Ebor Festival Day Two Blog | David Probert, Hugo Palmer & Jim Crowley
20 Aug 2025
It's Yorkshire Oaks Day! Check out what our Coral Racing Ambassadors have to say on their rides and runners on day two of York's Ebor Festival.
DAVID PROBERT: 'DAVID O'MEARA WILL HAVE HIM IN GOOD ORDER'
14:25 York – Game Striker
David Probert: Game Striker is a lovely filly who was a little unlucky at Goodwood. She was drawn high and then left on the wing a little bit. I think she can bounce back to her previous form from a low weight here. I expect her to be competitive, especially if the first-time cheekpieces bring out some improvement.
Hugo Palmer: Both my horses Ardisia and Game Striker ran in the same race at Goodwood last time out. We liked both going into that contest, but while Ardisia ended up winning it, Game Striker was hugely disappointing and finished last. I still don’t know why she ran so badly, and clearly she needs to leave that run well behind her, but on her form prior to that, she has shown enough to warrant her place here and she seems in very good form at home.
15:00 York – Duke’s Command
Duke’s Command is a consistent horse over a mile. He is only 3lb higher than his last winning mark, so if he gets it together, he will have a chance. As he does with all his horses, David O’Meara will have him in good order, so hopefully we can finish in the frame and pick up a decent amount of prize money.
16:45 York – Gold Dawn
David Probert: Gold Dawn has been drawn in stall 10 in the nursery, which hopefully will not hinder us too much. He's been gelded since his last run and wears a visor here, and has shown some decent form previously, most notably his unlucky second-place finish on his debut at Haydock. He should find things easier now that he is in handicap company, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him run well off an opening mark of 76.
Hugo Palmer: Gold Dawn has been gelded since his last run and wears the first time visor here. He should have won on debut, he was going very easily when he jumped a shadow that cost him his chance. The winner that day [Morris Dancer] has franked the form since, so although form doesn’t always work out as it should, we could have a well-handicapped horse off a mark of 76, particularly if gelding him and the headgear brings about more improvement.
17:20 York – Mollie Foster
My final ride of the afternoon is on board Mollie Foster from Ed Walker’s yard. She is another one who will need to overcome a wide draw. Things haven’t gone her way on her last two starts, but she has still managed to be there at the finish. It’s a nice ride to pick up.
HUGO PALMER: 'IT'S VERY MUCH WORTH HAVING A CRACK'
14:25 York – Ardisia
Ardisia ran a totally contrasting race to Game Striker at Goodwood and gained his third win of the season. He will need to step forward again to take this, but this race can throw up some funny results – last year’s winner hadn’t won coming into it and was rated lower than our fellow – so it’s very much worth having a crack at this valuable prize. He handled the rain-softened ground at Goodwood, and it will obviously be quicker here, but he’s won on good to firm, so I don’t think that will be an issue.
JIM CROWLEY: 'I KNOW CLIVE HAS ALWAYS LIKED HIM'
14:25 York – Wojtek
Wojtek’s trainer, Clive Cox, has won the last two runnings of this valuable sales race, so although he has two in this year’s renewal, and my mount is the outsider of his pair, it’s still great to be on one of his. Wojtek’s first run of the season was his best as he finished second to Zavateri at Salisbury, and that one has gone on to win two big two-year-old Group races and is arguably the best British juvenile we’ve seen so far this season.
Unfortunately Wojtek hasn’t progressed in anything like the same way, but he’s been gelded which should have helped him calm down, as I understand he was a bit of a handful! I know Clive has always liked him, and if he can find a repeat of his debut run, he could bounce back here and run well at a very big price from what should be a decent draw.
16:45 York – Hengroin
I’ve ridden this fellow a couple of times, although not when he won at Epsom last time. He’s only gone up a pound for that victory, which I would hope he can cope with well enough. Prior to that he'd given me a lovely feel, particularly at Windsor three runs ago. The going was good to firm that day, so he won't mind how quick it is here, and he's won over seven furlongs. As I say I hope there is more to come from him off this current mark and he could go well for a trainer who’s having another excellent season.
