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
