We’re spread across two countries and three days this weekend as we take in some fascinating races on Friday and Saturday before getting stuck into a great value bet in the French Oaks on Sunday afternoon.
There’s no pre-Royal Ascot lull for us with seven bets still possible, though hopefully we don’t have the bad luck of what turned out to effectively be four non-runners last weekend after the deluge took trainers by surprise.
Friday 14th June 2019
2.35 Sandown (Class 4 Maiden Stakes) – RIOT
Mark Johnston is capable of unleashing really good two-year-olds so any significant money for King’s Caper should be noted, while Godolphin’s Visible Charm can improve from his debut and may well go off a short-priced favourite.
Breeding lines don’t come much better than Riot’s though; by Kingman out of a King’s Best mare and he was originally due to contest the same race Calyx won at HQ last year before taking the Coventry Stakes. This is seven furlongs and the ground isn’t the best, but a lot will be expected of this colt and a winning debut could be on the cards.
3.45 Sandown (Waterloo Handicap) – HERCULEAN
Tralee Hills is dangerous given that he has shown that he can handle softer conditions in the past, but really this is a great opportunity for Herculean who was a colt of some promise at two and three.
He’s potentially very well handicapped now as he gets older and settles down (has been gelded), and while he didn’t take up his last engagement due to very heavy ground, he does handle soft and should be fine in these conditions.
For the same owner, trainer and sire, Headman improved when put into strong handicap company to take the London Gold Cup at Newbury and this horse remains just as capable. C Note, if running here rather than elsewhere, and Allegiant are likely to prove best of the rest.
4.05 York (Ganton Stakes – Listed Race) – WADILSAFA
Wadilsafa and Herculean are old rivals and so it’s rather fitting they should both be in action on the same afternoon, though more mystery surrounds this horse now after his poor showing at Ascot in the Queen Anne Trial.
It’s a concern that he is here at Listed level considering his trainer hoped he would be good enough by now to compete in a Group 1, however in rating him I have taken a good 7lbs off of what he could achieve to this point and, even with a 3lb penalty, that leaves him a few clear of the field.
Oh This Is Us and Sir Dancealot are solid while it’s difficult to know what three-year-old Happy Power can achieve, but they are rather similar in ability right now meaning this could be a good opportunity for Owen Burrows’ charge.
Saturday 15th June 2019
3.00 York (‘Race to the Ebor’ Grand Cup Stakes – Listed Race) – MEKONG
Not as many are turning up for this as expected given that the winner gets a ticket to this year’s extremely valuable Ebor Handicap, and while Mekong has close form with one or two he is more likely than they are to have improved and is liable to stretch away from them under Ryan Moor for Sir Michael Stoute.
Trusty types Raheen House and Austrian School can go well but on all known evidence it’s Mekong who should be able to win this before his trainer decides whether carrying a big weight back here in August or going for the Irish St Leger in September is best for him.
3.50 Sandown (Class 3 Handicap) – KARNAVAAL
We shouldn’t forget just how heavily Karnavaal was backed in a handicap at the Craven meeting, though he didn’t perform as expected that days. The same happened behind Space Blues last time but he has been gelded since and remains just the type to improve in lumps as this season goes on.
There is just enough soft ground form in his breeding to give encouragement that he can handle conditions, with Wise Counsel and Pesto probably leading the charge behind him for places.
4.25 Sandown (Class 3 Handicap) – NEW KING
Not a valuable handicap and one that has only six runners, but this remains a race featuring three-year-olds who can all improve plenty with the quality one on breeding, including his lineage offering some evidence of a liking for softer ground, is John Gosden’s New King and he is taken to score.
It would be no surprise to see good money for Mubariz or Absolutio and they are fair each-way shouts.
Sunday 16th June 2019
3.05 Chantilly (Prix de Diane – Group 1) – ENTITLE
The Prix de Diane, or the French Oaks as we know it, may offer John Gosden the chance to train yet another Group 1 winner here with his Musidora Stakes second Entitle bound to improve loads in these conditions under Frankie Dettori.
The ground should be fine for her, as should the mile-and-a-quarter distance, and given the similarities in her profile to greats past and present from the same yard such as The Fugue and Enable (her half-sister), it seems the yard’s confidence in her will not be misplaced and she looks a huge price at a general 12/1 to score.
The favourite is local filly Siyarafina and she does have a good level of form, though on closer inspection it seems possible that Commes may improve past her at this trip which starts to make them look much of a muchness, the English filly perhaps having more scope.
Nausha actually won the Musidora ahead of Entitle but is not as certain to want this ground and definitely not as sure to improve quite so much, though she still rates a danger for trainer Roger Varian.
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