2025 Overall Festival Yankee

[Evesham Road]

Thanks Kev for the opportunity, and thanks to all who will participate in selecting this year's Overall Festival Yankee.

I think that depending upon how you look at it, the optionality for this yankee makes it either the easiest, or toughest to choose. I am keen to get input into both the structure of the yankee, as well as the selections. Nothing is set in stone, but some initial ideas I have:

• I'd like to have a horse running on each day, to spread the excitement/ focus. Given the deadline, this means that there would need to be some pre-decs selections, so considering targets/ entries will be important.
• I will be keen to either go down the route of a win yankee for shorter priced selections, or an EW yankee, rather than mixing these two. I think that just makes sense.
• Given the flexibility that the overall yankee has, where possible I think it will be good to avoid 'clashing' with any of the daily yankees, and other forum horses e.g. The Naiad. The last thing we want is to split loyalties!

Once we have a little more sense of which way the dailies are heading, we can firm-up the structure of the overall yankee and then start highlighting options.

Your thoughts, are encouraged...

[archie]

I wouldn't worry about clashing with the daily yankees, just pick something that people can get behind. Maybe a useful starter would actually be the Naiad horses. Add in the favourite of Istabraq and you're left with Friday where you could go with special mentions from Mr Elliott or Mr Nicholls.

Tuesday: Henry's Friend (Ultima)
Wednesday: Busselton (XC)
Thursday: Crebilly (Plate)
Friday: Wodhooh (Pipe) or Shearer (Hunters)

[Eudipe]

I'm just going to throw out some Win & EW selections for each day.


Tuesday:-

Kopek Des Bordes Win (Supreme) - banker material
Majborough Win (Arkle) - banker material
Lossiemouth Win (Ch' Hdle) - taking a view
Beyond Your Dreams Win (F.Winter) - win or bust
Now Is The Hour Win (NH Chase) - plot horse

William Munny EW (Supreme) - ideal in any other year!
Touch Me Not EW (Arkle) - token selection
Whistle Stop Tour EW (Ultima) - unexposed/speculative
Kala Conti EW (Mares Hurdle) - betting the big 2 don't
Liam Swagger EW (F.Winter) - rock solid
Captain Cody EW (NH Chase) - value against the FAV


Wednesday:-

Be Aware Win (Coral Cup) - win or bust
Vanillier Win (X-Country) - win or bust
Jonbon Win (Champion Chase) - the one to beat

The Yellow Clay EW (Turners) - tricky betting heat
Better Days Ahead EW (Brown Adv.) - softer the better
Found A Fifty EW (Champion Chase) - underrated
Primoz EW (G.Annual) - unexposed/speculative
Kalypsochance EW (Bumper) - ew banker material


Thursday:-

Karoline Banbou Win (MNH) - pocket talk!
Nurburgring Win (J.Richards) - plot horse
The Patter Merchant Win/EW (Pertemps) - plot horse
Fact To File Win (Ryanair) - gsi!
Lucky Place Win (Stayers) - unexposed improver
Panic Attack Win/EW (Plate) - unexposed improver
Sa Majeste Win (K.Muir) - plot horse


Friday:-

Hello Neighbour Win (Triumph) - underrated in a hot race
Kargese Win (County) - a gift at the weights
Only By Night Win (Mares Chase) - if she goes!
The Big Westerner Win (A.Bartlett) - standout in a weak race
Galopin Des Champs Win (Gold Cup) - banker material

Inothewayurthinkin EW (Gold Cup) - if supplemented!
Rocky's Howya EW (Hunters Chase) - under the radar
Taponthego EW (M.Pipe) - plot horse

[Eggs]

…I always think doing win or each-way is down to the individual rather than being prescriptive but that’s probably just me. My approach would be to make value selections for which an informed and well reasoned case has been put forward.

Actually think the advantage of this bet is that you can raid the daily Yankee threads to read what’s nominated there rather than restricting yourself to what’s posted in here. May the force be with you, I look forward to seeing what you finally decide and will definitely follow you in.

[Istabraq]

Eudipe
I think there are plenty of decent priced horses you have mentioned as win bets that can be played each way...

[Kevloaf]

I do love 'related' multiples ... even loose ones like being with the same trainer, or jockey. When they get on a crest of a wave they can just make that extra little difference. Obviously they're ones to play during the week. You only have to go back last year to Mikey and after that supreme, he was riding to a different level. Jack Kennedy has done it before too, Rachel and Henry etc

Anyway, that said, that means I tend to try and link them together all season, so if I like a Mullins one for a handicap, I often find myself trying to find 'all' of his, and it's obviously much less likely and quite limited. A better example is actually with Dan Skelton.... I have liked Be Aware and Valgrand from a way out, so thy've gone in multiples but ALWAYS with other Skelton horses, Unexpected Party and Protektorat for example.... whilst there is a bit of logic behind them.... really I should look at maybe just one from each

Who is Willie's best chance
Who is Skelton's best handicap chance
We know Gordon will have a winner
We know Hendo will...
We know Cromwell will (he's another I have tended to link them together)
Of course, the mighty Joseph will not be going home without a win


A lot of waffle to end up saying, I'd maybe look at an 'unrelated' bet, just trying to pick 1 winner from 1 trainer

[Evesham Road]

Thanks folks for the suggestions, some good food for thought.

archie I definitely don't want to clash with the Naiad nan or nb so depending on where we get to with other ideas will think about including one of these. Crebilly is one I like and Woodhooh I was keen on since her win in December, although feels like her chance may have gone with the rise for that and subsequent tax? Hunter chase is one I always find to be a bit of a lottery...why would Shearer be your suggestion here?

