Royal Ascot Sat 20th June

[bowles10]

Wokingham handicap 6f 4.25 Ascot (cl 2, G/F) ASSET trained by Saeed Suroor ridden by Frankie Dettori is drawn 27 so :hope for a change in fortune for the higher numbers, however most of the pace seems to be in the middle so depends on where they track across to, i would hope Frankie follows from his wide stall. This is a class 1 performer & its run behind Main Aim last time out (grp 3) was worth a second look, over 7f, held up & then made good progress late on the take 4th place 3.5L behind the impressive winner who stepped up to Group 1 class this week. Prior to that race, Asset won a listed race at Leicester over 7f on fast ground beating regal Parade 0.75L. The horse had 3 runs in Dubai all over 6f over the winter winning one of those (recent scorer Judd st in 3rd). Last seaosn the horse only ran twice in the uk coming 2nd at Great Leighs & also 2nd at Goodwodd behind Lessons in Humility who sidesteps this race for a crack at the Grp 1 sprint tomorrow. 2 seasons ago, Asset was only beaten 3.75L in the Betfred Sprint cup Group1 behind red clubs.That season the horse was 3rd in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee at R Ascot behind soldiers tale which must be its best performance only 1/2L behind Takeover Target in 2nd. That race is what i am basing this selection on as i feel the horse has all the capabilities still of winning a decent sprint race. In 2007, it also won the Abernant stakes in April. I just cant quite believe this is a 33/1 chance with bet365

[alexmac]

Re: Royal Ascot Sat 20th June 2.30 – CHESHAM STAKES BEETHOVEN looks like being the one here. Running for the pretty much unbeatable at time O’Brian yard, this 2 year old has been impeccably bred by Oratorio/Queen Titi and looks set to run a big race here. His latest run at Naas saw him finish second, but the trip that day looked to be too short for him. He appeared to be getting the hang of his racing towards the end of that 6f race, and with the extra furlong here today, that can only go down as being another positive. I think Beethoven could be a pretty smart colt, who will take this race, and then step up to being a Group 2 performer at the very least. 3.05 – HARDWICKE STAKES BRONZE CANNON is a horse whom I really like, but I never seem to get him right. However, I am confident that he has what it takes to grab a place here, so an each way bet is a good idea. He seems to run better in the better class races. This season, he has already ran respectably in the Winter Derby, although that was on the all-weather, and at Newmarket in the Jockey Club Stakes. His latest run at Newmarket saw him thrash the well regarded Casual Conquest, and if he even recreates that form then he has got to be in with a very good chance here. Of the rest – Doctor Freemantle will be popular, but I do not think that the odds will be very attractive. 3.45 – GOLDEN JUBILEE STAKES JJ THE JETPLANE will be favourite here, and I think he will win. I am lucky enough to have seen this horse very recently at Windsor – where he absolutely crushed a decent field. He has been bought over from South Africa for this, and if he is not in the money I will be amazed. He is so muscular looking, and is a real genuine speedball. The trainer is really bullish about his chances, and I think that must only be another positive. The other interesting horse is SACRED KINGDOM – whose trainer and owners have had to stump up £45,000 to get him supplemented. Clearly, they are confident of a big show from their horse, and I would be shocked if he didn’t run up to the form of his recent win in a very rich race in Singapore. 4.25 – THE WOKINGHAM Pretty much the most bet on race of the entire 5 day meet this, and that makes it very difficult to pick a winner. All the horses in this are much of a muchness in terms of form and ability. However, there are 2 that I do think could be pretty well handicapped. Clive Cox trains JIMMY STYLES, who although has had training problems, looks very well treated here. He possesses a really high cruising speed, and that is a huge bonus in a race as competitive as this one. The yard are in excellent form, and the form of his latest win at Newmrket is working out pretty well. He goes on good to firm ground, and has also ran with great respect over Ascot before. Certainly one to have an each way interest in. The second I like is HIGH STANDING. If the rain comes, then this interest gets even stronger, as he seems to act best with a little bit of cut in the ground. I believe he has won all of the races he has contested over the 6f trip, and with Ryan Moore taking this ride he is in excellent hands. 5.00 – DUKE OF EDINBURGH STAKES MARTYR can win this one for Richard Hughes and Richard Hannon. I have seen him 3 times already this season, and have been impressed with each of his runs. Saying that, his most recent run was slightly below the form he is capable of, but I believe that to be down to the fact that he did not act on the undulations at Epsom. Saying he did not act may be giving him a disservice however, as he still finished 3rd in a hot looking race. This is another one who will be in favour of a bit of rain, and I do think that he stands an excellent chance of winning here. 5.30 – QUEEN ALEXANDRA STAKES This sees a number of jumps horses contesting the final race of the meet, and CARACCIOLA can put in a bold show for Nicky Henderson. He is a classy type, who possesses loads of stamina – as he proved last time out at York where he slammed the field in a decent 1m6f race.