York Friday tips: Dave Nevison takes aim at day three

Lieber Power has been busy this month and has already run two excellent races in August, winning at and then finishing a clear second at last week. The four-year-old has improved with every one of his runs this season and still looks to have more in him.

He apparently banged his head leaving the stalls last time and still only went down by a neck to a rapidly improving rival who was completing a hat-trick. 

This trip, just shy of a mile and a half, looks ideal and with forging a good relationship with Lieber Power I am happy to risk the outside draw on this occasion.  

Mysterious Love was upped in trip last time but it probably wasn’t the distance that beat her as she ran too badly to be true. 

I backed her at very big odds on her previous start at and I felt she ran really well in finishing sixth, only a neck away from giving me a decent place payout. That race has worked out seriously well and, off a 5lb-lower mark, I think Mysterious Love could be well enough handicapped to run well in this fillies-only race.

Trainer David Menuisier has had his string in very good form all summer and has often had a horse run well at very big odds at this meeting, so backing one of his as my outsider for the day will hopefully prove a good move. 

This is an extremely difficult handicap for three-year-olds only and, ultimately, the deciding factor for was his draw in stall 1, which I think might leave him in a better position at the top of the straight than rivals drawn wider. 

William Haggas' gelding endured a Goodwood nightmare last time when sent off 7/2 favourite in a similarly competitive handicap. He was travelling well when getting badly hampered at half way and was then shuffled back and trapped on the rail for fully two furlongs. He didn’t have a clear run through at any stage up the straight and finished with running left. 

Treasure Time definitely has a decent handicap in him off a mark of 87 and we are getting three times the price here. I think he is a good bet to run very well in this.