1.15pm: This looks a tough race to call and you can see the case for Acquitted, who has won on testing ground and finished second to Palace Pier at Newcastle on his return. Out of an Authorised mare, he should stay this extra 1m2f, too. But the one I like is Tritonic. Alan King’s 2yos tend to progress well at three, and Sea The Moon’s progeny improve with age, too, and stay well. He is nicely drawn in seven and fairly handicapped on his Newbury win from Man Of The Night in a race in which Acquitted was fourth. Unibet are paying AN EXTRA PLACE on this race.
1.50pm: Sir Dragonet will appreciate it if they get any more rain and he is entitled to go close on his Derby form. They also managed to get a run into him back in March. Regal Reality obviously comes into the reckoning on his Eclipse third and maybe gelding has helped him. Fox Tal, fourth in the Champion Stakes here in October, is a talented horse in small fields but he can be a bit too keen and I’d be concerned by that aspect if he is fired up to get an early position.
2.25pm: Molatham has a fair bit to find on official figures but I would counter that and say a mark of 102 underestimates him. I would forgive him his disappointing run on soft in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket – I would forgive any horse a below-par run there, as it catches plenty out, not least Newmarket-trained horses – and focus on his Doncaster defeat of Wichita and Berlin Tango. He has a big chance on that run.
3.00pm: Modern News for me after his defeat of the supposed stable first string at Newmarket. Barzalona didn’t give him an easy time in winning there, so he could be more streetwise than the others in here. Connections won this race with a Shamardal in Pinatubo last season and Modern News can repeat that here; 7f will no problem for him.
3.35pm: Technician looks to have a huge each-way chance. I’d be surprised if he is not there with every chance at the 2f pole, and I think he is a very strong stayer. Look at his defeat of Call The Wind at Longchamp last season. If you are a 3yo winning the Prix Royal-Oak in heavy ground one thing you definitely do is stay, and Call The Wind should have been unbeaten in his three runs since. We all know Stradivarius is the form horse but he had a hard race in the Coronation Cup, trust me. I know they had to get a run into him as a 6yo colt but he recorded some quick splits at Newmarket and they take their toll. He could well win again but Technician each way for me.
4.10pm: The talk was that Enemy was going to Yarmouth, winning, then on to the St James’s Palace Stakes. That plan was obviously ditched after he was beaten there, but if it is true that they were thinking in terms of Group 1s then he has to be considered off a mark of 89 here. But I like Path Of Thunder. He was a big, heavy, lovely-looking horse at two, so I think gelding could really have helped him. He did go up 8lb for his win on the July course but I think he will make up into a better 3yo. Unibet are paying AN EXTRA PLACE on this race.
4.40pm: On the face of it African Dream has a stone and more in hand here on her narrow second to Stylistique over 7f at Newbury last week, but I would be wary of falling into that trap at short odds myself. Yes, the winner was rated 106 and African Dream was giving her 7lb, which makes the Gosden filly thrown in off 80 here. But did Stylistique, who was breaking her maiden tag at the seventh time of asking, run up to form there? And African Dream has her stamina to prove, too. I’d rather go elsewhere and side with Dubai Love. She showed good form here in two starts before running to a consistently level in fair company on dirt in Dubai, and she is the class angle of the race. Unibet are paying AN EXTRA PLACE on this race.
