Turf Talk: Sean Bowen can win again as the Sky Bet Go Racing In Yorkshire Festival concludes at York

The Sky Bet Go Racing In Yorkshire Festival concludes this weekend with the two day Music Showcase meeting at York. This is always one of the most popular weekends on the Knavesmire with The Human League performing after racing on Friday evening and Craig David headlining on Saturday.

The action gets under way at 5pm on Friday where the feature race is the Listed £70,000 Lyric Stakes.

State Occasion won a handicap over course and distance last August and ran well on her seasonal debut in the Group Two Middleton Stakes in May. This is a step down in class and she will be able to put her course experience to good use.

The opening race on Saturday features National Hunt jockeys riding over the minimum distance of five furlongs. Sean Bowen is leading his rivals a merry dance in the Jockey’s Championship and I hope he can keep up his good run on the David O’Meara-trained Speedacus.

He has won on soft and firm ground in recent weeks so should handle whatever terrain he faces on Saturday.

Alflaila is my fancy in the feature race, the Sky Bet York Stakes. He has to overcome a 294-day absence, but was a convincing winner of the Strensall Stakes at the Ebor meeting last year.

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot is worth £700,000 to the winner and looks like being the race of the season so far.

This is an intriguing clash between the top older horses and the first two home in this year’s Derby. I fancy King of Steel to reverse his Derby defeat by Auguste Robin but am sticking with my old favourite Emily Upjohn to win the race.

She won the Champion Fillies race over course and distance in October on similar ground to what she will experience on Saturday. Hopefully she will give Frankie Dettori a victory in his last ride in the race.

Garlick’s Goodies: Friday York 7:15 - State Occasion; Saturday York 2:05 – Speedacus; York 3:15 – Alflaila; Ascot 3:40 – Emily Upjohn.