15th-Jun-2013

Nanton is also worth having on side at 14/1. He is the most exposed runner in the race, he has no secrets from anyone, and it is a fair while since he last won, but he hasn’t had his favoured fast ground all that often over the past year, and each of his runs this season has offered encouragement that he could bounce back to form.

Things just haven’t gone his way yet this season with races not being run to suit or the ground going against him, but each of his four runs this season have represented a gradual improvement. He ran well at Musselburgh the last time we saw him when, although no match for the front two (the runner-up won yesterday), he pulled a long way clear of the rest.

He doesn’t have a fantastic record at York, but he was fourth in an Ebor off a mark of 93 and he was fifth in a Class 2 handicap at last year’s Ebor meeting off a mark of 87. He runs off a mark of 80 today, his lowest mark for nearly six years, so he is potentially a well-handicapped individual now. The race should be run to suit, the winners on the round course at York yesterday all came from off the pace, and it is easy to see him running a big race.

NANTON WON (ADV 14/1, SP 9/1)