Hugo Palmer York Ebor day one runners blog - August 19, 2026

York - 1.50 - Dubai Bling & Stratusnine

This is a meeting I’m always keen to support as they put on such good prize money, and we start with two in the opening race of the week.  There is precious little between Dubai Bling and Stratusnine, indeed nothing at all on official ratings, and that’s how I see them at home also.

I deliberately chose an even draw for Dubai Bling in the Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, so that he wouldn’t be in the stalls too long that day, but they stuck him in third, and he was in there so long he got agitated and ended up being slowly away.  The starter complained about Strstusnine’s loading that day, so it’s fair to say I did go straight back at him about Dubai Bling!

The latter is drawn in 17 here, with Stratusnine in 16, but I hope the starter will show some common sense and load Dubai Bling later.  If he can then get away on terms, or at least doesn’t miss the start like he did at Goodwood, I think he has a very solid chance, and the same applies to Startusnine, as long as they are both drawn in and around the right area. I honestly think they could finish first and second, for all they are both creeping up in the handicap.

York - 2.25 - Stardom Glory

Stardom Glory is a horse I’ve always loved, and have always slightly thought he was my best 2-year-old, and that’s why we are being bold running him here.  To be honest I have therefore been slightly disappointed by him, I thought he’d win on debut, I thought the same ahead of his second run, for all he lost very little in defeat both times, and he did make up for it at Chester last time.

We are jumping in with both feet here as he could have run in the nursery, I think this is a good race, as most York races are because of the prize money, but they all finished in a bit of a heap in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, and the runner-up that day, Haffner, who is favourite here, didn’t beat our Velociraptor far at Newmarket prior to that, and at this stage of their careers, I’d have Stardom Glory quite a long way ahead of Velociraptor.

That gives me hope of him running well here, and if he can, it will open up some nice options for the rest of the year.

York - 4.45 - Tricky Tel

I did have to push the owners quite hard to run here, they were keen to run at Chester on Saturday, but that race – a 0 – 95 handicap on an August Saturday – is worth £20,000, which I think is an absolute disgrace.  I probably will have a runner in the Chester race as Roman Dragon qualifies for it, but I couldn’t bring myself to run Tricky Tel there when he can run for £100,000 here at York.

He has done precious little wrong all year, I hope York will see enough rain to just take the sting out of the ground, it won’t be at all soft, but It should be lovely ground, which he should enjoy.  He seems in very good form, he’s not just a Chester horse as his victory at Hamilton showed, I think he’s still a well-handicapped horse, and I hope he can run well.

York - 5.20 - Savage Mariner

This horse has let me down if truth be known.  We made excuses for him at Ascot as he lost a shoe in the stalls, but he disappointed me at Goodwood last time.  His work had been a bit lazy at home, so ahead of Goodwood I worked him in blinkers and his work was extraordinary, so we’ve had him gelded since then as well.

My concern is his work was so fast in blinkers, this six furlongs might seem like a long way, but if he can settle, relax and breathe, and the blinkers and the gelding op bring about some improvement, he goes there with a live chance.  

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