Racecards
14:00 Ascot
Sodexho European Breeders Fund Classified Stakes (Class C1) (Class 1)
- 13 Runners
- Distance: 1m 2f
- Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
- Form 350232
- Age 5
- Weight 9-6
in touch, effort and ridden 2f out, chased winner inside final furlong, stayed on under pressure
Sharmy (IRE)
559- Form 30/1100-
- Age 8
- Weight 9-6
- Trainer Ian Williams
- Jockey Ted Durcan
took keen hold, held up in rear, pushed along 2f out, never able to challenge
- Form 605221
- Age 5
- Weight 9-4
- Trainer W R Muir
- Jockey S J Drowne
took keen hold, held up in touch, effort and ridden 2f out, chased leading trio over 1f out, stayed on under pressure inside final furlong
Sailing Through
349- Form 111140-
- Age 4
- Weight 9-4
took keen hold in mid-division, not clear run briefly just inside final 2f, soon beaten
- Form 066060
- Age 4
- Weight 9-2
- Trainer D R C Elsworth
- Jockey J Fortune
took keen hold, tracked leaders, pushed along 3f out, weakened quickly over 1f out
- Form 004-500
- Age 5
- Weight 9-2
- Trainer C E Brittain
- Jockey T P Queally
set steady pace, quickened 2f out, headed 1f out, no extra well inside final furlong
- Form 500651
- Age 3
- Weight 9-0
- Trainer C & M Johnston
- Jockey D Holland
held up in rear, pushed along 3f out, effort on inside 2f out, soon one pace and no impression
- Form 441-1
- Age 3
- Weight 8-10
- Trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- Jockey Kieren Fallon
close up, pushed along 3f out, hard ridden and unable to quicken 2f out, soon one pace and no impression
- Form 142014
- Age 3
- Weight 8-10
took keen hold, held up in rear, headway 2f out, squeezed through over 1f out, stayed on under pressure inside final furlong
- Form 2-13000
- Age 3
- Weight 8-10
- Trainer S bin Suroor
- Jockey L Dettori
tracked leader, ridden over 2f out, led 1f out, driven out
- Form 020121
- Age 3
- Weight 8-10
slowly into stride and held up in rear, stayed on under pressure from over 1f out, never dangerous
- Form 10-1242
- Age 3
- Weight 8-7
- Trainer J L Dunlop
- Jockey Richard Hughes
took keen hold, held up towards rear on outer, pushed along 3f out, no impression over 1f out, eased final furlong
Mocca (IRE)
16- Form 2-45162
- Age 3
- Weight 8-7
raced wide, took keen hold in mid-division, ridden and unable to quicken 2f out, stayed on under pressure inside final furlong
In depth
Verdict
A competitive start to the card and Border Castle is the one for us, with Impeller, Gold History and Mango Mischief others to consider. The selection has gone up 8lb for a two length win over Zero Tolerance at Newmarket last time out, but he relished that step up in trip to 10 furlongs and there certainly looks to be more to come. Already a winner on the fast side of good, the ground should not present any worries, and with Kieren Fallon back in the plate he looks capable of following up. Impeller is respected in opposition and should not be too far away. Willie Muir's gelding has shown some consistent form of late, finishing runner-up twice at Glorious Goodwood and then holding on to win by a neck from Mango Mischief at Epsom last time. That was a decent contest and with conditions and trip again to suit he should go very close. Gold History showed some sort of a return to form at Beverley on his penultimate start and improved again to land a similar class contest at Goodwood over nine furlongs last time. He handles the ground and showed that day that he does not have to win from the front, so the options are increasing for Darryll Holland in the plate, though a 2lb rise won't help. Of the others, Mango Mischief has every chance of overturning recent Epsom form with Impeller with a 3lb pull for quarter-of-a-length and on that basis he could represent the main danger to the selection, but Border Castle has been brought along patiently and that can continue to pay dividends here.