Dave Nevison's Friday tips: best bets for York and Newmarket

This consistent handicapper won twice during a generally progressive campaign last season.

He seems to have carried on in the same vein in 2025 and improved from a decent effort on his reappearance (minus his usual headgear) with a very promising runner up spot at Wetherby last time out.

He was also claimer ridden on that occasion and, if today’s promising rider Oscar Palmer can hold on to him a bit longer, then another win looks very possible as he definitely hit the front a bit too soon and had no response when challenged late on. 

Austrian Theory is probably the form horse here and represents the Tim Easterby stable, who don’t often leave a big York meeting without a winner.

The six-year-old has run well to finish runner-up on both his starts so far this season and might have got closer than even the half-length he was beaten last time at Chester with a clearer run turning in.

He is in a higher grade here but has performed at this level in the past and has a good draw in stall 3. The likely strong pace should suit him very well and hopefully he will be able to hold a good position throughout.

David O’Meara has changed things considerably with Sword, who makes his stable debut in this competitive event. The former Gosden inmate has been dropped down to the shortest distance he has ever raced over and is making his handicap debut despite being a four-year-old.

He won his maiden on his final start and the horse he beat has subsequently won off a mark of 81 and he was beaten a nose at Newmarket last July, and that winner runs off marks in the mid 90s now.

There is no doubt that O’Meara has got something to work with here and, if Sword has settled in well, then he can improve now that he is handicapping.