Paul Ferguson has two selections at on Thursday; Purification in the 5.35 at Ascot and Black Jack Blues at 7.00 at Ffos Las Compare odds
The feature on Day Three of Royal Ascot, Ladies Day, is the Group 1 Gold Cup but the pick of the races from a betting perspective are the last two on the card.
The Tercentenary Stakes, the race most of you will know as the Hampton Court, looks really competitive, which is the concern with Marksmanship, who may be undone by inexperience.
He looked a smart sort on debut but, with just the sole start under his belt, he will need to be pretty high-class to take this, so the day’s bet comes in the shape of Purification (5:35) who runs in the equally competitive looking King George V Stakes.
John Gosden’s Hurricane Run colt split the useful Genius Beast and Sadler’s Risk at Haydock on his second start at two and made a winning start to his three-year-old campaign by scoring at Windsor over 1m2f in April.
Runner-up Communicator, who re-opposes on the same terms, won a competitive York handicap last time, so the forms looks solid.
Unexposed, the selection looks open to plenty of improvement now he is stepped up to 1m4f and he looks worth backing at 6/1.
Elsewhere on Thursday, there’s an interesting novices’ chase at Ffos Las, in which Black Jack Blues (7:00) can score at the first time of asking for Rebecca Curtis and Tony McCoy.
The eight-year-old won a couple of bumpers and is a three-time hurdles winner, with the pick of last season’s form coming at tonight’s track. A winner of a handicap off a mark of 137 here last October, the son of Definite Article finished runner-up to Oscar Whisky here in the Welsh Champion Hurdle in February.
He has a fair yardstick in the shape of Pure Faith to tackle on his fencing bow but, in receipt of 7lbs, it will be disappointing if he can’t account for Peter Bowen’s runner granted a clear round.
Thursday’s selections:
5:35 Royal Ascot: Purification (6/1 Hills / Ladbrokes)
7:00 Ffos Las: Black Jack Blues
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