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The Score's top horse racing tips for Monday

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

The Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival looming large and, with dry weather forecast, fast ground is on the cards for one of the highlights of the year.

That will raise a question mark for St Mark’s Basilica, the highest-rated horse in the world, who is odds-on favourite for the Juddmonte International Stakes on Wednesday.

His four successive Group One victories have been achieved on going officially described as soft (twice), very soft and good to soft. Timeform have assessed the going as no quicker than good-to-soft for each of his eight runs.

His half-brother, Magna Grecia, was well served by good ground (beaten the two occasions he raced on good to firm) while two more of his siblings, Coroberee and Invincible Ryker, coped well with deep conditions.

I’m not suggesting St Mark’s Basilica is a mudlark and, who knows, he may even be better on a sound surface. But if the word “firm” does creep into the going description, then we are going to learn something new about him on the Knavesmire.

Monday’s fare is less invigorating but I’ll be having a small-stakes Lucky Fifteen on the following.

2.20 Catterick: Quercus at 5-2 with bet365

Andy Stephens

Quercus

14:20 Catterick Bridge

J: Shane Gray

T: Mrs A Duffield

Finished: 1stSP: 2/1

This four-year-old is quicker than his pedigree suggests, albeit at a modest level, and there was plenty to like about the way he made all over course and distance a couple of weeks ago when getting across quickly from a wide draw under Shane Gray.

He’s going to have to be similarly nimble from the gates, from stall 10, but a 5lb rise looks fair and he will take some pegging back if in similar mood.

Cheekpieces in his past two races definitely seemed to have added an edge to his game and he clearly gets on well with Gray, who has ridden him twice and was also on board for his best run last year.

The opposition lacks depth, although Naughty Ana went close here last month and has been threatening to get her head in front. She’s now tried in a visor, having previously worn blinkers, and I’ll probably have a Reverse Exacta on the pair.

catterick-bridge

14:10 Catterick-Bridge - Tuesday August 3

Quercus wins well at Catterick last time, with Sfumato a staying-on fifth

3.30 Catterick: Sfumato at 6-1 with Paddy Power

Andy Stephens

Sfumato

15:30 Catterick Bridge

J: Graham Lee

T: Ollie Pears

Finished: 4thSP: 10/1

Sfumato was winning at this track for the third time when typically doing his best work at the finish here last month.

Those three wins have all been over 6f but he is arguably more comfortable over Monday’s trip of 7f, with there being an element of him getting away with the trip in well-run races.

Sfumato certainly looked to be crying out for the return to further on his latest start when a staying-on fifth to Quercus (see tip above) here a couple of weeks ago. He was never nearer than at the finish, ultimately doing well to be beaten only an aggregate of three lengths.

Oh So Woke is the obvious danger after her wins at Beverley and Chepstow last month, although she’s effectively 7lb higher than when having to dig deep to beat four rivals in a modest contest at the latter venue.

4.35 Catterick: Mews House at 6-1 with Paddy Power

Andy Stephens

Mews House

16:35 Catterick Bridge

J: S H James

T: Grant Tuer

Finished: 1stSP: 2/1

Grant Tuer is enjoying a fabulous season and if you had blindly backed all his 47 runners at Catterick this year, to a £1 stake, you would be showing a £33 profit.

I’m hoping Mews House will be revived by a switch to his Yorkshire yard because he’s offered little in the past year, including when tried in headgear and a tongue-tie on his past two starts.

Both of those pieces of equipment are dispensed with and the plus side to his sequence of subdued efforts is that he is now 15lb lower than when a close fourth in a highly competitive 16-runner sprint handicap at Beverley this time last year.

If he can recapture anything like that form for his new stable, then he will be in business dropped into a 0-60 for the first time.

Refuge and King Crimson arrive in good form but the pair both like to get on with things and, drawn 1 and 2, may compromise the chance of each other.

6.55 Windsor: Glen Esk at 11-4 with William Hill

Finished: 4thSP: 3/1

I’m surprised Glen Esk is not shorter than 11-4 because he’s seeking a fourth successive win and has already chalked up two wins over course and distance this summer.

He only went up 1lb for getting home in a blanket finish at Haydock last month, and took advantage when edging out Photograph by a neck here last time. He did well to get up that day because he was held-up in a steadily-run contest and, relatively speaking, had plenty to do from two out.

Glen Esk has only been nudged up another 2lb and, with Maori Knight a habitual front-runner, he should get a more honest gallop to aim at. We know he’s got a fabulous attitude and the opposition lacks improvers, with three-year-olds excluded from taking part.

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