13:05 – British European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden Stakes – 7f
Classic produced the best piece of form on offer here when an eyecatching fourth of 14 in a Newbury novice event (7f, good) recently. He can improve on that and could prove tough to beat.
However, he is short enough when there are plenty of unknowns here and the suggestion is to oppose him, each-way with LOYAL TOUCH. The Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained runner will need significant improvement on his debut effort, when third of 10 in a Salisbury maiden (7f, good to firm) last month.
He took a while to get the hang of things that day and came home well, fuelling optimism that he can take a big step up. The stable has saddled two of the last 10 winners of this race and know the type needed to win it and we should take the hint.
The Foxes showed plenty of promise at Newbury (6f, good) on debut but couldn’t build on that in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot (7f, good to firm). He can’t be written off after that and would be a player if back on track.
Bussento is the more interesting of the two debutants but his pedigree doesn’t hint strongly at a first-time win in a field of this quality.
13:40 – Coral Stewards’ Sprint Handicap (Consolation race for The Stewards’ Cup) – 6f
LETHAL LEVI has been progressive of late and is taken to complete a hat-trick, despite carrying a penalty. His two recent Newmarket wins (both 6f, good to firm) have come when making all and with a good draw here, he could again dominate if his 3lb claiming jockey can bounce him out when the gates go back. His latest ready success suggested he is not done winning yet.
There has been pre-race money for Nelson Gay, who has been thereabouts in several 5f and 6f sprints in Class 2 and Class 3 handicaps this season. He acts on a sound surface and Ryan Moore has been by Richard Hughes for the mount, fuelling confidence. However, countering that, he is only 1-17 on turf so backing him for a place, rather than the win, may be the way to go if you fancy him.
Mokaatil won a Class 3 at Epsom (5f, good to firm) in April. He was below par both here (5f, good) and at Chester (5f, good to soft) in Class 2 races on his next two starts but came back to form last time out when a good fourth in the Dash at Epsom on Derby Day. He is not ruled out from 1lb lower.
This C&D and fast ground suits Treacherous, who has two wins here to his name, including this race in 2020, when 3lb higher. You’d have to be prepared to put a line through his latest effort at Ascot to wager but the form of his prior run at Windsor would entitled him to claims. He looks to have each-way potential at 20/1.
14:10 – Coral Summer Handicap – 1m6f
BAGUE D’OR is a hat-trick seeker and is largely a very consistent performer. He is 4-10 so far, plus three second-placed efforts and he looked like that was still a fair bit more to come when he was always doing enough to hold off Berkshire Breeze at Ascot (1m6f, good to firm) last time.
A 3lb rise for that looks very fair and he is the suggestion at 8/1 in an open-looking heat.
The talking horse here is Soapy Stevens, who has been in flying form of late, winning at Chester (2m, good) last month and then at Newmarket (1m6f, good to firm) last time.
He ran on strongly that day when finally finding some daylight and, although with a blanket finish the temptation may be to think that he has come to the end of his run, he might well have won by further if Franny Norton hadn’t had to wait so long for an opening. He may still prove good enough to complete his own hat-trick and should be thereabouts.
The Gosdens are putting a hood on Trawlerman this time. His Chelmsford win (1m2f, AW) in April suggests he is well treated here but he was well beaten in the Duke Of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot and again behind Soapy Stevens at Newmarket last time, giving him a bit to prove at the moment.
Valley Forge was a 2m (good) winner at Haydock in May and could come into this on that form, although he needs to be better than when last seen in the Northumberland Plate.
14:45 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2) – 1m6f
Emily Dickinson is progressing nicely despite not having won since taking a Naas maiden in April. Aidan O’Brien sends her over for this after she was arguably unlucky not to have finished closer to the front three when fourth in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh recently.
She looks a big player but SEA LA ROSA may have the edge. The William Haggas-trained filly won the Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock Park in May (1m4f, good) and returned there to finish second over the same C&D (soft) in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks earlier in the month.
She is already a Listed winner over 1m5f and this extra furlong looks well within her compass. She continues to find a little improvement with each run and is taken to make it 5-9 on turf.
The Listed winner Yesyes finished her three-year-old campaign with a couple of tough tests at Doncaster and Longchamp. Conditions would ideally need to be slower for her to show her best and a better each-way proposition could be Viola.
She is 1-8 on turf but stays at least 1m4f, acts well on a sound or fast surface and, while she has 1¼l to find with the selection on their Haydock running in May, she represents a bit of value at 14/1.
15:20 Coral Stewards’ Cup (Heritage Handicap) – 6f
This is Glorious Goodwood’s traditional cavalry charge and it looks as tricky as ever. Three of the last 10 favourites have won and, in fact, half of the last decade’s winner have been single-figure prices, with the longest-priced winner being Lancelot Du Lac, who won the 2017 renewal at 25/1.
