Turf Talk: York Racecourse to host annual charity day for Macmillan Cancer Support

Crowds will flock to the Knavesmire this weekend when York Racecourse stages its famous MacMillan Charity race meeting. This is the biggest charity meeting of the year with more than £10 million pounds raised during the 52 years that it has been held.

The winning lady rider of the Queen Mother’s Cup on Saturday receives her weight in champagne, always a nice incentive to have.

Two horses at the bottom of the weights catch my eye, Bollin Margaret and Masque of Anarchy. The former ran at Haydock on Wednesday and will be a danger if turned out again but first choice is for Masque of Anarchy.

Craig Lidster has had a few winners from his Easingwold yard and the horse has form on good to firm ground.

The richest race of the day is the MacMillan Sprint Handicap, a typical York six-furlong sprint. The race itself might be tough enough to call but I am hoping the horse Tough Enough will run well.

He is trained in Newmarket by James Tate, whose dad Tom trains just down the road from York at Hazlewood Castle. He just scraped home on his seasonal debut but will come on for that race and being sired by Showcasing, should love the firm ground.

Another Yorkshireman training in Newmarket is William Haggas and I fancy his Roberto Escobarr to run well in the Sky Bet Grand Cup Stakes. Roberto Escobarr won this race in 2021 before going on to finish sixth in the Ebor.

He was off the course for over a year but proved he had retained his ability by winning at Sandown in May over two miles. A strong pace would suit my selection, so let’s hope they go a good gallop.

Doctor Khan Junior sprang an upset when winning at 28/1 at the last York meeting but he won going away in the style of a progressive horse. Ex-jockey Geoff Oldroyd doesn’t have many horses in his Brawby yard outside Malton but this is his stable star,

Garlick’s Goodies: Saturday York 2:00 – Masque of Anarchy; 2:35 – Doctor Khan Junior; 3:05 – Roberto Escobarr; 3:40 – Tough Enough.