There's another fine day to look forward to at Ascot on Saturday and the Racing Post's Robbie Wilders has given us his tips for what looks to be a fascinating card.
2.25 Ascot
Inverness @ 10/3
1pt win
3.00 Ascot
Bond Chairman @ 11/1
1pt each-way
3.35 Ascot
Mutasaabeq @ 10/3
1pt win
What: | Horse Racing |
Where: | Ascot, Berkshire |
When: | 1.50-5.20 Saturday 9th July, 2022 |
How to watch: | Sky Sports Racing, ITV and bet365's Sports Live Streaming |
The Hi-Speed Services Handicap (2.25) looks a strong race for the grade. While the progressive Bague D'Or is feared and we know he stays this 1m6f trip, Inverness is completely unexposed and could yet prove much better than a mark of 87.
The Charlie Hills-trained three-year-old showed the benefit of his debut sixth to Coroebus to score in good style over a mile at Goodwood as a juvenile next time.
Thrust into the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on his return, Inverness fell short in that company but 1m2f was always likely to prove beyond him at three and there were signs of encouragement in the King George V Stakes on his fourth outing.
He was caught too far back and wider than ideal in a race where it paid to be prominent and far side.
Highland Reel is establishing himself as a strong influence of stamina as a sire and this colt could improve past those we know more about upped to this trip.
The Heritage Handicap (3.00) is wide open but it might be worth siding with Bond Chairman each-way, with bet365 offering enhanced place terms.
Bond Chairman seems to relish this course and distance and produced his two best runs here on Racing Post Ratings. The son of Kodiac claimed fourth in the Windsor Castle Stakes as a juvenile and ran a blinder on his return when beaten only a length in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes at odds of 40/1.
Naturally you would expect Bryan Smart left something to work on with several months of the season left and Bond Chairman is weighted to go well in a slightly weaker race off 2lb higher.
The trainer has also entered the three-year-old in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York next month, which is a snapshot of his future potential.
Significantly, he won this from the same stall (8) last season and the pair share similar profiles. The stars could be aligning for another personal best from the northern raider.
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The Group 2 Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes (3.35) has not cut up as much as I expected when studying the race at the beginning of the week.
Having supported Perotto each-way a few days ago, I'm turning my attention to Mutasaabeq.
The Charlie Hills-trained four-year-old has the potential to rate much higher than we have seen and could press Chindit for favouritism.
We are probably aware of Chindit's level, whereas Mutasaabeq is a lesser-known quantity and was patently unlucky not to land a Group 2 at Sandown a couple of starts back.
Traffic problems cost him victory and he was reported to have lost a shoe when finishing third as a heavily backed favourite at Epsom last Monday.
The track wasn't his cup of tea and he was hanging down the camber, so I'm keen to give him another chance at a venue which suits his hold-up racing style.
While his only previous run at Ascot resulted in a below-par effort in last season's Jersey Stakes, don't worry about that as the course didn't beat him that day.
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