Our experts highlight a few horses on the radar for Ascot, Haydock, Newmarket and further afield this weekend.
Have you a fancy at the Shergar Cup at Ascot on Saturday?
Ben Linfoot: Asgard’s Captain ran well in fifth at the Shergar Cup last year, despite racing keenly, when beaten two lengths by Night Breeze in the Shergar Cup Challenge over 1m4f. That rival is favourite for the same race 12 months on but Asgard’s Captain gets an 8lb pull at the weights and this time he’s drawn Ryan Moore in the saddle.
John Ingles: William Haggas looks to have some good chances on the card, including with Thunder Call in the Sprint. He won the valuable six-furlong handicap for three-year-olds at York in June and ran just as well when third in a similar event at the July meeting behind a couple of other useful types. Another furlong might have suited him ideally, but the way he was putting in his best work at the finish at Newmarket suggests he’ll appreciate the stiffer track at Ascot.
Andrew Asquith: I also think there should be more to come from Thunder Call in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint. He’s progressed well this season, a wide-margin winner on return at Kempton before making a winning handicap debut from Red Spells Danger in a hot race at York. The emphasis on speed was against him at Newmarket last time, but he will be well suited by the switch to this stiffer track, and he can confirm himself still a well-handicapped horse.
Racing returns to Haydock – is Sallaal a banker in the Rose of Lancaster?
JI: Maybe not quite a banker given his rivals have all shown smart form themselves, but the way he’s been going through the grades this year from handicaps to listed company certainly makes him the one to beat, being 6lb clear in the Timeform ratings. You don’t see handicaps won very often with the level of form he showed at Epsom, and with Saturday’s race in mind, it was encouraging that he was able to handle the smaller field and steadier pace at Sandown last time.
BL: Yes, I think so. He has improved markedly since being gelded and I thought he did well to win a small-field Gala Stakes at Sandown last time - good evidence he doesn’t need a massive-field handicap scenario to get his head in front. That skill will be vital again on Saturday and given he’s well suited by the weights I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll justify odds-on favouritism.
AA: Sallaal put up one of the best handicap performances this century on Timeform’s scale at Epsom two starts ago and didn’t need to run to such a figure to follow up in Listed company last time. He’s clearly an improved performer this year, but this may turn tactical, and I prefer the claims of Danger Bay with that in mind. He’s a strong traveller who usually races close to the pace and couldn’t have caught the eye more in the John Smith’s Cup last time. He’s well worth a crack at this level and doesn’t seem to have stopped improving yet.
Are you for or against Graceful Song in the Sweet Solera at Newmarket?
AA: Graceful Song did it nicely on her debut over this course and distance, but that was a slowly-run race and the form doesn’t look that special with a 100/1 newcomer finishing third. I wouldn’t be backing her at her current odds with that in mind and I was taken by Martinet’s win at Thirsk recently. She showed a smart turn of foot to settle the race that day and given how much she improved from her debut, along with her pedigree, she has the potential to take another big step forward.
BL: It’s hard to be against her given she was impressive over the course and distance on debut with the promise of more to come. She’s one of the least experienced fillies in the field which might be an angle against her now she steps up in class, but she also has the most potential and I’d be fairly wary of taking her on.
JI: The one with the best form here is Nuit d’Eclair after her fourth in the Princess Margaret a couple of weeks ago but she’s not certain to be suited by the extra furlong, so I’d have to be with Graceful Song to give Charlie Appleby and Billy Loughnane a second consecutive win in this contest. She was well on top when landing the odds over course and distance on her debut last month and was given the ‘large P’ on her rating, so she’s got the improvement in her to step up to Group 3 company.
Finally, give us one for the various Group 1s around Europe on Sunday please?
JI: It came as a surprise to see that Aidan O’Brien has won only one of the last eight runnings of the Phoenix Stakes, but as you’d expect, his overall record in the race is none too shabby and he’s got a very strong hand to choose from this year. Assuming Coventry Stakes winner Great Barrier Reef takes his chance, it will take a smart one to spoil his unbeaten record, though Albany Stakes runner-up Sun Goddess made it two from two at the Curragh in the Airlie Stud Stakes last time and isn’t far behind on ratings taking her fillies’ allowance into account.
AA: Stolen Kiss looks interesting on the pick of his form from last season in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, but it will be a good performance to win a Group 1 on his return to action, and True Love looks the most solid option in receipt of both an age and sex allowance. She was probably given too much to do in the Prix Jean Prat last time, doing all of her best work at the finish. True Love doesn’t lack speed so this slightly shorter trip shouldn’t be an issue and it’s interesting she’s Aidan O’Brien’s sole entry in the race.
BL: With John and Andy tackling Ireland and France, respectively, I’ll give a shout out to the Group 1 Westminster 136th Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten over 1m4f. Dead interesting to see Andrew Balding’s Almeric pointed here, as he’s been running well in defeat in the UK behind the likes of Ombudsman and Rebel’s Romance and he won’t face a rival of that calibre here. Owner Kirsten Rausing won this race with Alpinista a few years ago and she might well be raising a glass of pilsner to one of her horses in Germany once again.
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