In such large fields (28 go to post here) it has paid to go either low or high, rather than middle, during the last decade and one who fits that bill, as well as ticking a few others boxes, is REGIONAL.
Ryan Moore is a very interesting booking on the Edward Bethell-trained four-year-old, who is priced up at 16/1 and is an each-way suggestion. A debut winner at Pontefract (5f, good to firm) when trained by Richard Fahey in 2020, he also scored on his debut for this trainer last September (6f, good to firm; first-time tongue-tie) at Haydock Park.
He wasn’t quite at his best at Epsom last month, which came after a break but he then produced a career-best when a neck second at Doncaster (5f, good) last time. With only 10 starts to his name, he is lightly-raced for a sprinter and, from the same mark as last time (BHA 100), he is the suggestion.
Mr Wagyu finished ahead of the selection when scoring at Epsom last month. He is also in excellent form, having won a valuable handicap at the Curragh recently (6½f, good). He has to lump another 6lb penalty around with him here but clearly has to be considered given such good recent form.
Whenthedealisdone looks to have been laid out for this. He won here in a Class 3 last year (5f, good to soft), when 5lb lower and can probably do better than when returning from a break when 3l seventh at Ascot (5f, good to firm) last time. Even so, he doesn’t look to be the best of value trading as the 8/1 favourite at the time of writing.
Inver Park had been red hot of late and arrives seeking a four-timer after wins at Windsor, Hamilton and Ascot over 6f-7f. He’s back in trip from that Ascot win and up another 4lb but he’d have to be feared.
Chil Chil has claims but he has plenty of weight and that combined with a middle draw is a concern, while northern raider Summerghand has ideal conditions and the sort of mark from which he could come into this, though again that middle draw isn’t ideal.
15:55 – Medallia Handicap – 7f
Positive Impact was the facile winner of a Brighton maiden (7f, good to firm) on his penultimate start but stepped on that and his previous form when going very close behind Jimi Hendrix on being returned to 1m (good to firm) at Newmarket last time.
A 5lb rise for that (front pair were clear) looks fair and this unexposed gelded son of Shamardal remains of interest.
SPIRIT OF NGURU was the back-to-back winner of Kempton novice events (both 7f, AW) last winter. He stepped up on that form when second in a soft ground Haydock contest (7f) on his reappearance and handicap debut earlier this month.
He’s up 2lb for that and, with both his sire and dam having been very much at home on fast ground, there could be a fair bit more to come from him now that he races on it for the first time. 11/2 could look a giveaway after this race and he is selected.
Galiac returns to the scene of a C&D success (good to soft) in May, when 9lb lower. He has also won at Newmarket since then (7f, good) and kept on well for third at Sandown Park last time. His chance is respected.
The Andrew Balding-trained Wodeton broke his duck at the eighth attempt in a Class 4 event at Epsom last time (7f, good to firm). This looks tougher but that form represented significant progress and perhaps the penny has now dropped. He is not ruled out.
The biggest danger to the selection may prove to be Koy Koy, who won on his debut for George Boughey in a Newmarket Class 2 (1m, good to firm) last time. He looks to have got off lightly with just a 2lb rise and with Ryan Moore booked, he is feared.
16:30 – Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Handicap – 1m1f
Charlie and Mark Johnston come mob-handed to the last race of the meeting. The last time the stable won this was in 2012 and they saddle Forest Falcon, Dutch Decoy and Rainbow Colours, all of whom can have some sort of case made.
Forest Falcon is the strongest of them, his BHA mark of 100 putting him 15lb and more clear than his two stable companions, though that is reflected in the weights. He attempts to win twice at this meeting, having landed the Chesterfield Cup on Tuesday over slightly further (1m2f, good).
A 7lb penalty for that eased down success is probably fair but he is clearly going to need another career-best to add to it and is no longer going to be going off at the 14/1 he scored at earlier in the week.
The Kim Bailey-trained Ajero arrives on the back of a string of seconds, the latest when 6l in arrears of Candleford in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot. He’s up another 2lb for that but should again be thereabouts dropping back to this trip.
The unexposed Bolthole remains of interest, despite finishing down the field in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot. The form of his two prior runs at Sandown and then when winning at Newmarket (1m2f, good) suggest he should be heavily involved with the potential for further improvement. Ryan Moore is booked.
However, the suggestion here is SWEET REWARD, who represents Jonathan Portman. Portman trained a winner here on Friday and this five-year-old arrives with a bit to prove after having the run of the race but being comfortably beaten at Sandown last time. However, his prior run there when second in a Class 2 contest (1m2f, good to firm) from just 1lb lower makes the 16/1 on offer too tempting to resist. He is also drawn on the inside which, although not vital, is no bad thing in a field of this size. If he can bounce out nicely for Rob Hornby, he looks to have a sporting chance.
