Andy Newton’s York Ebor Festival Tips on Friday 21st August, 2026

See Andy Newton’s York Horse Racing tips on Friday 21st August – day THREE of the Ebor Festival. 

Air Force One (13/2), Maltese Cross (9/4), Small Fry (2/1), Sun Goddess (Evs) and Kalpana (10/11) have already been top winners this week.

There are five more ITV races to look forward to on Friday as the 2026 Ebor Festival continues into day three.

These include the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes (3:35pm) – can last year’s winner Asfoora bounce back?

Plus, on the day, we also see the Gimcrack Stakes (3pm) – a prize William Haggas has won four times since 2006.

So, let’s get cracking with the day three York horse racing tips.

Andy Newton’s Quickfire York Horse Racing Tips: Friday 21st August, 2026:

• 1:50pm: ZENNOR STORM
• 2:25pm: AMILOC
• 3:00pm: MARCO POLO
• 3:35pm: MISSION CENTRAL 
• 4:10pm: PLAGUE DE HAVRE (e/w)

🎙️You can also catch Andy’s views each week on the Final Furlong Podcast here.

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Andy Newton’s ITV York Horse Racing Tips On Friday

 

1:50pm Sky Bet Mile Stakes Heritage Handicap 3yo £100,000 1m ITV1

With 9 of the last 10 winners coming from stall 7 or lower, this is good place to start – while this can be narrowed down with 80% of the last 10 winners from 5 or less.

Therefore, these two stats are a plus for ZENNOR STORM, who has gate 4 and also hails from the William Haggas team – who has a fair record in this race – winning 2 of the last 9.

He heads here having been a close second at Goodwood at the end of July and before that was 4th here at York at the end of June.

This 3yold has also only had six career runs and so there should be more improvement to come.

While he’s 4lbs better off with the winner of his last race Exclusive Code – which should make up for the length beating.

Tom Marquand rides and so I’ll take Zennor to ‘storm’ home here.

Of the rest, my old mate Blue Courvoisier also has a nice draw in 5 – as does Le Samourai from gate 1 – who is unexposed and enters a handicap for the first time on a fair mark.

🥇 ZENNOR STORM
🥈Blue Courvoisier
🥉Le Samourai

2:25pm Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Group 2 3+ £250,000 2m ITV1

Caballo De Mar will be popular after his G1 win in May but needs to bounce back from his poor Ascot showing last time.

He’s running here at York for the first time.

Carmers and course winner Mount Atlas are other players, but AMILOC was unlucky the last day to unseat at Goodwood coming out of the stalls in the Goodwood Cup.

The betting suggests he was fancied to run well that day and prior to that was a 5-length 6th in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This doesn’t look the strongest Group 2 race to me and despite having a bit to prove at the moment this first proper try over 2m could easily eke out more.

Of the rest, the Gosden yard have won 5 of the last 8 runnings and so their French Master is also noted at a price.

This Wathnan runner was 4th the last day in the Goodwood Cup, but before that ran a blinder to be a close second at Ascot in the Queen Alexandra Stakes to Illinois.

🥇AMILOC
🥈French Master
🥉Caballo De Mar 

ALSO SEE: Andy Newton’s Daily Horse Racing tips and cheat sheet – including NAP, Each-Way picks, Lay Of The Day and Daily Stats.

3:00pm Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes Group 2 2yo c&g £250,000 6f ITV1

With not had a winning favourite of the Gimcrack since Minzaal in 2020, so the expected jolly Arapaho Gold will be trying to put that right here.

He’s unbeaten in three starts, but this is a big step up again in grade – he looks a tad short in the betting to me.

The consistent Adaay Of Scarlett is yet to finish out of the first two and has taken silver in three G2 races in recent outings. He’s sure to be in the mix again with Oisin Murphy riding.

However, a chance is taken on Ballydoyle taking this.

Aidan O’Brien has won this 2yold race twice – but his last came with Rock Of Gibraltar in 2001.

And he’ll be trying to put that right with the once-raced MARCO POLO who was 2nd on debut at the Curragh just 12 days ago.

Stalls 4 and 6 have been hot gates (winning 60% of the last 10), so Final Objective (4) and Great Oak (6) will be trying to keep that run going.

While 70% of the last 10 winners hailed from gates 4-8 – which looks a further plus for Final Objective, Arapaho Gold, Great Oak, Marco Polo and Matteo.

With the last-named interesting for Kevin Ryan. This yard have a fair record in this race – winning it in 2012 and 2013 – and this Coulsty colt could be anything having taken his first two races.

Ryan Moore is yet to win the Gimcrack, but I’ll side Marco Polo navigating him to his first.

🥇MARCO POLO
🥈Arapaho Gold
🥉Matteo

3:35pm The Coolmore City of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes Group 1 2+ £600,000 5f ITV1

A top renewal of the Nunthorpe Stakes – with all the usual suspects on show.

The French runner Rayevka will be popular with the expected rain in her favour and comes here having run a blinder in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot (head).

We’ve also got last year’s winner Asfoora back as she looks to join recent double winners – Battaash, Mecca’s Angel and Sole Power – with nine horses in total winning the Nunthorpe twice.

But she’s not getting any younger at 8 and heads here without a win in five now.

American Affair bounced back to form in the King George at Goodwood last time and when these sprinters get going it can often pay to stick with them.

Will The Slower Ground Blunt Bacio?

Royal Ascot winner Bacio will be popular too after that scorching win from the front and that form has been franked since many times – notably by the 7th Miss Yechance winning here at York earlier in the week.

But I just worry the slower ground will be against this Wesley Ward runner.

90% of the last 10 winners came from gates 8 or lower though and so this bunch will have this top draw stat on their side – Fitzella, Night Raider, Asfoora, American Affair, Bacio, Ain’t Nobody, Mission Central and Rumstar.

Of that bunch I’ll take MISSION CENTRAL to bounce back to form after running out of petrol in the July Cup last time over 6f.

He won the King Charles III Stakes before that with a blistering late burst over this trip and has been freshened up since Newmarket with 41 days off.

🥇MISSION CENTRAL
🥈American Affair
🥉Night Raider

4:10pm Assured Data Protection Stakes Heritage Handicap 3+ £120,000 1m 4f ITV1

We’ve not had a winning favourite of this race in the last nine runnings, but in a tight betting heat we might have to wait till the off to see which horse will be the jolly.

CD winner Master Builder is one of those vying for the market top-spot and heads here off a good win here at York but is up 7lbs.

Primo Lara is another that likes it on the Knavesmire and is looking for a three-timer after Ascot and Wolverhampton wins.

French Duke was third in this race last season and is back rated off the same mark (97), so has to be considered too.

But this has been another good race for those drawn 7 or lower – with all of the last seven hailing from these gates.

While, even though most fit the bill all of the last 10 winners have been aged 4 or 5.

So I’m going to give one more chance to the Andrew Balding runner PLAGUE DE HAVRE.

This 5yold is down 2lbs for his last run at Newmarket and now 3lbs lower than when third here at York to Klassleader.

But more importantly, he could get his preferred slower ground here – with connections stating last time after his run on good-to-firm, that he’d like a slightly softer surface.

🥇PLAGUE DE HAVRE
🥈French Duke
🥉Primo Lara