11 August 2021

Winter Power-ed up for Nunthorpe

11 August 2021

Winter Power is set to spearhead Tim Easterby’s team for the four-day Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York.

The three-year-old sprinter goes for Group One glory in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes, having already shown a liking for the Knavesmire.

Winter Power is third-favourite at 6-1 with some bookmakers for the five-furlong dash, after victories in the British Stallion Studs EBF Westow Stakes and the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes this season.

“She is proven over the five furlongs and that’s why she’s going. It’s been the aim all year. She is in great form,” said Easterby

“This (meeting) is our goal for every horse that we have, really. Everybody up here that owns horses in the north wants to go to York’s August meeting. It’s like the southern lads going to Goodwood or the Newmarket July meeting.”

Easterby, whose stables at Great Habton are only 30 miles from the track, outlined running plans for several other horses from his powerful string, which is already close to 90 winners for the current season.

“We plan to run Copper Knight on the first day, first race (Sky Bet & Symphony Group Handicap). He’ll do for a starter,” he said.

Copper Knight (left) winning at York last year (Alan Crowhurst/PA) (PA Wire)

“We have Cruyff Turn – (£100,000 Clipper Logistics heritage handicap, 19 August). He likes fast ground. If Dark Jedi doesn’t get in the Ebor, he’ll run in the mile-and-a-half race (Sky Bet Handicap, August 20).

“Another that will be entered there will be Bollin Joan in a mile-and-a-quarter fillies’ handicap (Assured Data Protection British EBF Fillies’ Handicap, August 20) – she’d have a good chance.

“And we’ve got Fishable that might run on the Saturday in the mile-and-a-quarter race (Sky Bet Handicap, August 21). Whether they win or not, I wouldn’t know.”

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