The highlight of Wednesday’s action is the Listed Fortune Stakes at Sandown with Richard Hannon’s Wentworth bidding to step up from handicap company for the first time. The son of Acclamation has always shown the potential to make it at Group level and it was no surprise when he lifted the Golden Mile at Goodwood after near-misses at Ascot and Sandown.
After winning two of his three races as a juvenile, he reappeared at Goodwood over six furlongs in May where he put in his entry for the unluckiest loser of the season. With only six rivals, Richard Hughes contrived to get himself completely boxed in and the colt never saw an inch of daylight until it was too late. He was eventually beaten only a quarter of a length in third but should certainly have won convincingly.
On the strength of that run, he was a heavily backed 7-2 favourite for the one-mile Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was again held up towards the rear before weaving his way through traffic to finish a never-nearer fourth, under two lengths behind Roca Tumu. Punters kept the faith when he went to Sandown for the Coral Challenge.
Hughes, possibly mindful of the criticism he had received for his riding of the colt on his previous two starts, had him close up from a poor draw but he could not repel the late challenge of Prince Of Johanne and had to settle for third. He finally came good on his most recent start when holding off the useful Cape Peron at Goodwood to win off a handicap mark of 99. An official rise of 7lbs for that success still leaves him some way behind Penitent but there are reasons for believing that he can bridge the gap.
Hughes is adamant that the fast ground the reason for his defeats at Ascot and Sandown and believes that he will prove a much better colt with give in the ground. A heavy shower prior to racing was just sufficient for him to let himself down at Goodwood last time and the Irishman is confident that there is more to come.
By contrast, Penitent was well below his best last time although he definitely sets the standard on last year’s form behind Gordon Lord Byron at Longchamp. He was beaten only a length and a half in the Group 1 Prix de La Foret and would take some beating on that form. The best of the rest could be Andrew Balding’s Bana Wu but it will be disappointing if Hannon’s colt cannot take this on the way to better things.
Wentworth 13-8 BetVictor
