Nick Luck’s blog: Royal pick in the Nunthorpe

Our man Nick Luck has ran his eye over the card on day three at the York Ebor Festival to pick out his fancies.  

LORD PROTECTOR is fancied to go well at 8/1 in Friday’s opener at York’s Ebor Festival (1.50pm). Lightly raced, he is progressing fast, and would surely have gone very close off this mark with any kind of a decent trip at Goodwood. This should pose fewer issues and the step up in distance will surely be in his favour.

QUICKTHORN looks overpriced at 14/1 in the Lonsdale (2.25pm). My concern with the big two is that Stadivarius is getting cuter by the run and Trueshan’s one poor run in the last three years has come at this track. Coltrane has sound claims, but there’s not much left in his price, so I’m tempted by Hughie Morrison’s stayer, who is still progressing and produced a serious performance on the clock last time in France.

MARSHMAN gets the vote at 3/1 in a decent looking Gimcrack (3.00pm). Although short on pattern class experience, he has certainly looked up to it in both runs, particularly when drawing right away in a smart time at Thirsk. He was slated to run in the Richmond, and it will be fascinating to see how he gets on here.

HIGHFIELD PRINCESS still looks a little overpriced at 9/1 in the Nunthorpe (3.35pm). The ground is riding a fair bit slower than anticipated, which she won’t mind at this trip, but most compelling is the outstanding form she has shown in her last two visits to this track in top company. It is true that this minimum distance is sharp for her, but she’s getting quicker and quicker and is in the form of her life.

STATE OCCASION is taken to follow up her Goodwood win at 4/1 in the fillies’ handicap (4.10pm). That form has taken a serious boost from the runner up, and she remains nicely treated having won that race a fair bit more easily than the handicapper thought.