Good afternoon folks
Two further selections below, along with the ones already sent and their write ups. Catterick have an inspection at 8am in the morning now so, with the weather playing havoc, I shall stick to just Ascot tomorrow and there will be no additional selections for Saturday.
3:05 Ascot
ANGEL BLEU – 3/4 Pt EW 33/1 generally
Connections supplemented this horse on Monday for a cost of £70,000 which looks telling and he can reward the faith if he just places. The dual Group 1 winning juvenile excels in soft ground, in fact, he has stunning record of 6 wins the 7 times he has encountered it!
He returned to form in a soft-ground Celebration Mile at Goodwood last time and seems to love this time of year with 2 wins from 2! He also gets on very well with his pilot, Hector Crouch, who is 4 wins from 7 rides aboard him! The stiff mile will suit and with Ralph Beckett in very hot form, looks a cracking value play at the price IMO given the conditions will no doubt catch a few of these out.
4:25 Ascot
VETIVER – 1/2 Pt EW 20/1 5 places generally
Looks to be drawn well (stall 3) to track the likely pace in stalls 4 & 6. Relishes soft ground and is 3 from 3 on stiff tracks. Jockey is 3 wins from 4 on her and she can go well from the bottom of the weights.
1:15 Ascot
SWEET WILLIAM – 1/2 Pt EW 11/1 Will Hill, 10/1 generally
Heavily involved in that compelling Doncaster Cup, but because of his antics (dashing clear and then heading on his own down the middle of the track) I feel that Sweet William wasn’t able to quite show his best despite travelling very easily.
For me, he is a horse who will prove best suited to exaggerated waiting tactics, and he was simply left in front (of his group) too far out at Doncaster. It was still a great run and I’m really encouraged that Gosden wants to give it another go.
Remember at Goodwood, he trotted up in the Summer Handicap on some of the worst ground we saw all year on the flat. He should love conditions and can go very well.
1:50 Ascot
SAINT LAWRENCE – 1/2 Pt EW 40/1 4 places Bet365, 33/1 4 places generally (drifting)
MAGICAL SUNSET – 1/2 Pt EW 55/1 boost 4 places Will Hill, 50/1 normal 4 places, 40/1 4 places generally
Two speculative plays against the field, one drawn low and one high. Magical Sunset has changed stables but will relish conditions and her proven ability to stay farther should suit on this stiffish track. Needs to prove up to the class but ran well here in a Group 3 on unsuitable ground and thrashed subsequent impressive Group 2 winner Matidla Picotte at Goodwood the last time she faced these ground conditions.
Saint Lawrence has been a revelation this season since joining Glen’s trainer Archie Watson from Roger Varian in the spring and has very much showed his liking for Ascot by winning the Wokingham Stakes at the Royal meeting on an unforgettable stable debut and then came within half a length of winning the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest in France, unlucky in running after travelling smoothly.
He didn’t get the best of starts in the Sprint Cup at Haydock last time and finds himself among the outsiders, but he’s an enormous price for a horse of his calibre. The draw in stall 11 is an unknownand he proved at Deauville that he’s effective on very soft ground.
2:25 Ascot
RUI BOISSONADE – 1/2 Pt EW 12/1 4 places generally
Rue Boissonade is interesting coming over from France for Michael Delzangles. I think she’ll thrive on the conditions as she’s always run with credit on going either heavy or good to soft. Since joining the yard, she has always run well and recently in Group 1 company when coming fourth in the Prix de Royallieu to Sea Silk Road and fourth, beaten two lengths behind Warm Heart. I can see her going well with the 4 places on offer.
4:25 Ascot
DUAL IDENTITY – 3/4 Pt EW 20/1 6 places Livescorebet, 22/1 5 places Will Hill, 20/1 5 generally
Did us a massive turn two runs back at Sandown. I didn’t think the Cambridgeshire went his way (saw too much daylight) He ran a cracker in the Hunt Cup over C & D to be 2nd to Sonny Liston on the far far side and this strongly run mile on soft ground should suit (Heavy unknown but sire twice went close in 2 C & D straight track Group 1’s). He goes extremely well for Jim Crowley and I can see him travelling strongly as he usually does before coming home well with his stamina for 1m 2f standing him in good stead.