Moet & Chandon International Stakes
Fresh 40/1, 0.5pts each-way (4 places)
Metal Merchant 40/1. 0.5pts each-way (4 places)
The big handicap next week is at Ascot on King George day, the 7 furlong International Stakes. 7 furlongs at Ascot is a bit of a specialist's dream and it often pays to look at horses who have run well over it. To that end, James Fanshawe's admirable 8 year old Fresh looks overpriced at 40/1. He's perhaps not quite the force of old and is now rated 95 but it's worth remembering he won this race of a higher mark in 2022 and was 3rd in it last year when the ground was a bit faster than he liked. With a bit of rain around this week, it's unlikely the surface at Ascot on Saturday will be rattling fast which will aid this veteran. He carried his form well last year, rounding off by finishing 4th over C&D on Champions Day and he can be forgiven his seasonal debut at Newcastle last month as he always needs his first run of the year. Another who likes this test is Jack Channon's 5 year old Metal Merchant. The son of Make Believe is now 2 pounds lower in the weights than when a fast finishing 4th in this last year and I'm sure connections have been plotting their way back to this ever since. He's won over the straight course at Ascot before, over a mile and although he's not been at his best in 2 runs so far this year, he's bounced back from poor shows before and the stable is going along nicely now. Both runners look overpriced.
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