Races

Scott Embry’s Saturday Ascot Preview

Posted on | Posted by Scott Embry

Race 1

STREAMLINED was sent forward last week and just don’t think he was at all suited without cover. Expect that on the 7-day spin he’ll be anchored out the back, will wait for the race to unfold in front of him and then look to wind up over them late in the race. Lightly raced and far more progressive than the vast majority of his rivals. DARK LOOKS is 3 from 54, it’s hard to get involved in her with any level of confidence, but she’s also a career long eachway mare. Natika Riordan has now ridden her at her last four outings and it’s been the most consistent point of her career. Has picked up 3 points in 3 races without winning which seems harsh for a mare with her strike rate but she’s going well. I LOVE YA MONEY is having his third run in a fortnight. Rock hard fit. CAPABLE ANGEL destroyed limited opposition last start.

Numbers: 1 – 2 – 3 – 7

Suggested Bet – STREAMLINED WIN

Race 2

BONDI’S FUTURE didn’t race for 910 days and then resumed over 1400m when beaten in the final stride by progressive mare Western Miss. Quite simply – there’s nothing with the level of ability of a Western Miss in this line-up and if he can reproduce second-up then he’ll be awfully hard to beat. Had been trialling the house down and was an outstanding return. STREET BAND has only won 2 from 26 and his most recent win was back in 2024. He’s trying hard, he maps well and he’s always thereabouts but wary that he may also have forgotten how to win? LINCHPIN has a hind bar plate going on second-up. That’s obviously a red flag and barrier 1 for a horse who wants room to move is another. DON’T TRUST JUDAS returned with cardiac arrythmia last start and many horses bounce back big time after an episode like that.

Numbers: 3 – 2 – 5 – 4

Suggested Bet – BONDI’S FUTURE WIN

Race 3

LATE ARRIVAL is going super. Huge off the back of a ridiculous tempo two back, solid in defeat last weekend to Decoration and now on the 7 day back-up he can park and ride behind likely leading pair Admire Astra and Billionaire’s Row and should enjoy the run of the race. Ready to win and in a race which should be nearly eachway the field. ALASKAN is a bit of a non-winner but his two runs back this preparation have been the best two of his last 12 months and in that period, he has dropped from a m70 to a m63. I’M NIPOTE had to be put into the contest early last start in a race where they absolutely walked (first 1000m run 13L slower than average). A more genuine tempo here suits. ADMIRE ASTRA will win races this prep with her free rolling racing pattern.

Numbers: 1 – 5 – 4 – 2

Suggested Bet – LATE ARRIVAL EACHWAY

Race 4

SEPTEMBER BORN will divide opinions. Showed a stack of ability early and then has fought soundness issues ever since. 63 days ago he jumped a well supported favourite over an unsuitable 1000 in an 84+ ratings race. Now he’s resuming as a gelding and here’s hoping that’s the difference for him to return to his very best. LIKE CLOCKWORK is working her way through the grades impressively. She bolted in a 66+ 1200 first-up and then dropped back to 1000m second-up when matching motors for the majority of the straight with highly exciting sprinter Bassett Hound and beating home Divine Belief. Back out to 1200m and if she can find the right back to follow, she’ll be really hard to hold out late.  CINQUE STELLE is untapped and she can hold a spot. EXCEED THE PLANET like September Born is lightly raced and has huge X-Factor.

Numbers: 2 – 9 – 8 – 5

Suggested Bet – SEPTEMBER BORN EACHWAY

Race 5

ANACONDA JONES has the speed to lead, however, given that this race contains Hezangelic, Gi Gi Pops, Lucky I Am, First Beach, Raw Umber and Scream – it might be the opportunity they have been waiting for to take a sit. Love these 3 year olds in 60+ Graduation races and he’s dropping 4kg from his second-up win into this event and wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Placid Ark Prelude where he would have carried the exact same weight against horses with more ability. Great placement. DELZEE looks suited to parking up in behind a frenetic tempo. He’s a horse on the rise and will continue to improve with experience. JUST FAMOUS can sit out the back and swoop late. She’s a proven weight carrier and has a great turn of foot. SPICY THANG was successfully reprogrammed last prep.

