17:10 Ascot

Friday 13 July 2018

All14:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:1017:40

Savills Handicap (Rnd)

Off time: 17:12 | Winning time: 1m 41.24s

(4)

Ode To Autumn^p¹⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-11| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 92| BF| D

9/2

Raised 3lb since finishing ¾L second to Kassar at Yarmouth last month (1m, good to firm), but no doubting that this trip suits this dual Newcastle Tapeta scorer best; respected despite the stiff task off top-weight.

Form: 2-11242

(3)

Racing Country^h¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Edward Greatrex| T: S bin Suroor| OR: 88

5/1

Back to the UK after wintering in Dubai with an authoritative maiden win at Newmarket last month (7f, good to firm); form franked with Geranium (third) winning at Kempton this week; worthy of consideration on handicap debut.

Form: 280701

(9)

Simpson²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Adam J McNamara⁽³⁾| T: E Walker| OR: 88| D

11/2

No win since his nursery debut in September 2017 (1m, good to soft) and has looked to be handicapped out of contention so far in 2018; easing slightly after finishing 20th of 30 in the Britannia Stakes over C&D last month.

Form: 32-5360

(5)

Simply Breathless²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: A Kirby| T: C G Cox| OR: 88| D

4/1

Improving 3yo with form figures reading 2,1,8,1 so far this season; hit with an 8lb rise in the weights for her comfortable 3½L win at Newmarket (1m) last month, but that looks far from guaranteed to thwart her immeasurable progress.

Form: 23-2181

(8)

Hateya⁸^{(ex 6)}

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Charlie Bennett⁽³⁾| T: J R Boyle| OR: 82| D

8/1

Won three of her last four starts, including when producing a clear career best effort to win by 3½L from Prestbury Park at Epsom (7f) last week; 1lb well in under her 6lb penalty.

Form: 631161

(1)

Kitaabaat⁶⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: Fran Berry| T: Owen Burrows| OR: 87| D

9/2

Beat the 107-rated Sevenna Star when taking a 1m novice stakes at Sandown in September 2017, but weakened on handicap debut (1m2f) at Newmarket in May; absent since (a slight worry) but likely much better suited by this drop back in trip; EW chance.

Form: 421-6

(7)

George¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: S Kirk| OR: 83| D

13/2

Broke his duck at the tenth attempt when narrowly winning a Class 4 handicap at Goodwood in June (1m), but beaten off this 4lb higher mark at Salisbury next time and this stronger race commands further improvement; others more obvious.

Form: 2-54614

(2)

Watheer³²²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-13| J: P J Dobbs| T: M P Tregoning| OR: 80WS

20/1

Weakened tamely in the 1m Listed Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury in August and absent from the track since, so presumably has had issues; undergone wind surgery and untested in handicap company, but likely to need this race on balance.

Form: 417-

Non-Runners

(6)

Protected Guest¹⁴

Weight: 9-0| Age: 3

T: G G Margarson J: Jane Elliott

Forecasts

Simply Breathless (4/1), Kitaabaat (9/2), Ode To Autumn (9/2), Racing Country (5/1), Simpson (11/2), George (13/2), Hateya (8/1), Protected Guest (12/1), Watheer (20/1)

Possibly the most competitive race of the day, in which picking the winner isn't easy. It's tough to find too many flaws with either Ode To Autumn or the unexposed Godolphin owned Racing Country, whilst both Simply Breathless and Hateya are so far continuing on their sharp upward trajectories. Therefore, with no firm standout choice, small each-way stakes are played on the Owen Burrows-trained KITAABAAT in the hope and expectation that there is more to come from this inexperienced Dansili colt. He'll appreciate the drop back in trip, with his Sandown novice defeat of Sevenna Star probably a much better piece of form on which to judge him upon.