York Ebor Festival Day Three Preview: Bacio faces Nunthorpe test as rain changes the picture

The third day of the York Ebor Festival arrives with the weather having added an intriguing new dimension to the card, with rain on Wednesday and Thursday leaving the ground softer than many would have expected earlier in the week.

Friday’s feature is the £500,000 Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes, with the five-furlong Group One providing a major test for some of Europe’s leading sprinters.

Bacio heads the field after an impressive success on fast ground at Royal Ascot, but conditions at York are likely to be markedly different. The ground was described as soft on Thursday, creating an additional question for the hot favourite as he bids to add another Group One victory to his record.

The Nunthorpe is due off at 3.00pm and Bacio will break from stall five, with connections likely to be hoping for a prominent position on the far side of the track.

Karl Burke’s Night Raider could benefit from the pace of the favourite, having been drawn in stall two. The son of Dark Angel has already shown he can handle Good to Soft conditions and arrives at York looking to bounce back from two below-par efforts.

Night Raider was beaten by two-and-a-half lengths when finishing fourth in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, having been drawn on the wrong side of the track. He then failed to fire at Goodwood, where he was slowly away while carrying a penalty.

Burke subsequently suggested that Night Raider was not right on that occasion, but his return to the Nunthorpe suggests there have been no lingering concerns.

The four-year-old showed his ability earlier this season after being gelded, winning the Palace House Stakes and Temple Stakes before finishing fourth in last year’s Nunthorpe.

Night Raider led until the final furlong and a half in the 2025 renewal before fading into fourth, but his Group wins earlier this season point to a horse who has progressed.

The softer conditions and the prospect of a strong pace could therefore see him return to his best at York.

Plage De Havre looks suited by York test

The race immediately after the Nunthorpe is the Assured Data Protection Handicap, a 1m4f contest scheduled for 4.10pm.

Andrew Balding’s Plage De Havre arrives with strong claims after an impressive performance in the Old Newton Cup at Haydock earlier this season.

The four-year-old was a four-length winner of that valuable handicap from a mark of 92, thriving in a strongly-run race as he settled before making significant progress through the field.

He has since contested three races, including an all-weather appearance, a third-place finish at York and an attempt to retain his Old Newton Cup crown at Newmarket.

His York effort came in a race that developed at a slower pace than ideal, while the ground at Newmarket was too quick for him.

A 3lb drop leaves Plage De Havre on a mark of 100, although he carries the number one saddlecloth as the top weight.

With easier ground now likely and a strong pace expected, the conditions could play to his strengths.

PJ McDonald also returns to the saddle, having last partnered Plage De Havre when they landed the Old Newton Cup together.

Start Me Up takes on 19 rivals in opening handicap

The day’s action begins with the Sky Bet Mile Handicap, with a maximum field of 20 three-year-olds set to tackle the one-mile contest.

Richard Spencer’s Start Me Up is among the runners and arrives at York after an encouraging run of form.

The son of Mehmas won twice at Chester in June, including over shorter distances and on soft ground, before producing two solid efforts since moving on to a mark of 84.

His latest performance at Goodwood suggested the step up to a mile could bring further improvement.

Start Me Up’s pedigree also offers encouragement for the longer trip. His dam won over a mile and is out of a French Oaks winner, providing plenty of stamina on that side of his breeding.

Saffie Osborne takes the ride from stall three, with the inside draw potentially offering an opportunity to settle behind the pace before making a challenge in the closing stages.

Silver Lake faces softer-ground question in finale

The final race on Friday is the Sky Bet EBF Fillies’ Handicap over an extended 10 furlongs, with William Haggas’ Silver Lake likely to head the market.

Silver Lake was an impressive winner at Goodwood last time out and has been raised 9lb for that success.

She remains the horse to beat on that performance, although the change in conditions presents a different challenge.

Two starts ago, Silver Lake finished ahead of Ralph Beckett’s Food For Thought at Salisbury, with the pair pulling clear of the remainder. There was little between them that day, however, and Food For Thought receives a 9lb pull in the weights for Friday’s rematch.

Food For Thought is a daughter of Dubawi and has built her current rating of 84 on quicker summer ground.

Her pronounced knee action could be significant at York, however, with the prospect of some give underfoot potentially bringing out further improvement.

With the Nunthorpe providing the headline act and the ground adding uncertainty throughout the card, Friday’s York action promises another fascinating afternoon of racing at the Ebor Festival.