Yorkshire Cup Betting Tips, Offers and Odds

The Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National are well behind us and the Flat season is well and truly here and in May each year York plays host to one of the top events of the season for stayers. Read on for our betting tips and some of the best odds and offers available surrounding the Yorkshire Cup.

Held as part of the Dante meeting at York, this 1m6f Group 2 event, for runners aged four and older, has been run at the track since 1927. With £150,000 in total prize money now on offer, this is one of the season’s premier targets for those horses who boast stamina as their forte.

Yorkshire Cup Tips and Betting Offers, 3:00 at York, 17 May 2019

The road to the Long Distance Cup begins on Friday with the Yorkshire Cup. Some of the leading contenders for the Long Distance series of the British Champions Series will be in attendance at York for a crack at this Group 2 contest which takes place over 1 mile 5 furlongs and 188 yards.

Stradivarius to Reassert His Dominance

The stayers’ division of flat racing has been in a good place for some years now. In recent times the battle between Big Orange and Order Of St George provided a great storyline for the division but last season fully belonged to one horse, Stradivarius.

As a three-year-old, Stradivarius showed some real signs of promise, including his third place finish in the St Leger but it was during his four-year-old season that he really pulled away from the competition. John Gosden’s charge won all five races in which he competed last year, starting in the Yorkshire Cup and ending in the British Champions Long Distance Cup.

Those wins came at a variety of different trips and on ground ranging from good to firm to soft showing that he has impressive versatility. His season ending win showed Stradivarius to be capable of digging in to win when conditions aren’t exactly to his liking and it’s that combination of his heart and undisputed class that has him as such a firm favourite for a second Yorkshire Cup.

Another Four-Year-Old Worth Watching

Experience is vital when it comes to flat racing. A select few three-year-olds can claim big wins against their elders but it is much more common to find that top class stayers take the same sort of route as Stradivarius. Therefore, punters are always on the lookout for four-year-olds with room for improvement and Mildenberger could be for punters to add to their watchlist.

Mark Johnston’s charge actually caught the eye as a two-year-old with some very impressive performances. Hopes were high that he had what it takes to be a major player in the Derby but a couple of setbacks cost him the chance of winning a Classic.

The team at Kingsley Park stables still believe that Mildenberger has what it takes to win at the highest level. After making steps forward from his first appearance of the season when finishing third at Newmarket last time out, it is very interesting to see that Mildenberger is being stepped up in trip. There are some suggestions in his pedigree that he could use his class at the staying trips so Mildenberger’s performance will be very keenly watched.

Betting Predictions

Sometimes betting on the horses can be as straightforward as backing the favourite. The 2019 Yorkshire Cup looks to be one of those occasions as Straidvarius is the best horse in the field and should be able to return from his winter break with a win just as last week at a best price of 8/11 with bet365.

When it comes to an each way betting option, Mildenberger is the most appealing at 12/1 with BetVictor. It remains to be seen just how he copes with a trip of almost 1 mile 6 furlongs but it may well pay to back him as we all find out.

Yorkshire Cup Previous Winners

2018 – Stradivarius – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer John Gosden
2017 – Dartmouth – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
2016 – Clever Cookie – jockey PJ McDonald, trainer Peter Niven
2015 – Snow Sky – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
2014 – Gospel Choir – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
2013 – Glen’s Diamond – jockey Tony Hamilton, trainer Richard Fahey
2012 – Red Cadeaux – jockey Tom McLaughlin, trainer Ed Dunlop
2011 – Duncan – jockey William Buick, trainer John Gosden
2010 – Manifest – jockey Tom Queally, trainer Henry Cecil
2009 – Ask – jockey Ryab Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
2008 – Geordieland – jockey Shane Kelly, trainer Jamie Osborne
2007 – Sergeant Cecil – jockey Jimmy Fortune, trainer Rod Millman
2006 – Percussionist – jockey Darryll Holland, trainer Howard Johnson

Yorkshire Cup History

There are reports of this race being run earlier, but 1927 is the year when it first really established itself as a regular fixture in the racing calendar. The early conditions of the race were, however, markedly different from those in evidence today, being as it was a handicap contest run over a trip of two miles. The race did not in fact become a conditions event until after the Second World War, but barring the 1951 edition it has remained that way ever since. The current distance of 1m6f was introduced in 1966 and Group 2 status soon followed in 1971. The prestige of this race was further recognised in 2011 when it was included in the staying division of the British Champions Series.

Being run over the same trip as Doncaster’s St Leger, it is to be expected that winners of that Classic contest should fare well in this event. Six previous St. Leger winners have won this race including Classic Cliché in 1996 and Millenary in 2004.

2001 winner Marienbard must be near the top of the list when it comes to achievements after winning here. The Godolphin inmate went on to score three times at Group 1 level, including when landing a shock in the 2002 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with superstars High Chaparral and Sulamani amongst the horses unable to reel him in.

Given the fact this race has been with us for over 80 years now, it is a little surprising that only one horse has managed to win the race more than once. That horse was Ardross. Formerly trained in Ireland, he experienced most of his success following a move to Henry Cecil’s Newmarket operation. During his time with Cecil, this stout stayer certainly seemed to develop a habit for collecting cups. In addition to his two victories here in 1981 and 1982, Ardross also won the Jockey Club Cup, the Goodwood Cup, the Doncaster Cup and the prestigious Ascot Gold Cup at Royal Ascot twice.

The jockey aboard Ardross for his two wins in this race was 11 times champion, Lester Piggott. Piggott included eight wins in this race amongst his many career victories, making him the most successful jockey in the history of the Yorkshire Cup.

In addition to Ardross, Henry Cecil also won this with Verd-Antique and Manifest, but it is another Cecil who leads the way amongst the training ranks. The Cecil in question is one Cecil Boyd-Rochfort who won the race seven times over a 34 year period from 1931 to 1965. Both of these astonishing records seem unlikely to be broken anytime soon.