The Summer Mile headlines a competitive card at Ascot, with Sky Sports Racing also showcasing Chester's City Cup day card; elsewhere, Perfect Power bids to land another Group One in the July Cup at Newmarket
Thursday 7 July 2022 20:21, UK
Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond is back with her weekend blog and is taking aim at an excellent Ascot card, headlined by the Fred Cowley MBE Group Two Summer Mile.
After a few days visiting my folks last week I'm raring to go and can't wait to be back at Ascot for the first time since Royal week.
There will be a more sedate feeling to proceedings this weekend for us at Sky Sports Racing which is nice, and it will be lovely to soak up the atmosphere at Ascot without the frenetic feel of the track's showcase meeting.
That's not something the racing industry can claim though, because this Saturday has famously been dubbed "Super Saturday" thanks to the number of meetings taking place.
I've heard other descriptions for this particularly busy day, not all as complimentary. Saturated Saturday possibly?
It's great news if you are planning to visit one of the tracks with so many options to choose from, not so great if you are trying to keep on top of the action, or as a trainer trying to secure the services of a jockey and juggle stable staff.
The day comprises of the final day of the July Festival at Newmarket, Ascot's Summer Mile fixture, York's John Smith's Cup day, Chester's City Cup card, plus meetings at Salisbury, Hamilton and at Navan in Ireland. Might be worth checking the batteries in your remote controls!
Hopefully you're enjoying a successful week and normal service will hopefully have been resumed with Frankie Dettori back in action for John and Thady Gosden at Newmarket.
The perfect gift Frankie could deliver to the Clarehaven team would be another decisive win on Inspiral in Friday's Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes.
The Italian has a busy week with rides at Newmarket's charming July course before he heads out to Belmont to ride for Charlie Appleby in their Oaks and Derby.
So, to Saturday's domestic action and the feature race from Newmarket, the Darley July Cup. Sky Bet are paying five places instead of three and with that in mind I have a big-priced horse I'm keen to keep on side.
More on him in a moment, but it's Richard Fahey's Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power that heads the market at 9/4. Sprinting was always going to be his game, and it was impressive to see how he took to his new specialist subject at Royal Ascot.
There's no doubt that Aussie sprinter Artorius was one of the eye-catchers of Royal week in the Platinum Jubilee and he is to be feared.
Being Southern Hemisphere born he is three months older than Perfect Power as he was born in October 2018, Perfect Power in January 2019.
However, he is treated as a four-year-old in this race, which of course he will be in three months' time, so carries 6lbs more than Perfect Power.
He suits Jamie Spencer perfectly, but once again the pair will need some luck to pull off those waiting tactics. The Godolphin duo of Naval Crown and Creative Force meet again after finishing first and second in that Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
Like Perfect Power, Naval Crown is another horse learning the sprinting game and he took to it like a duck to water at Ascot. There's not much between the stablemates once again, but I think Naval Crown is an upwardly mobile sprinter so just edges it for me.
So, to my big priced each way poke. Blackrod ran in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, and I fancied him to run well, albeit on ground I didn't think was his optimum. He didn't set the world alight, but it was only his tenth outing and I think there could be more to come. This is a significant step up in grade and he's not the finished article yet, but at 33/1 he appeals as my each way pick.
As for the most likely winner, unoriginally, it's Perfect Power for me.
Ascot's feature is the Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile and a field of seven have been declared for the Group 2 contest. Despite there only being seven declarations, which would usually mean just two places for each way punters, Sky Bet are paying three which gives a bit more scope if you fancy one of the bigger priced runners.
Chindit is a likeable individual and Richard Hannon's colt faces an easier task than when coming up against Baaeed on his last two starts. He's 9/4 favourite.
Trainer Charlie Hills sent out the winner of this race last year in the shape of Tilsit, and I like his runner this time round. You will remember the impression Mutasaabeq made when winning a Newmarket conditions stakes in April last year before having a crack at the 2000 Guineas.
That task may have been too much, too soon for the highly strung colt, but he seems to have settled down and grown up for another winter on his back and there could be more to come.
He hasn't done much wrong this season and can be forgiven a defeat last time out at Epsom because he didn't look in love with the cambers of the course that day. He has a little bit to find on official ratings but the second favourite is my selection.
The big betting race at York is the John Smith's Cup with a field of 22 taking on the challenge of this 10 ½ furlong handicap. It might be worth noting that the race hasn't been kind to favourites in recent years and the horse who heads the market in 2022 is the William Haggas-trained Mahrajaan at 5/1.
Short enough given the competitive nature of this race and I'm going to look for each way value with Sky Bet paying seven places. He's not the first string for Shadwell Estates Ltd, but Anmaat is worth considering for the same owners as the favourite.
Last seen finishing second in the Cambridgeshire and progressive and consistent before that over this trip, he has won on his reappearance before and whilst Owen Burrows has seen his string decimated since the sad death of patron Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, he is doing well with the remaining horses he trains.
Mick Channon's Certain Lad may be a bit of a handful, but he has talent and was second in this race last year at 66/1. He doesn't do himself any favours beforehand and gets in a real pickle but if he can channel his energy in the right direction he can run well again.
He maybe 4lbs higher in the handicap and George Bass may claim 2lbs less than he did 12 months ago, but at 20/1 he still appeals to finish in the first seven. He has run well on both starts on the Knavesmire.
One of my favourite horses run at York on Friday. I was screaming Documenting home at Royal Ascot when it looked for one moment that my 50/1 each-way voucher was going to pay dividends in the Buckingham Palace Handicap.
He possibly made his challenge a touch early and didn't finish as strongly as he threatened to a couple of furlongs from home. Well, he has a young 7lb claimer on board in Friday's Azets Handicap and if Alec Voikhansky strikes up a good relationship with the nine-year-old he could run well at another big price.
There's no doubt he's well handicapped, he's won over this course and distance, and it looks to me like he retains his enthusiasm and ability, so I'll be following him again here.
I'm looking forward to the day I meet Documenting, they say don't meet your heroes, but I know he won't disappoint.
