeddyFrost -12
BcfcBears -12
cerises -12
Moscow08 -12
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