LEZOO may have had her colours lowered by Mawj at Newmarket’s July meeting but she remains on an upward curve and can make this drop back into Group 3 company count.
The form of both her 6f Listed win at that track last month, as well as that Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes run, are both the strongest on offer in this field. She remains open to more improvement, despite the slight lowering of sights here and this should work out as a really good piece of placement by trainer Ralph Beckett.
Glenlaurel is certainly not dismissed in opposition but needs to find around 20lbs to trouble the selection and that won’t be easy. Even so, the manner of her fillies’ novice success at Thirsk on debut suggests that she is potentially smart.
Kinta stepped up well on her Lingfield debut win when adding to that at Kempton last time. She makes her turf debut here and is respected but two others might perhaps be worth a look for potential each-way players.
Palm Lily is another Beckett inmate who scored first time out at Kempton Park last month. She is another who needs a leap forward but it is encouraging that her trainer feels she is up to this. She could be capable of picking up some black type and the same applies to the William Haggas-trained Royal Charter.
This daughter of Expert Eye was held up on debut, before being produced late by Stevie Donohoe to win a fillies’ maiden on Newmarket’s July Course (6f, good).
She too needs to step up plenty on that but, like Beckett, Haggas doesn’t throw them in at this level without thinking plenty of them.
While I am no advocate for backing several on a regular basis, I like the chance of LEZOO for the win, but for those looking for value, the 8/1 about Royal Charter to make the frame looks very tempting.
15:00 Moet & Chandon International Stakes (Heritage Handicap) – 7f
This looks like another typical big field Ascot sprint handicap and a very good one at that, with the BHA top-rated Accidental Agent the best in the field on a mark of 112.
That runner’s stablemate Jumby comes into consideration, after going close in both the Wokingham and the Bunbury Cup on his last two starts. He has plenty going for him and should again be thereabouts.
Tactical was comfortably held when upped to Group 2 level here in the Summer Mile earlier in the month. He’d previously run well over this C&D in the Buckingham Palace Stakes and his jockey that day, Ryan Moore, is back on board.
He is feared but preference is for RHOSCOLYN. He bombed out when last seen in the Bunbury Cup and was virtually pulled up by James Doyle. He’s owned by the Horse Watchers, who include TV pundits Chris and Martin Dixon, a couple of great lads who would not be running the four-year-old so soon if he wasn’t 100 per cent.
However, he would have a very good chance if back to the form of his Buckingham Palace Stakes third behind Inver Park last month, when he ran on well in a first-time tongue-tie. That is back retained for this race, and this stiff 7f on fast ground clearly suits.
I’m prepared to forgive him that latest aberration and side with the David O’Meara-trained runner.
