Tag: Pallasator

Ascot Wednesday Preview

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There is an excellent card at Ascot on Wednesday with two Group 3 races and a Listed race.

The action starts at 2.25 with a two-year-old Conditions Stakes featuring three first-time-out winners. The one to be on here looks to be Gifted Master for the in-form Hugo Palmer stable. He was an impressive winner on his debut at Newmarket where he had the Brocklesby Stakes winner behind in fourth. He won’t have everything his own way with Mark Johnston’s Buratino and Windsor winner Handytalk in opposition but another win here could book his Royal Ascot ticket.

Montalcino is strongly fancied to win the Retraining Of Racehorses Stakes at 3.00 for Brian Meehan, another stable which has started the season impressively. Level stakes followers of the yard are already fifty points up this season and Montalcino holds an ambitious entry in the Coronation Stakes at Ascot. If she is that good, the others won’t see which way she went but I’m going to take a chance on Pulcinella. The Godolphin filly was second off a modest mark in a Newmarket handicap on her last outing but she is by that good mare Petrushka and can only improve.

The Sagaro Stakes at 3.30 looks a real puzzle, particularly if the ground remains on the fast side. Tac de Boistron is known to prefer softer ground and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him taken out if the rain fails to arrive. Forever Now was very disappointing at Nottingham behind stable companion Deuce Again last time and is surely better than he showed that day. Pallasator should go close here for Sir Mark Prescott but there are a number of improving horses here that are taking a step up from handicap company.

Stomachion and Wakea will both win races but I am siding with Luca Cumani’s Mizzou. He did nothing but improve last year and was only beaten inches on his last start here. Normally I would not back Cumani until later in the summer but he’s already sent out a couple of winners and his horses seem quite well forward. Whatever he does here, he should develop into a decent stayer this season.

The horse which may steal the headlines is Henry Candy’s unbeaten Limato. He oozed class when winning the valuable Redcar Two-year-old Trophy under a confident ride from Graham Lee and could develop into a Group 1 sprinter this season. There are plenty of speedy sorts in opposition in the Pavilion Stakes at 4.05 but I expect Limato to continue where he left off last season and make it five in a row.

Mondialiste ran a cracker in the Lincoln and did not enjoy the smoothest of runs at Newmarket last time. He looks the form choice in the Listed race at 4.35 for David O’Meara.

Gifted Master 2.25 @6-4 Stan James

Pulcinella 3.00 @7-2 Betfair

Mizzou 3.30 @9-1 Boylesports

Limato 4.05 @13-8 Paddy Power

Mondialiste 4.35 @2-1 Bet365

Ascot Saturday Preview

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If the forecasts of doom prove correct, the runners at Ascot on Saturday will be strung out like three-mile chasers. The going was officially described as heavy by midweek and more rain is forecast across the UK.

After Friday’s supposed “Future Champions’ Day” at Newmarket where a sharp pin would have had more chance of yielding a profit than a form book, can we expect more of the same on Saturday? There is certainly something wrong with the race planning in trying to promote these racecards as the cream of racing when they are invariably run on soft ground. The decision to move the Champion Stakes from Newmarket was a bad one and the attempt to build a supporting card around it is looking very dubious.

We have previewed the big race separately and expect Cirrus des Aigles to fly the flag for France with Noble Mission most likely to follow him home. If the feature race is struggling to live up to its title, the QE II does at least provide an interesting clash between 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder and his Longchamp conqueror Charm Spirit. It is a measure of the strength of Richard Hannon’s mile division that he has been forced to take out Toronado and Olympic Glory but still saddles the favourite.

Charm Spirit got first run on Night Of Thunder last time but looks the sort to keep pulling out more. I wouldn’t be confident of Hannon’s colt gaining his revenge and will side with Olivier Peslier’s mount. The Fillies & Mares provides Albasharah with the chance to follow up her Newmarket win from last weekend. She has an extra two furlongs to travel here and it may just pay to side with Silk Sari who has bottomless stamina.

The sprint race looks like a good opportunity for G Force to land yet another major prize for David O’Meara. He was unlucky in the Nunthorpe and gained handsome compensation in the Haydock Sprint Trophy. Soft ground should not be a worry and he may have most to fear from Viztoria who was third here last year.

In the opening stayers race I am going to take a chance on Pallasator, if only because he is built like a chaser and should handle the ground. In the closing Balmoral Handicap I have gone through the form and Gabrial’s Kaka looks a cracking bet at a big price. He won the Spring Mile at Newbury and was also a good third at Sandown. He now finds himself more than a stone better off with Velox. He was badly hampered in the Cambridgeshire and the form could easily be turned on its head. It wouldn’t be the first time this week!

