Flat Racings - Wednesday 20th June

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4.25 Ascot ROYAL HUNT CUP LOVING SPIRIT 2pts EW @ 20/1 bog (Bet365 paying 1/4 for the first 5) Loving Spirit is a 4yo gelding by Azamour (sire of Sunday's Prix de Diane's winner) and a Montjeu's dam (1m3f-1m4f winner) who made an impressive debut (1 Oct 2010) at Newmarket winning a 17-runner maiden for 2yos over 7f on soft ground beating by 5L the second of that race White Frost who had already finished second on his debut two weeks earlier and went on to win three races in a row since, 5.5L the third Bridgefield who is a Godolphin's colt who won next time out and again last year and was rated up to 102 and still 100 when 4th behind Fury in a Listed at York on his seasonal turf debut one month ago, and among the others he beat 7.75L the sixth of that race who was the Haggas-trained Figaro who has collected 2 wins and 3 seconds in his last 6 starts and is now rated 90 (easy winner last time out at Goodwood 3 weeks ago) and 11L the 8th of that race who was the Noseda-trained Garde Cotiere who was sent-off favourite that day and bolted up in a novice stakes next time out (raced only one more time since making his 4yo debut one month ago at Newmarket in handicap off 94). On his second career start (15 Oct 2010) Loving Spirit ran again at Newmarket in the Houghton Stakes, a condition stakes over 1m on good ground, where he was beaten only by the Meehan-trained Mantoba with good horses like Dordogne well beaten in third (Dordogne is a Mark Johnston-trained 4yo (rated 105) who's won 4 races in 7 starts included a Group 2 in Turkey last September when he easily beat Belgian Bill). The James Toller-trained colt (was still a colt then) ran really well but didn't appreciate that much the sounder surface and (as his pedigree and the style of his winning debut suggested) showed he could have been better once upped in distance (finished strong from behind). After a long break he made his 3yo debut directly in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket (the race won by Frankel) where he finished 9th of 13 (on his seasonal/3yo debut in a Group 1 on good to firm). That showed how highly regarded was the horse one year ago and the very good works he had been showing after the winter. All the good promises seemed to disappear pretty quickly as the horse kept on struggling in Listed and Group 3 companies on his next 4 starts and during the last winter connections decided to change something and he's been gelded. On the 7th of May 2012 he made his 4yo/seasonal/gelding/AW debut at Kempton over 1m in a 14-runner class 3 handicap. Loving Spirit finished 6th 2L behind the winner and 3/4L behind Directorship (one of Loving Spirit's opponent in this race) who met troubles in running that day but went really close next time out back on turf at Sandown over 1m on good to firm ground in a 13-runner class 3 handicap off the same mark (90) where he was beaten just 1 neck by Highland Colori (who completed a hat-trick that day and is a very progressive 4yo gelding by Le Vie Dei Colori trained by Andrew Balding and will be among the protagonists of the Buckingham Palace Stakes here at Royal Ascot on Friday). If Directorship was unlucky Loving Spirit was the big eye-catcher of that race imho. He was held up at the back of the field in the early stages but made a very good steady progress in the home straight without Robert Havlin (since ever his jockey) asking really nothing to his raider. The horse wasn't sure to get in this race (rated 90) but just got in and is the bottom weight which means he'll be carrying 8st 7lb and has got a bit of luck also drawing the stall number 27 (of 33) which should be helpful since in the last few years racing close to the stand's rail has always been an advantage in this kind of races at Royal Ascot. The trainer James Toller has had just 12 runners this season but won already two races with the interesting 3yo (owned by PCJ Dalby & RD Schuster as well as Living Spirit) Rewarded and the same connections have another very good 3yo Saigon (Listed winner beating Caspar Netscher last year and 14th in the Epsom Derby won by Camelot) while Toller presented for the GB Partnership a 2yo colt at Yarmouth two weeks ago (Living Desert) who ran realy well finishing second on what was a very promising debut. So the yard have been working well of late and are in good form. This is a very difficult race of course as there are 33 runners who have all their own rights to be here and hopes to go well but Loving Spirit is one of the least exposed horses in the race (8th career start on turf and 2nd of the year after being gelded) and should have plenty of room for improvements from his actual mark of 90 and has got the feather weight, a very good draw and the perfect ground (the softer the better) which he never found again in his short career after his impressive winning debut at Newmarket. Last year Loving Spirit was here at Royal Ascot for a Group 3 for 3yos over 1m2f (won by Pisco Sour) so both the horse and connections have had already a similar experience and the stiff mile of Ascot on good to soft/soft ground seems his perfect trip at the moment even if he could well become a very good middle distance performer in the future.

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Re: Flat Racings - Wednesday 20th June I backed Loving Spirit at Kempton where he was very unlucky. I am all over Captain Bertie for this though. Good luck mate :ok