Our form expert has two selections for Ascot on Saturday including one for Marco Botti.
The Verdict: Saturday May 10
1pt e.w. Hickory in 2.40 Ascot at 20/1 (bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Calumet in 3.15 Ascot at 9/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win No Retreat in 2.40 Ascot at 11/1 (NON RUNNER)
Hickory to strike for Osborne
The racing roadshow rolls on from Chester to Ascot, Haydock and Lingfield on Saturday and it’s all about the action at the first-named course for me with the Schweppes Victoria Cup another great puzzle to try and unravel.
The dry and warm weather means we’ve got watered good to firm (good in places) ground and with a slightly smaller field than is normal for this race I wonder if the jockeys will all stick together as one rather than splitting into multiple groups?
That’s a possibility and with the pace looking middle to stands’ side I wouldn’t be surprised if the far side runners come across to form one big group like they did last year.
With all that in mind, course specialist HICKORY is worth backing each-way on his first start for Jamie Osborne.
Osborne does wonders with this type of purchase from the sales, particularly at Ascot, the likes of Field Of Dream, Raising Sand and Cliffs Of Capri springing to mind.
Hickory had a great track record here for James Fanshawe, finishing second, third and fourth in big-field seven-furlong Ascot handicaps, and all of those efforts came off higher ratings than the 85 he runs off on Saturday.
Indeed, he was slightly unlucky to only get fourth off 89 in this race last year, drawn on the wrong side and finding trouble in the run, but he motored home under Saffie Osborne who rides this straight track particularly well.
Unsurprisingly she’s back on board Saturday and from stall 11 she should be better placed to strike than last year however this pans out.
The headgear has been left off, just as it was on his seasonal debut last year too when second at Kempton - arguably his best run of the entire campaign.
Retreat a non runner
I’m not put off by backing one drawn on the far side and I would’ve been with George Scott’s NO RETREAT (NON RUNNER) from wherever he was berthed after he improved significantly out in Meydan earlier this year.
As it is he’s drawn in four and while you’re always taking a chance trusting how Meydan form will work out with horses back in the UK this son of Siyouni looks progressive and likely suited by a big-field handicap over seven furlongs at Ascot.
He has always been highly rated and was sent off favourite on his first five starts, notably on his second career run for Roger Varian at Windsor where James Doyle got pelters for a questionable ride.
That was over 1m2f, but No Retreat looks happier over shorter distances, especially in a big-field handicap scenario as he showed out in Dubai when quickening well to win the Lincoln Navigator Race Handicap over seven furlongs.
The way he travels in the rear and quickens to get the job done means he has all the tools to thrive at Ascot and he ran a cracker over a mile off a mark more in line with the one he runs off on Saturday after that.
I think seven furlongs at Ascot is perfect for him first time up for the in-form George Scott yard and more improvement could be forthcoming now he’s been gelded (Scott has an excellent record with newly-gelded horses for what it’s worth; 10 wins from 44 at 22.7%).
The Verdict: Back HICKORY in the 2.40 Ascot
Calumet to come good for Botti
The other bet on Saturday is Marco Botti’s CALUMET in the Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Handicap over 1m4f.
This horse has had no luck whatsoever this year, as he was almost knocked over in a barging match on his seasonal return at Kempton in the Rosebery before he was drawn wide and raced wide throughout on his next run at Pontefract.
I thought he fared well on both occasions considering and improvement is expected granted a cleaner race now he steps up to 1m4f.
Rossa Ryan should get the inside line and plenty of cover from stall one at least and this horse looked right at home on fast ground as a three-year-old when he powered away with a Windsor maiden in the height of summer.
A half-brother to the yard’s stable star Giavellotto, plenty will be expected of him in this type of race over the next few months and it could be worth getting him onside now while he is still so unexposed over this sort of trip.
The Verdict: Back CALUMET in the 3.15 Ascot
Preview posted at 1536 BST on 09/05/25
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