John Smith's Cup predictions: Not hard to Sea Casper in Cup mix
Copy icon

Sea The Casper was an impressive winner at Lingfield last time out and there may be more improvement to come
Sea The Casper was an impressive winner at Lingfield last time out and there may be more improvement to come

- Andrea Atzeni has won the John Smith's Cup twice before
- Recommended bets: 
- Selection: Sea The Casper to win
- Alternative: Makinmedoit each-way

The John Smith's Cup is one of York's most feverish handicap contests amid an afternoon of racing the track bills as the 'informal party highlight of the year with betting excitement and summer fun'.

The big race carries a top prize in excess of £100,000 and the winning connections will be handed the unique Wedgwood trophy after the 64th running of this famous Knavesmire contest.

Casper may be able to ghost Cup rivals

This 22-runner contest promises to be as tough as ever for customers to solve and there are plausible cases to be made for plenty of the field.

Sonny Liston, Nobel and Long Tradition are amongst the likely contenders and the market has them to the fore.

Sonny Liston was first home on his side of the track when second in the Royal Hunt Cup last month and sees out this extra distance without a concern, while Nobel is lightly-raced after five starts and comes here under a penalty after an all-the-way Newcastle win this month. 

He surely will not be allowed to dictate the race in the same manner now.

Long Tradition defied 607 days off to win at Chelmsford last month and there is just some concern that this race comes a mere three weeks on from that excellent comeback.

SEA THE CASPER was not seen on the racecourse as a 2YO but he won three of his first four starts last summer, all at 1m2f/1m3f, before ending a seven-race campaign with runner-up finishes at Leicester and Kempton in October — latterly in the London Middle Distance Series Final when held by next-time-out Listed winner Belloccio from the David Menuisier team.

The Sea The Stars gelding made his 2023 debut last month at Lingfield, powering home over 1m2f to turn that six-runner handicap into a procession off a mark of 97.

Even allowing for the 5lb penalty he has incurred for that stylish win, the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained 4YO could have plenty more improvement to come. 

Andrea Atzeni rides and they are fancied to give this Knavesmire feature a good rattle.

Makinmedoit a possible outsider of interest

Harry Eustace looks to have a lively contender, particularly with six places being paid out instead of four
Harry Eustace looks to have a lively contender, particularly with six places being paid out instead of four

The likes of Spirit Dancer and Majestic are other contenders of note but with LiveScore Bet offering SIX places each-way on this York contest it might be worth taking a chance on the filly MAKINMEDOIT for trainer Harry Eustace.

The daughter of Golden Horn took her form up a notch on the all-weather around Lingfield during the winter, including winning a handicap off 92 in November and then twice going close in races won by the useful Al Agaila — latterly in the Winter Oaks.

She likes to be held up in her races and a slow start at Ayr in May did not necessarily help in what was a seven-runner Listed event. 

Pierre-Louis Jamin gets on well with her and returns in the plate here, taking off a handy 3lb.

If they get away on decent terms, Makinmedoit could be capable of picking through plenty of these rivals late in the race and collecting a fair share of the spoils for doing so.

LiveScore logo

LiveScore: Live Sport Updates

Footbal Scores & Sports News

App storeGoogle play

Related Articles

About

Sports News - Latest Sports News & Today's Headlines

Stick with LiveScore for the latest sports news from around the world. Regardless of which sport is your favourite, you’ll always find the biggest headlines and stories in one place. From football to cricket, tennis to motorsport, we cover all the top stories from the most popular sports and much, much more. Throw in betting tips for anyone 18 or over and you have a match-winning formula at your fingertips. Breaking sports news flows thick and fast and we’re always here to deliver regular updates and insight as stories develop. Regardless of the time, the sports world never sleeps as so many different leagues, events and tournaments take place globally. And that means you’ll always have sports news to consume 24/7.