Coral Racing Ambassadors, York Ebor Festival Day Two
DAVID PROBERT: 'DAVID O'MEARA WILL HAVE HIM IN GOOD ORDER'
14:25 York – Game Striker
David Probert: Game Striker is a lovely filly who was a little unlucky at Goodwood. She was drawn high and then left on the wing a little bit. I think she can bounce back to her previous form from a low weight here. I expect her to be competitive, especially if the first-time cheekpieces bring out some improvement.
Hugo Palmer: Both my horses Ardisia and Game Striker ran in the same race at Goodwood last time out. We liked both going into that contest, but while Ardisia ended up winning it, Game Striker was hugely disappointing and finished last. I still don’t know why she ran so badly, and clearly she needs to leave that run well behind her, but on her form prior to that, she has shown enough to warrant her place here and she seems in very good form at home.
15:00 York – Duke’s Command
Duke’s Command is a consistent horse over a mile. He is only 3lb higher than his last winning mark, so if he gets it together, he will have a chance. As he does with all his horses, David O’Meara will have him in good order, so hopefully we can finish in the frame and pick up a decent amount of prize money.
16:45 York – Gold Dawn
David Probert: Gold Dawn has been drawn in stall 10 in the nursery, which hopefully will not hinder us too much. He's been gelded since his last run and wears a visor here, and has shown some decent form previously, most notably his unlucky second-place finish on his debut at Haydock. He should find things easier now that he is in handicap company, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him run well off an opening mark of 76.
Hugo Palmer: Gold Dawn has been gelded since his last run and wears the first time visor here. He should have won on debut, he was going very easily when he jumped a shadow that cost him his chance. The winner that day [Morris Dancer] has franked the form since, so although form doesn’t always work out as it should, we could have a well-handicapped horse off a mark of 76, particularly if gelding him and the headgear brings about more improvement.
17:20 York – Mollie Foster
My final ride of the afternoon is on board Mollie Foster from Ed Walker’s yard. She is another one who will need to overcome a wide draw. Things haven’t gone her way on her last two starts, but she has still managed to be there at the finish. It’s a nice ride to pick up.
HUGO PALMER: 'IT'S VERY MUCH WORTH HAVING A CRACK'
14:25 York – Ardisia
Ardisia ran a totally contrasting race to Game Striker at Goodwood and gained his third win of the season. He will need to step forward again to take this, but this race can throw up some funny results – last year’s winner hadn’t won coming into it and was rated lower than our fellow – so it’s very much worth having a crack at this valuable prize. He handled the rain-softened ground at Goodwood, and it will obviously be quicker here, but he’s won on good to firm, so I don’t think that will be an issue.
JIM CROWLEY: 'I KNOW CLIVE HAS ALWAYS LIKED HIM'
14:25 York – Wojtek
Wojtek’s trainer, Clive Cox, has won the last two runnings of this valuable sales race, so although he has two in this year’s renewal, and my mount is the outsider of his pair, it’s still great to be on one of his. Wojtek’s first run of the season was his best as he finished second to Zavateri at Salisbury, and that one has gone on to win two big two-year-old Group races and is arguably the best British juvenile we’ve seen so far this season.
Unfortunately Wojtek hasn’t progressed in anything like the same way, but he’s been gelded which should have helped him calm down, as I understand he was a bit of a handful! I know Clive has always liked him, and if he can find a repeat of his debut run, he could bounce back here and run well at a very big price from what should be a decent draw.
16:45 York – Hengroin
I’ve ridden this fellow a couple of times, although not when he won at Epsom last time. He’s only gone up a pound for that victory, which I would hope he can cope with well enough. Prior to that he'd given me a lovely feel, particularly at Windsor three runs ago. The going was good to firm that day, so he won't mind how quick it is here, and he's won over seven furlongs. As I say I hope there is more to come from him off this current mark and he could go well for a trainer who’s having another excellent season.
Coral Racing Ambassadors, York Ebor Festival Day Two
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