Races

Michael Heaton’s Saturday Ascot Preview

Posted on | Posted by Michael Heaton

RACE 1

BELGRANO BELLE (and Takahide Ikenushi) are going from strength to strength. She’s won two from three in the provincials this prep, maps to enjoy a world-perfect run camped on the back of what appears to be weak speed and Pike sticks. SPECIAL SORT is three from three this prep and his wins have been better than reads on paper. He’ll take beating if he backs up off the three-day turnaround from Wednesday. EMERALD TRADER has plenty of ability and will be steaming home late but he’s a quirky customer who is hard to trust. GUARD THE SAFE an improver with a more economical run in transit.

Numbers: 2 – 4 – 1 – 5

Suggested Bet – BELGRANO BELLE WIN

RACE 2 

MALKAR PINDARI has gone to a new level at her past three starts. She possesses a brilliant turn of foot, meets Laquetta’s Gift 1.5kg better for only a nose defeat last time out and she should be able to park up in a nice position midfield ready to strike. LAQUETTA’S GIFT was able to hold off Malkar Pindari courtesy of a Pike special following a five-week freshen and her form is hard to knock. BLACK SPIRIT stuck on better than she was entitled to first up after getting caught three deep. She’s underrated and can play a part if she can cross to the breeze. WANGO AWARD ran second to Malkar Pindari two starts back before defeating Highest Award (who won on Wednesday) last time out but he’s drawn horribly.

Numbers: 6 – 3 – 1 – 4

Suggested Bet – MALKAR PINDARI WIN

RACE 3

OSCAR’S FORTUNE has serious x-factor. He’s won by at least 1.5 lengths at all three career starts and has beaten up on both his own age group and older horses. Whilst this will probably be the first time he doesn’t find the rail with speed machine Krysanova the likely leader, he can park up in the breeze and crunch them late. HANCHI bolted in his recent trial in impressive fashion and should enjoy a gun run parked behind the speed. Nice type. Trevor Andrews calls on the compression hood and ear muffs to try helps KRYSANOVA settle but she’s a natural jump and run short-course type who should still find the front. LORD LALA will be better suited over further but will be rattling home.

Numbers: 1 – 2 – 6 – 4

Suggested Bet – OSCAR’S FORTUNE WIN

RACE 4

BONNIE LAD flashed late behind subsequent winner Capricorn Man first up then was never getting beaten in the run last start. He won with plenty more in hand, drops half a kilo, is two from two over 1000m and the Durrant juggernaut has really started to regain momentum in the last couple of weeks. LITTLE STRAWBERRY ran a ripper first up. She drew 16/16 before reeling off the fastest final 200m sectional of the day to be beaten less than two lengths and should enjoy a much more favourable run from her better draw here. HANG GLIDER is still a C1 but he’s got plenty of ability and strong 3YO form to his name. Loved the recent trial at Albany. SCENIC ECLIPSE was a surprise 1000m winner at this track/grade/distance last start when defeating subsequent winner Triple Jay.

Numbers: 2 – 4 – 8 – 5

Suggested Bet – BONNIE LAD EACH-WAY

RACE 5

BITOFMERIT is first up, no trial off 12 weeks and has blinkers on for the first time. He’s a fresh 1000m specialist (1st-up 5: 4-1-0, 1000m: 6: 4-2-0), has raced in higher grade at his last 5 starts and the claim of gun apprentice Brayden Gearth brings his weight down to just 57.5kg. Nice race for him. THOMAS MAGNUM chased home Oscar’s Fortune last start when making good late ground along the rail. He drops 2.5kg to the minimum and maps to enjoy a nice run being coiled up and ready to pounce. VALENCY has been freshened six weeks between runs and doesn’t appear to go as well at Ascot as Belmont but she was in hot form prior to her break and arguably should’ve won her last three. METALLON joins Team Williams and is another first-up 1000m specialist but his form really tapered off at the end of his last prep and it’s been more than a month since his trial.

Numbers: 1 – 11 – 6 – 9

Suggested Bet – BITOFMERIT WIN

RACE 6

REAR ADMIRAL resumes off the back of a very nice trial. She’s a winner at 4 from 7 (including 2 from 2 first up and 3 from 3 at Ascot), has the speed to be able to settle in a forward position and is likely to have a significant field position advantage on her main dangers. SALOON BAR is proving very hard to catch but JJ Noske rides him very well and he was a good run against a dawdling tempo last start. He’s drawn wide (again) but there’s more speed engaged here and can work into the race then launch late. HE’SGOTWINGS has come back well and should be able to find cover for Pike. SNOW PRINCE is a nice type resuming.

Numbers: 4 – 5 – 11 – 8

Suggested Bet – REAR ADMIRAL WIN

RACE 7

RED CAN MAN made a much-deserved return to the winner’s list when taking out the Crawford first up. He was brilliantly suited by the SWP conditions of that race and now rises 3.5kg to WFA but he’s still suited by the scale as the highest rated horse. He should be able to camp behind the speed to have a field position advantage on his main dangers and he’s always a tough horse to get past. MY BELLA MAE was terrific first up and meets Red Can Man 3.5kg better at the weights for only a half-length defeat but her draw means she might have to get a fair way back which isn’t ideal given the weather and wind forecast of the day. 1000m is short of HOT ZED’S best second-up distance but he’s an absolute ripper and won’t be far away. SNOWDOME is a short-course specialist and can settle on speed.

Numbers: 1 – 9 – 2 – 5

Suggested Bet – RED CAN MAN WIN

RACE 8

SEARCHIN’ ROC’S is eight weeks between runs after winning the Farnley Stakes in September and she’s had a solid trial in between. She’s a class mare who is drawn to stay out of trouble midfield-with-cover and she has the advantage of recent enough match practice over her main dangers who are all resuming off lengthy breaks. ALSEPHINA is all class. She’s won 9 of 11 and is a deserving Railway Stakes pre-post favourite who has been tuned up with three trials but she also hasn’t raced for 10 months and is a slight chance of getting cluttered up in an awkward spot behind some roughies in a messy-run race where they’re unlikely to break any speed records. ADMIRATION EXPRESS is an exciting 4YO resuming and has trialled up very well ahead of her return. BLACK FANTASY resumes off a 15-month layoff but has trialled brilliantly on each occasion and could well find the front cheaply in a race devoid of speed.

Numbers: 4 – 7 – 6 – 8

Suggested Bet – SEARCHIN’ ROC’S EACH-WAY

Same Race Multi – SEARCHIN’ ROC’S (Top 2) + ADMIRATION EXPRESS (Top 4)

RACE 9

BROOKLYN PIER caught the eye late in his trial then made a terrific return when winning first-up in this grade. Chimed up with a barnstorming finish, rises to only 56kg now and can position up in the box seat from his inside draw. CLASSIC ROGUE went around at $51 in the same race but was charging home late in the piece. He meets Brooklyn Pier 2kg better and maps to stalk his every move. ABOVE THE PEG is an enigmatic type but the best version of him is certainly good enough for a race like this. WAR GEM can lead and control.

Numbers: 9 – 6 – 3 – 11

Suggested Bet – BROOKLYN PIER EACH-WAY

Quaddie (Race 6-9)

4,5,8,11

1,9

4,6,7

2,3,5,6,9,11

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