Ebor Festival Day Two Tips: Dave Nevison's best three bets

Since he won a maiden at The Curragh in March, Arizona Blaze has never raced below Listed class and has never been out of the first three. 

Last time out he ran third behind the top class Whistlejacket in the Phoenix Stakes and there is nothing in this Sales race that can match that sort of form. 

He had finished in front of the same horse when he ran even better in the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot and it is difficult to imagine a more consistent high class two-year-old. 

These Sales races are some of my favourite races to bet in as there are invariably many runners (which helps ensure a true pace) with few genuine contenders and this is no exception. 

Arizona Blaze has fared well with the draw in stall 4 and is running over what looks his best trip, so hopefully he has not gone over the top for the season and gets the reward his efforts deserve.  

I tipped this one up last time out at Thirsk and felt he was unlucky not to win at a decent price 

He had a protracted battle with Thunder Run, who was odds-on for that race, and was spent by the time La Trinidad challenged him close home and went down a short head. 

I am confident Ed Bethell’s grey will reverse form with that winner on 6lb better terms and even though he has now been beaten three times off the same mark his consistency suggests he is the best each-way bet in this field. 

He was ridden positively last time and it very nearly paid off, so I expect similar tactics. That is no bad thing at York and I will be disappointed if he is not placed at the least.  

I am sticking with the Ed Bethell yard in this closing fillies’ handicap and feel the drop back down to 7f might be the key to lightly raced four-year-old Elim’s chances.  

She went over a mile on soft ground at Pontefract last time, which clearly stretched her stamina, but she still got herself some black type finishing third in that Listed race and travelled like a winner for much of that race. 

She has progressed with each run so far this term after a curtailed three-year-old season and doesn’t need to progress further to figure in this. Callum Rodriguez won on her last season at Newcastle and clearly gets on well with her.