3:10 – York – SKY BET YORK STAKES (GROUP 2) (CLASS 1) (3yo+) Good To Firm 1m2f88y
Premio Loco runs in a pattern class race for the 25th time today and with nine wins and a winning strike rate of 36% in Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races he offers some value at a current price of 14/1. The 8 year old chestnut gelding has plenty of experience and he comes into the race on the back of two wins this season.
Premio Loco has not run outside of Listed or Group level races since January 2009 when he won a Class 3 Conditions Stakes at Lingfield. He is trying today’s trip of 1 mile 2 furlongs for only the 3rd time and this fact may help to explain his generous odds. However, in his two runs over 10 furlongs he came 2nd in the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield in 2009 before going one better in the same race when winning it earlier on this year.
The going at York is Good to Firm and Premio Loco also has some decent winning form on the ground having won 4 times and been placed twice in 14 runs on Good to Firm going. Three of his four wins in the going have been at Group 2 and Group 3 level.
In his 34 career runs Premio Loco has only had four jockeys and his regular partner is with him again today. George Baker has ridden him 29 times and has ridden him on his last 15 starts. The pair have built up plenty of air miles between them this season as they won a Group 3 race in Sweden two starts back which was worth over £65,000 to the winner.
His last run was at Royal Ascot when he took on the mighty Frankel finishing 8th in Good to Soft ground which was probably to soft for him to do himself justice. He has also found Group 1 just a little bit to hard but is definitely a factor in a Group 2 contest which he runs in today. In fact in 9 starts in this class he has won 4 times and been placed on three other occasions which is clearly a very good record.
Premio Loco has only run three times this season and he has won the Group 3 Winter Derby and had further Group 3 success in Sweden back in June. He does have some very decent competition today as the likes of Planteur are in the race but he does have a good record at this level and with two wins behind him this season on ground he likes there could still be more to come from him over a longer trip and at such big odds he looks a real each way player today.