Eudipe That's an excellent list to start with. Are there any real favourites you have amongst it, and if so why? There are plenty on your list I also like, and the ones I haven't considered previously I will look into today.

Eggs That's a nice point about not being prescriptive in terms of win or EW. I suppose then I would lean towards selections where there is a EW price available. I don't personally like backing EW where that wouldn't return my overall stake for a place, although I appreciate that within a yankee the consideration is different. Raiding the daily threads is another good suggestion and I will naturally be keeping a close eye on these, especially for the sorts of well-reasoned cases you mention.

Istabraq I'll be looking at all of the suggestions from both a win and EW perspective; in line with Eggs' suggestion above I'm now minded not to be prescriptive about this.

Kevloaf I also like multiples which are related and I appreciate the point you are making that there's a balance between looking to compound value with interdependent outcomes and inadvertantly restricting the scope of the bet by being a slave to its 'relatedness'.

Lots for me to think about!

If I was picking today (which I am not) I would be nominating a handful of strong fancies which can be played win or EW with at least some confidence, so generally odds between 5/1 and about 16/1, taking advantage of either handicaps or likely small fields in the graded races.

Please keep the thoughts and suggestions coming...

[archie]

Thanks folks for the suggestions, some good food for thought.

archie I definitely don't want to clash with the Naiad nan or nb so depending on where we get to with other ideas will think about including one of these. Crebilly is one I like and Woodhooh I was keen on since her win in December, although feels like her chance may have gone with the rise for that and subsequent tax? Hunter chase is one I always find to be a bit of a lottery...why would Shearer be your suggestion here?

Paul Nicholls bought a share in Shearer specifically to give his daughter a ride in the race. 2 races in 14 days to get him qualified was a bit of a rush but was achieved and 14/1 (b365) seems fair and likely to be shorter on the day.

Wodhooh was specifically mentioned for the Pipe a couple of weeks ago before the weights were announced. She was 136 in Ireland and you'd have thought that they were assuming at least a 5lb tax given Joyeuse's last run. Even at 141 she is 8lb better off with Joyeuse in any future handicap match up.

[Eudipe]

Thanks Evesham Road ...

My preferred 'shortlist' is taking an EW angle and including a few shorter priced selections (thanks Istabraq):-

Whistle Stop Tour (Ultima)
Unexposed novice viewed as a Scottish National type by connections who previously had notable success with Corach Rambler. He had a nice sighter at Cheltenham over a shorter trip last time and connections have confirmed this is the target with a bullish update on atr.

Liam Swagger (Fred Winter)
Slick hurdler, ground versatile, nicely weighted on form/collateral with the likes of Static, Torrent, Teriferma and Total Look. Connections have confirmed this is his target.

Found A Fifty (Champion Chase)
Progressive second season chaser, defeat of Solness at Navan (conceding 7lbs) reads well. Not right at Xmas, has the option of the Ryanair but trainer said this week he that he 'has no horse for it'.

The Patter Merchant (Pertemps)
Think he was being plotted for the M.Pipe and may have been diverted to the last qualifier for this due to JP's The Wallpark seemingly being switched from here to the Stayers. I have no doubt he's well handicapped and view him in the mould of Better Days Ahead and possibly even better. A little concerned that a slog over the C&D might not be ideal at this stage - he is effective at 2&1/2m.

Kalypsochance (Bumper) - ew banker material
Elliott's best but unlike most of his, this is a neat individual who is gound versatile and appears to be a push button ride. He's produced a couple of excellent performances showing both stamina & a good turn of foot in a season with few outstanding candidates and I'd struggle to see him out of the frame.

Nurburgring (J.Richards) - ew banker material
From the outstanding class of juvenile hurdlers of 2024 he won the Galway Hurdle and has blatantly been plotted for a handicap mark over fences imo (it's beyond me how the British h'capper fails to pick up on these sorts!)

Kargese (County) - ew banker material
I suppose the British h'capper has been consistent here in underestimating last year's juvenile form. A mark of 141 looks rather attractive considering Kala Conti (144), the aforementioned Nurburgring (150), Majborough (150) and Sir Gino (157)! Target yet to be confirmed.

The Big Westerner (A.Bartlett) - ew banker material
Given that Final Demand & The Yellow Clay appear set to contest the Turners, I'd rate The Big Westerner a standout here. She showed a smart turn of foot to beat Argento Boy in her maiden hurdle and she jumped/stayed well to beat Mozzies Sister in the Grade 2 at Limerick over Xmas. A half sister to former winner Stay Away Fay she has long been confirmed on target for this by HDB.