Selection can land what promises to be one of the best renewals of the midsummer Ascot showpiece for many yearsThat fact that multiple Group One winners Luxembourg and Westover are available at double-figure odds for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday underlines the exceptional strength in depth in this year’s field, and even in the late absence of Desert Crown, last year’s Derby winner, this still promises to be one of the best renewals of the midsummer showpiece for manyyears.Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, separated by just half a length when first and second respectively in last month’s Derby at Epsom, head a strong three-year-old challenge, while Emily Upjohn, Hukum and last year’s...
There is little to choose between the top two in the betting at the Curragh and the selection looks a decent bet at 4-1Seamie Heffernan has won 35 races at the highest level for Aidan O’Brien over the last 23 years and only seven of those winners were favourites, which is both an indication of his perennial role as O’Brien’s No 2 rider and a reminder that when it comes to Group One events, jockey bookings are not the most reliable of guides to the relative chances of the yard’s runners.It could be a point to bear in mind again on Saturday when O’Brien will saddle four of the eight runners in the Group One Irish Oaks at the Curragh,...
Owners and trainers want the Italian on their horses but backers still remember his wretched time at last year’s meeting The announcement on Sunday that Desert Crown, last year’s Derby winner, would miss the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot next week after suffering a “minor setback” was a considerable disappointment for all concerned, not least since it arrived just 48 hours after his surge to clear favouritism for the showpiece event on Wednesday’s card following the news that Frankie Dettori had been booked for the ride.Since we only have the bookies’ word for it, it is, of course, entirely possible that the “gamble” on Desert Crown in the latter part of last week was more of a defensive...
Lightly raced runner looks overpriced at around 8-1 for a breakthrough Group One success at NewburyModern Games, who took the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland last autumn, is the only previous winner at the highest level in a 13-strong field for the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, but he is only third-best on Timeform’s ratings and seems ideally suited by tight US tracks and lightning-fast ground.He is an underwhelming favourite a result, not least as he faces several progressive rivals with considerable scope for improvement on their form to date. Continue reading...
Jockey landed the most valuable success of her career in her first campaign as a fully-fledged professionalSaffie Osborne, who is in her first season as a fully-fledged professional having ridden out her claim in November, landed the most valuable success of her career at Chester on Friday as Metier stayed on strongly from the top of the straight to beat Zoffee by a neck in the Tote Chester Cup.Harry Fry’s gelding had a disappointing time over hurdles over the winter, when he was pulled up on both his starts, but bounced back to the form that had seen horse and rider take last season’s November Handicap at Doncaster off an 8lb lower mark. The first prize of £76,000 was just...