Ihtimal can continue Godolphin’s sweet record in the Solera Stakes
ASCOT stages its popular Shergar Cup meeting tomorrow and the fields are as competitive as ever.
It really does look like a minefield for punters, but one that has caught my eye is RACY in the Barclays Shergar Cup Dash (2.05pm) for the in-form Brian Ellison team.
The six-year-old ran a stormer to finish fourth in Saturday’s Stewards Cup when drawn on the wrong side and, although he is now up to a career high mark, he looks ready to win.
He was mightily unlucky behind Masamah over course and distance two starts back and his draw in stall 12 could be ideal as he will have the rail to help.
The entries were also revealed for QIPCO British Champions Day earlier this week. Al Kazeem, Toronado, Dawn Approach, Intello, Lethal Force, Estimate and Sky Lantern are just some of the star names who could be there and it promises to be another wonderful event.
Tomorrow’s highlight at Newmarket is the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes (3.35pm) and this race has been a happy hunting ground for Godolphin. The operation have taken the last four runnings and will be hoping to make it five with either Wedding Ring or IHTIMAL and my preference is for the latter.
These two met at this course in June and Wedding Ring came out on top by a neck. However, my selection stepped up to seven furlongs next time in the Chesham at Royal Ascot and, although she ran green, she stayed on really well in the closing stages and the experience will have done her the world of good.
Godolphin tend to run their best juvenile fillies in this race and to my eyes Ihtimal just has a little more scope than Wedding Ring, who will be making her first start for Charlie Appleby.
The biggest race of the weekend isn’t on these shores as the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday looks like an absolute cracker. Intello is Coral’s 15/8 favourite and he is going to be very hard to beat for master trainer Andre Fabre.
However, you couldn’t fail to be impressed by MOONLIGHT CLOUD’s win in last weekend’s Prix Maurice de Gheest. She is an absolute brute of a mare and was very unlucky in this race last year. I think she is over-priced at 3/1 with Coral and I fancy her to have too much for Dawn Approach, Intello and Elusive Kate.
It’s Ladies Day at The Racecourse Newbury next Saturday and the highlight is the Betfred Hungerford Stakes with Mike De Kock’s unbeaten Soft Falling Rain set to make his British debut. After the racing finishes Meat Loaf will be making his last ever UK performance, so it’s a day not to miss. You can buy tickets by visiting
www.racecoursenewbury.co.uk.
■ Pointers…
RACY 2.05pm Ascot (tomorrow)
IHTIMAL 3.35pm Newmarket (tomorrow)
MOONLIGHT CLOUD Deauville (Sunday)