Pallasator 1.45 @8-1 Paddy Power

G Force 2.20 @9-2 888Sport

Silk Sari 2.55 @5-1 Bet Victor

Charm Spirit 3.30 @7-2 Skybet

Cirrus des Aigles 4.05 @13-8 Coral

Gabrial’s Kaka 4.45 @33-1 Coral

Newmarket Thursday Preview

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The Cambridgeshire meeting gets under way on Thursday with the Somerville Tattersall Stakes being the main event at 3.40.

Although there are only eight runners, this looks quite an open contest. My regular readers will know that William Haggas has done us several favours this season and he sets a poser here with two runners. Mubtaghaa won a big sales race at York and had stable companion Valley Of Fire just under three lengths behind in third.

The pair meet again over a furlong further here and it’s not easy to see which will come out on top. Valley Of Fire was having only his second race and became the meat in the sandwich in the closing stages. Make It Up made all to win at Goodwood last time and looks the obvious choice to lead again here. I am going to take a chance on Azraff who impressed me with the style of his last two victories.

Marco Botti’s colt was always going best at Newmarket when accounting for Persun by two lengths and then stepped up to a mile at Newcastle. Martin Harley found himself in front far sooner than intended, simply because the horse took him there. Admittedly he did idle in the closing stages but I think a strongly run seven furlongs could see him improve again.

The opening maiden race can go to Mohatem, trained by Barry Hills and ridden by Paul Hanagan. He made his debut in the Doncaster race won by Commemorative and I like the way he stayed on that day. He clashes again with Game Pie (fourth) and Secateur (eighth) but I think he will beat them both. Hanagan was only pushing him out inside the final furlong but he stayed on nicely in fifth and should take this with normal improvement.

Sir Mark Prescott looks to have found a winning opportunity for Pallasator in the Rose Bowl at 4.15. The five-year-old is now owned by Qatar Racing but disappointed in the Irish St Leger last time. It was a muddling race and Brown Panther stole a march on his rivals in the home straight. If we ignore that run, Pallasator has major claims on his run in the Ebor when fourth under a big weight. Flying Officer could be dangerous for John Gosden but Times Up was very disappointing in the Doncaster Cup last time.

Mohatem 2.00 Newmarket @6-4 Betfair

Azraff 3.40 Newmarket @7-1 Paddy Power

Pallasator 4.15 Newmarket @13-8 BetVictor

York Saturday Preview

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Sole Power and Pale Mimosa (both tipped here at 7-2) put Betcirca followers nearly 30 points up on the week. The York Ebor meeting comes to a close on Saturday with some very competitive racing with the feature race due off at 3.50.

The gamble of the race is Pallasator for Sir Mark Prescott. The five-year-old has now been bought by Qatar Racing and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him contesting some big Cup races next season. Apart from having missed any value in his price, I am put off by his draw in stall 22. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue over a mile and three-quarters but I’m sure connections would have been happier if he had been in a low to middle stall.

One that fits the bill is Marco Botti’s De Rigueur in stall 6. He has beaten Pallasator before at Haydock and should finish close to the favourite on that evidence. He is three times the price and has to be the each-way selection.

The day’s racing gets off to a subdued start with seven runners lining up for the Strensall Stakes. Having tipped Farraaj in the John Smith’s Cup and collected three times previously on Graphic, something has to give. The drop back to a mile may count against Farraaj but he is a free-running sort and I just give him the verdict.

The Melrose Handicap is every bit as competitive as the Ebor with a whole host of improving three-year-olds. Connecticut’s form has been boosted time and again and he looks the sort who will find more when necessary. With Cumani’s team in such fine form he is hard to oppose but I am going to have a saver on Captain Morley who should appreciate this trip.

He was desperately unlucky at the Chester May meeting when flying through into second and made amends on his next visit. He was then a fair third at Royal Ascot behind Elite Army, staying on up the straight. He could give Jamie Spencer the winner that he has been waiting for this week.

Baitha Alga has also been a good friend to this column with three victories on the trot. He has not been out since Royal Ascot and that may leave him vulnerable in the closing stages. He also has to shoulder a 3lbs penalty and I think Muhaarar may run him close. He didn’t settle over seven furlongs at Ascot and was previously third to the classy Ivawood. He was inches behind Jungle Cat but that one ran disappointingly at Goodwood.

Ajman Bridge ran a cracker at Goodwood when just failing to catch Sennockian Star. He has another tough task in the 5.00 but deserves to win a decent prize.

Farraaj 2.05 York @7-4 Totesport, Stan James

Connecticut 2.40 York @6-1 Bet365

Captain Morley 2.40 York @10-1 (each-way) BetVictor

Baitha Alga 3.15 York @14-5 BetBright

Muhaarar 3.15 York @8-1 BetVictor

De Rigueur 3.50 York @14-1 (each-way) BetVictor

Ajman Bridge 5.00 York @5-1 Coral, Ladbrokes