We have an incredible day of racing ahead of us today at Ascot and I am struggling to remember a card of such quality in my time involved in the sport. The Long Distance Cup promises to be another brilliant renewal while the Champions Sprint is as open as the betting suggests. While it may lack a genuine superstar, there are plenty of very good horses in here, a brief reprieve for those that long for bigger fields in Group races.
The easist of the Group 1 races is the Fillies and Mares where Snowfall wins if she turns up at 80% or better. She is a class apart to this field on all her form this year, even the slightly lesser efforts. The QEII has pretty much all the top milers that you want with the exception of the recently retired Poetic Flare.
It features Palace Pier, who has been pretty much flawless since winning his first Group 1 here at the Royal meeting in the summer of 2020, and Baaeed, the possible heir to the throne. There are plenty of other possibles though, in particular The Revenant, who may get the soft ground he craves.
The Champion Stakes is undoubtedly the highlight of a very strong card and the battle of Adayar and Mishriff with a deep supporting cast including Addeybb and Dubai Honour. I believe Mishriff may be better suited to today's trip than he was to the extra two furlongs of the King George here in July. It is one of those to just watch and enjoy though.
The problem with suggesting a bet for days like this is that the markets are mature and any value has probably well and truly evaporated. I previously mentioned Rohaan in my Attheraces column as value for the Champions Sprint at 9/1 but I didn't expect a field as deep as the one he faces. He is significantly shorter now too and while I wouldn't put anyone off him, I think he is a case in point of the value being gone with a few weeks.
The form of his eye-popping run at the Curragh in the Flying Five has been franked by A Case Of You winning at Longchamp and he was undoubtedly the best horse that day. The draw is an unknown and while there is a feeling that those low may be at an advantage, I'm not so sure. Generally, high numbers have fared better on softer ground on the straight course in recent years and while it is impossible to be definitive without going stick readings (quite disappointing that they are not available but that's for another day), I am happy that high has at least a fair chance with plenty of pace there.
For that reason and with five places available, I am willing to take a stab at a wild one in the shape of Highfield Princess who I have been waiting to run at sprint trips for quite some time. I actually put her up here two weeks ago at Ascot when she pulled far too hard in a Listed race that she failed to carry a penalty in. The winner With Thanks chased home Al Sulail at Newmarket last week in a very fast time in a Group 2 so it may be better than it looked at the time.
That run would be nowhere near good enough but she might improve for the drop in trip as she travels very strongly and might get a lead off Art Power that could allow her to settle. Her second to Space Blues over seven has the potential for Group 1 form (if she improves for the drop in trip) as he is the best seven furlong horse around.
That form suggests she is over-priced here (ties in with Creative Force and Kinross). If there is an advantage high, getting 13/1 about her finishing in the first five seems much too high and in a race that has thrown up a few shocks, who knows what might happen if everything falls right.
Of course there are if's, but's and a few maybe's but at the price, she is worth a small interest in an open contest. I am reminded of the improvement A Case Of You made for a drop in trip and she has a similar sort of profile.
0.5pt eway Highfield Princess (66/1 General) Ascot 2.00 *5 places
Current P/L since June 2020:
Total Staked: 108.5 points
Total Returned: 152.65 points
Total Profit: 44.15 points
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