Timeform provide an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
Kalpana has a class edge
It doesn’t look the deepest renewal of the Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes (13:25) and Kalpana looks the class act in the race.
She was a very smart three-year-old, that season culminating in a win in the Group 1 Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot, and she was far from disgraced in some top races against the boys last year, her standout effort coming when beaten a length by Calandagan in the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Things didn’t go her way in the Arc later last year, having a wide trip and doing well to finish as close as she did in the circumstances, and she fared much better returned to Ascot when last seen to land back-to-back wins in the Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Kalpana didn’t need to be at her best back against her own sex, but she soon put the race to bed when asked for her effort in the straight, and she’s 3lb clear on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings even with a 4lb penalty. She should have too much class and it looks an ideal opportunity to get her season up and running.
Zeus Olympios can come out on top in a cracking Lockinge
It’s an excellent renewal of the Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes and it is the Karl Burke-trained Zeus Olympios who just comes out top on Timeform ratings.
He made rapid progress as a three-year-old, unbeaten in four starts, his comfortable defeat of Opera Ballo in the Joel Stakes at standout effort, and that rival has more than advertised the form since.
Indeed, he was beaten by Opera Ballo on his return at Sandown recently, but it was reported he’d come on a bundle for the run, and he shaped that way too, doing too much in the early stages and not finding as much as looked likely when asked for his effort.
Zeus Olympios may have lost his unbeaten record, but it was still an encouraging return – he was given the Horse In Focus Flag – and he’s entitled to improve a fair bit for that run, still unexposed with just five starts under his belt after all.
Sahara King can progress again
The Trade Nation London Gold Cup Handicap (15:45) is often a springboard for future pattern performers and this year’s renewal looks no different with plenty of unexposed, potential improvers on show.
Sahara King was easy to back despite making appeal on paper when making a winning debut at Wolverhampton on his sole start last year, form which worked out well, and he took a step forward on his return in a red-hot race over this course and distance.
That was won by Maltese Cross, who has since followed up in the Lingfield Derby Trial, and is now the shortest priced British-trained runner in the Derby itself. Sahara King again shaped with plenty of promise on his handicap debut at Newmarket last time.
That race was won by another progressive sort who made all of the running, and Sahara King was ridden in totally contrasting fashion, but he did much the best of those who were ridden towards the rear.
The Rowley Mile probably didn’t suit his run style as well as a track like Newbury does and he appeals as being well handicapped from a mark of 95.
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