13:50 York

Friday 13 June 2025

All13:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:4517:20

Andy Thornton Hospitality Furniture 50th Anniversary Apprentice Handicap

Off time: 13:54 | Winning time: 1m 22.89s

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Selected odds by:

(8)

Tolstoy³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: Shay Farmer⁽⁷⁾| T: B Ellison| OR: 85| CD

7/2

Not the most straightforward and typically slow off the blocks when down the field all 3 starts so far this season. On the upside, the first leg of his C&D hat-trick last summer came in this race with Shay Farmer aboard and, now 1 lb below his last winning mark, he has to enter calculations.

Form: 180-000

(13)

Mereside Diva²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: William Pyle| T: T D Barron| OR: 81| D

17/2

Five-time winner at up to 7f who ended last season in good form and returned from 6 months off with a creditable fourth of 11 in fillies' handicap at Wetherby (7f, good to firm) in April. Wasn't disgraced over this C&D next time and she's not without each-way hope.

Form: 7224-48

(9)

Al Muqdad¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: C Horgan⁽⁵⁾| T: D O'Meara| OR: 77| D

18/1

Had a busy 2024, gaining a fourth victory in handicaps at Ayr (7.2f) in July and in-the frame on 4 of his 5 starts thereafter. Yet to fire this season, but he has slipped back to his last winning mark and he's therefore dangerous to discount.

Form: 462-600

(6)

Yaaser²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: Amie Waugh| T: J S Goldie| OR: 76| BF| D

9/1

Confirmed promise of his reappearance with a taking success in 12-runner handicap at Ayr (7f, good to firm) in April. Has acquitted himself well over this C&D and at Newmarket since, but there are others in this line-up who could be better treated.

Form: 40-3164

(11)

Quest For Fun^t¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-4| J: Jake Dickson⁽⁷⁾| T: T D Easterby| OR: 75| CD

17/2

Successful over C&D in July 2023 and has performed well here on several other occasions, including when making the frame in back-to-back handicaps won by Tolstoy last year. Wasn't seen to best effect back here recently and while one or two make more appeal for win purposes, he shouldn't be far away.

Form: 053-948

(12)

Feel The Need¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: Andrea Pinna⁽⁷⁾| T: M Herrington| OR: 74| CD

13/2

Outpointed Mereside Diva and 16 others over this C&D last spring before finding only Tolstoy too good in the 2024 renewal of this race. More miss than hit since the turn of the year, but he's another who is dangerous to discount having slipped back to his last winning mark.

Form: 374707

(2)

Bowood¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: Elle-May Croot⁽⁵⁾| T: I Furtado| OR: 73

22/1

Rattled off a quick-fire hat-trick in handicaps at around 1m on turf last summer. Not at his best in 3 runs since returning from a break in April, though, and he remains 6 lb above his last winning mark.

Form: 2-40850

(10)

The Caribbean^b³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: Kaiya Fraser| T: H Main| OR: 72| D

11/1

Losing run mounting up, but he took a step back in the right direction when runner-up on the AW in January. Followed that with another good effort in defeat returned to turf following a break at Ascot (6f, firm) last month and he remains on an attractive mark. Engaged 4.25 Newbury Thursday.

Form: 0708-23

(4)

Eligible²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 9-1| J: Lewis Chalkley⁽⁷⁾| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 72| CD

33/1

Veteran with mixed recent form and though now 2 lb below the mark off which he was successful at Southwell in December, it's been over 2 years since his last turf win and his C&D effort last month wasn't overly encouraging.

Form: 1-45640

(3)

Project Geofin⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Tom Kiely-Marshall⁽³⁾| T: G R Oldroyd| OR: 71| D

11/1

Scored at Newcastle in October and stepped up on his reappearance spin when sixth of 11 in 1m Doncaster handicap last week. Still, a career-best will be needed if he's to come out on top here.

Form: 1287-46

(1)

Leap Day^p²³

Age: 5| Weight: 8-11| J: Rhys Elliott⁽⁵⁾| T: T D Easterby| OR: 68

16/1

Yet to add to his Southwell novice success back in December 2023 and record on turf stands at 0-12. Conversely, he has made the frame all 3 starts in 7f handicaps since returning to action this season and he could have a say.

Form: 008-224

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies to board prices only - deduction 30p in the pound

Rule 4 applies to all bets - deduction 20p in the pound

Non-Runners

(5)

Desert Falcon²⁷

Weight: 9-13| Age: 5

T: Miss J A Camacho J: O McSweeney

(7)

Little Empire²³

Weight: 9-5| Age: 5

T: A McCann J: Archie Young

Forecasts

Tolstoy (7/2), Desert Falcon (7/2), Little Empire (11/2), Feel The Need (13/2), Mereside Diva (17/2), Quest For Fun (17/2), Yaaser (9/1), Project Geofin (11/1), The Caribbean (11/1), Leap Day (16/1), Al Muqdad (18/1), Bowood (22/1), Eligible (33/1)

Though TOLSTOY has failed to make an impact in three handicaps so far this season, the combination of this drop back to 0-85 company and return to the Knavesmire could be conducive to a revival. If that proves to be the case, the 6-y-o will have every chance of repeating his 2024 victory in this race. Little Empire and Leap Day are feared most in that order of preference, while the latter's stablemate Quest For Fun is also worthy of consideration.

Previous Winners

2024

Tolstoy

Weight: 8-12 |Age: 5

J: Shay Farmer | T: B Ellison

18/1

Prize Money

1st: £12,885.002nd: £6,042.003rd: £3,022.004th: £1,510.005th: £755.006th: £378.00

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