Top commentator Simon Holt previews Saturday's feature action at Newmarket and Ascot and he fancies Persuasive to land the Sun Chariot.
SIX days on from their magnificent Arc win with Enable, trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori can take another major prize at the highest level with PERSUASIVE in the Group One Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
Despite a delayed start to her campaign, the daughter of Dark Angel has come back as good as ever, improving on her reappearance fifth behind Roly Poly at Deauville (with Qemah fourth) by turning the tables on both those fillies when third to Hydrangea and Winter in last month's Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
Persuasive really caught the eye that day and was motoring at the finish (Qemah fifth, Roly Poly sixth) in a race in which she had chased home the smart Alice Springs 12 months earlier.
After two starts back, the selection should be right at her best and a reproduction of that latest run in Ireland will make her very hard to beat.
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Qemah is joined by compatriot and old rival Usherette who was an impressive winner on this course (over 1m1f) in May of last year and had little luck in running when third behind Qemah and Aljazzi at Royal Ascot in June.
Andre Fabre's mare has been a bit below that form in two starts since, including when scraping home in a listed event at Maisons-Laffitte early last month but, like her genius of a trainer, she is not one to under-estimate.
Aljazzi, a 40-1 chance at Ascot, proved her run there was no fluke when comfortably landing a Group Three at Sandown, by three lengths from Nathra.
Back up in class now, the daughter of Shamardal should be thereabouts and, on official ratings has every chance, but she will need a strong gallop to aim at and it is not a given that likely front-runner Roly Poly will go off quickly.
At Ascot, last week's impressive Newmarket winner MAKZEEM is taken to follow-up under a 6lb penalty in the totescoop6 Challenge Cup.
Roger Charlton's charge is still 2lb well in on his reassessed rating and this close relation to Group One star Al Kazeem could be about to fulfil his potential.
Makzeem might have been on the right side of the track last week but, on the other hand, had little to race with in the final furlong. Ultimately, a three-and-a-quarter length victory was impressive and seven furlongs with a bit of cut in the ground appear to be his ideal conditions.
As ever in these valuable Ascot handicaps, there are dangers aplenty. The progressive Mojito has gone up 9lb for completing a hat-trick of wins at York's Ebor meeting in August, Johnny Barnes will be suited by this extra furlong after a staying on sixth to Donjuan Triumphant over six furlongs at Haydock last week and Mjjack has run two good seconds behind Stamp Hill and Remarkable over this course and distance on his last two starts.
Recommended Bets
2pts win Persuasive 2.40 Newmarket at best-morning price
2pts win Makzeem 3.35 Ascot at best-morning price
