The July Festival is here already, can you believe it. 3 days of top quality summer flat action. I'll run through every race.
13:50, Bahrain Trophy Stakes
Scandinavia 5/4, 2pts win
3 of the 5 runners here were last seen contesting the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot last month. Nighttime Dancer arrives fresher than those as he has not been seen since finishing 8th in the Derby but he may find that this race isn't run to suit and may end up wanting even more of a stamina test. Further finished 2nd in the Queen's Vase, 3 places ahead of Scandinavia but preference in the rematch is for the Aidan O'Brien trained son of Justify. The Ballydoyle colt raced at least 3 wide throughout much of the Ascot race, whereas Andrew Balding's runner had the inside rail throughout. Not a lot went right for Scandinavia but he was only just behind Further at the line and shapes as though he has more improvement in him and will probably appreciate this step up in trip.
///
14:25, Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes
Jel Pepper 17/2, 1pt win
This looks to be a high quality renewal of the 2 year old Group 2 over the 6 furlongs. Mehmas won this in 2016 and his Godolphin owned son, Maximised is likely to start at short odds to emulate his father. Charlie Appleby's colt beat the subsequent Windsor Castle winner at Epsom last time but the runner up hated the track and the winner did take a while to get his act together. He may be worth taking on at the prices. Brussels looks the obvious alternative. He comes into this with a 1 from 1 record and the form of his debut win has been franked plenty. He looks nice but is vying for favouritism now whereas Paul & Oliver Cole's runner, Jel Pepper, is a much bigger price. The son of Inns Of Court was barely sighted int he parade ring at Goodwood on debut last month but was hammered off the boards as if people knew he was good and duly won like a nice horse, quickening clear of a fair field to win by a widening 3 1/2 lengths. He's stepped markedly up in grade today but he left the impression that he has an engine and looks value against the front two. Do Or Do Not must also be respected as a Coventry Stakes runner up for all that he lacks the potential of his rivals.
///
15:00, Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap
Hucklesbrook 13/2, 1pt each-way (5 places)
This is a fiendish 18 runner, 3 year old only sprint handicap so caution is advised. Hucklesbrook however, arrives off the back of 2 wins over this trip. He was last seen fending off 17 rivals at York and he did most of it from the front end that day. Ryan Moore takes charge today and this Acclaim gelding is improving at a rate of knots. He's drawn in stall 16 but that is no bad thing as 7 of the last 12 winners were drawn 14 or wider with only 2 in that time coming from single figure stalls.
///
15:35, Princess Of Wales's Stakes
Ghostwriter 7/4, 2pts win
Known as a bit of a favourite's graveyard, the Princess Of Wales's Stakes highlights the opening day of the July Festival. Godolphin have 2 of the 5 runners but both have questions to answer. Arabian Crown looked a name to follow last year when winning the Sandown Classic Trial but has only been seen twice since and has been deserted by William Buick. He opts to ride El Cordobes instead. The likeable Frankel gelding could look to dominate this from the front but had little excuse when beaten in a Group 3 at Newbury in the Spring over this trip and looks to have found his level. Wimbledon Hawkeye is the sold 3 year old in the race who must have a chance in receipt of weight all round and ran well at Royal Ascot but is looking exposed now and this is a tough race to bounce back to winning ways in. Palladium has run well on his 2 starts so far this season, 3rd at Goodwood and 4th at Royal Ascot. He'll appreciate this stiff finish but he finished behind Ghostwriter last time out and may struggle to turn around form. Clive Cox's colt is set to go off favourite here and so he should as he is clear on ratings and ran well at the Royal meeting considering he was mightily keen throughout and was probably closer than ideal to a frenetic pace there. There is a worry that he hasn't won at this trip but he shaped as though he's up to winning over it and his 3 year old form is head and shoulders above anything else in the race. This looks a good bit of placing.
///
16:10, British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes
Night Shining 2/1, 1pt win
Not a lot to go on here but the owners of Night Shining paid 475,000 guineas for her and she comes with a speedy pedigree. She's bred to be sharp and George Boughey has snapped up the services of Ryan Moore. Expect a big run.
///
16:45, Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes
Opera Ballo 11/8, 3pts win
This looks to be a nice renewal of the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes with King Of Cities bringing French Derby form to the table. He's in receipt of 3 pounds from favourite Opera Ballo and on the ratings should be winning this but I was at Sandown to see the Godolphin colt win the Heron Stakes in May and I thought he shaped like a cut above this level that night. The speedy son of Ghaiyyath hosed up on his first 2 runs (all weather) early in the year before finding the Craven too much too soon when beaten into 6th by Europe's best horse, Field Of Gold. He bounced back in no uncertain terms at Sandown later that month though when smashing a decent field despite being keen throughout. That form has been franked as the runner up has gone close in a French Group 2 since. He'll have learned a lot from Sandown and should be winning this on his way to better things.
///
17:20, Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Handicap
Parole D'oro 9/4, 2pts win
I was a fan of Michael Bell's 3 year old colt going into Royal Ascot, where he finished 8th in the Britannia. That was a good run considering he didn't have much luck. He should be up to winning this.
No comments:
Post a Comment