Numbers: 11 – 7 – 2 – 3

Suggested Bet – ANACONDA JONES WIN

Race 6

AFIREOFGIDGEECOALS was brilliant at his return to racing over 1000m on Opening Day in the Max Simmonds Classic. He savaged the line under the 59kg and put his hand up as the horse to beat in the 2026 Placid Ark. He’ll go back, he’ll look for cover and he’ll be unleashing late. This isn’t his Grand Final but he’s more than capable of picking it up along the way. AURUM BELLE was plain first-up. It’s a deliberately harsh assessment based off the expectation on her shoulders after a 2-year-old preparation that saw her win a Supremacy and Gimcrack Stakes. Looks to have lost a bit of her sharpness? MORNING THUNDER didn’t look comfortable over 1000m at Belmont. GAINTREE looks to enjoy a gun run tucked away.

Numbers: 1 – 3 – 4 – 7

Suggested Bet – AFIREOFGIDGEECOALS WIN

Same Race Multi – Afireofgidgeecoals (Win) + Morning Thunder (Top 4)

Confident that Afireofgidgeecoals is the one to beat in both the Placid Ark Prelude and the Placid Ark itself. He will sit back in the field and the conditions should suit with a strong Westerly forecast to be blowing at Ascot. Morning Thunder maps to get a soft midfield run.

Race 7

WESTERN MISS is the winner of four of her last five (although DQ’d from one) and is making her way powerfully through the grades. It was a messy run race first-up for her and she had to be put into the contest to sustain a run around them as the leader pinched a breather and then kicked hard into the corner and tried to steal it. Thought she did a massive job to pick him up in the shadows and the most interesting part about her here is that if she jumped well – she could lead. Versatile and classy. HOLLER NUFF was backed into favourite ahead of Truly Loyal first-up in a 66+. He didn’t fire a shot but the market move was extremely strong. Respect that. TAHNI TALK gets 3kg weight relief and will only be fitter second-up. DECORATION is a model of consistency and rarely runs a bad race.

Numbers: 9 – 4 – 3 – 2

Suggested Bet – WESTERN MISS WIN – Western Miss is still getting better. She can win from the front, she can win from the back and even though she’s up in grade, this field doesn’t look any deeper than what she beat first-up.

Race 8

IMMORTAL BLISS went to a new level over winter and while this is another step up and another genuine test for him, he looks capable. They nearly broke the track record in the Golden Saddle on a heavily leader bias program and realistically a 5.5L beaten margin wasn’t that bad. They’re going to fly along here and he’ll be sitting back to have last crack at the tiring leaders. TALKANCO last raced over 1000m in the Max Simmonds as a filly and won from barrier 1 beating Luana Miss. She was the first WA horse past the post in the Quokka and has trialled up well for her return. OSCARS FORTUNE raced Immortal Bliss and Twisted Steel in the Beaufine at Belmont and meets them both a whopping 8kg better at the weights under the WFA conditions. He’s the class runner and was sent around with the handbrake on at trials Monday. TWISTED STEEL looks to stalk the speed and present at the right time.

Numbers: 2 – 8 – 1 – 4

Suggested Bet – IMMORTAL BLISS WIN

Race 9

HOT AND HIGH, AWESOME BOY and PLAYIN’IT SWEET all come through the Crawford and meet again second-up at 1400. Thought Playin’It Sweet loomed the winner on straightening first-up and just peaked on the run over the last 100m. Second-up, fitter and with a 2.5kg weight swing on Hot And High thinking she can turn the tables. HOT AND HIGH is just a winner. She’s now a remarkable 7 from 8 (same as King of Light) and she’s arguably better at 1400 than she is at 1200. Longer the race went, the stronger she got. Onwards and upwards towards a tilt at the Railway. AWESOME BOY was arguably the best run of the trio in that race and in an event with absolutely no speed he could lead them up. BONJOY was at her electric best first-up in the Eurythmic.

Numbers: 10 – 4 – 7 – 1

Suggested Bet – PLAYIN’IT SWEET EACHWAY

Race 10 (Best Bet)

ROCK FEST announced himself as a potential Railway horse if he can continue to progress rapidly through the grades over the next 3 weeks. He would need to win this 66+ 1400 second-up, win the RJ Peters third-up and then be on a 7 day back-up into the Railway, so there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge and everything needs to go perfectly right to the script but he quite simply couldn’t have been more impressive first-up. His biggest issue could be traffic. PRINCE OF DALA nearly beat Hot and High last preparation in a Listed 3 year old race. She’s now Asian Beau favourite and he’s resuming in a 66+. VATICAN STORM is far better suited here than he was first-up at SWP in a Eurythmic Stakes and he is the only horse to have beaten Hot and High so far. FAST HARRY was a super run last start.

Numbers: 1 – 4 – 2 – 7

Suggested Bet – ROCK FEST WIN

Quaddie (Race 7– 10)

9

1,2,4,8

1,4,7,10

1,2,4




Recent Articles