Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Ascot and Newmarket on Saturday. View selections below.
PRINCE’S TRUST (3.50) can continue his steep upwards progress by bagging Ascot’s totepool Challenge Cup for William Haggas. The four-year-old has been saddled with a 12lb rise for scoring at Yarmouth in August with contemptuous ease, but the handicapper’s stiff treatment has been negated somewhat by the booking of 3lb claimer Cam Hardie. The Queen’s four-year-old hadn’t seen a racetrack for 407 days but scored on quick ground at Newmarket last May when in the hands of Richard Hannon, so ground conditions should be ideal.
Haggas has an abundance of riches at his disposal this season and MUTHMIR (2.05) is a logical pick in the Albert Bartlett Stakes over five furlongs. Muthmir almost blew his last race by stumbling at the start, then running into a traffic jam over a furlong out. To his immense credit the gelding found another gear when reined back and switched by Paul Hanagan and they eventually landed the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap with something up their sleeve.
At Newmarket, Luca Cumani could hold the answer to the Qipco Future Stars Apprentice Handicap with KINSHASA (5.15). The colt remains relatively lightly raced with only six races under his belt. The colt was beaten on the nod by Notarised at Yarmouth and Cumani has booking a rising star in Charles Bishop to do the steering. Kinshasa has already scored at Kempton and Salisbury, and he compromised his chances by a tardy start in a hot Ascot handicap won by Battersea.
Redcar’s feature totepool Two-Year-Old Trophy is probably best left to Henry Candy’s unbeaten Limato but he won’t be much of a price in a huge field. With eight runners going to post for the totescoop6 Guisborough Stakes, the race has a great each-way shape to it, with MUTEELA (3.45) the pick. Mark Johnston’s filly has created quite an impression this season, racking up a summer hat-trick which included a thrilling Royal Ascot success in the Sandringham. Muteela has twice finished runner-up in tough Group 3 contests at Goodwood and she can bounce back from a below-par sixth in the Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster, a finish fought out by smart duo Kiyoshi and Bragging. Testing ground may not have been ideal that day and this straight seven furlongs plays to her strengths.
Another Johnston three-year-old, STETCHWORTH (5.30), can also deliver the goods on the same card. The colt defied a 325-day absence when easily landing a Hamilton maiden 12 days ago and steps into a handicap for the first time off a workable mark of 78.
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Alan
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