Horse Racing Betting Tips: Coronet to upset stablemate and take fillies’ crown
TRAINER John Gosden has dominated the current Flat season and it would be no surprise if that trend continues at Ascot tomorrow.
His Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius is the odds-on favourite to land the opening QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (1.25pm) and win his fifth successive race of the campaign.
The likelihood is that his class will once again see him through, but I’m prepared to take him on with Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old FLAG OF HONOUR at around 9/4.
The form figures show that Stradivarius has won all four of his races this season, but they don’t show that he has been more and more unimpressive with each performance.
In fact, he looked beaten at York last time in what didn’t look the strongest renewal of the Lonsdale Cup and only just reeled in Count Octave late on.
The entire focus of his campaign has been on landing the Weatherbys £1 million Stayers bonus and with that prize now in the bag, this race appears somewhat of an afterthought.
There were enough grounds to oppose him before the rain fell earlier in the week, but the prospect of soft ground makes him unappealing.
Stradivarius has encountered going with the word soft in the description on four occasions in his career to date and has been beaten on all four occasions.
He’s worth taking on with a fast-improving Group-One winning three-year- old who should handle conditions and gets a valuable 8lbs.
If Gosden doesn’t strike in the opener, he looks to have a really strong hand in the Fillies & Mares Stakes (2.40pm) where he saddles favourite Lah Ti Dar and last season’s third CORONET.
The former was having only the fourth start of her career when second in last month’s St Leger and is now starting to make up for lost time since injury kept her out for the bulk of the summer.
She is unquestionably a very smart filly and will be tough to crack if handling by far the softest surface she has encountered to date.
However, I’m prepared to take her on with stablemate Coronet who seems to have improved again this season.
Her seconds to both Sea Of Class and Waldgeist in two runs this campaign to date read very well now considering how well that pair ran in the Arc earlier this month.
If her jockey Olivier Peslier can ride her slightly handier than he did in this race 12 months ago, she is sure to give her stablemate a real race and looks worthy of each-way support at 11/2 with Coral.
If there is a race that has the potential for a real upset, it could easily be the Champions Sprint (2.00pm).
The Tin Man and Librisa Breeze, the last two winners of this Group One prize, are both back for more and it’s easy to see why they head most people’s lists.
Both seem to be at their best at this venue and will have no issues with the ground, but at the prices I am prepared to give another chance to BRANDO at 8/1 with Coral.
Third in this race in 2016, he was bumped at a crucial stage 12 months ago when never a factor.
He has been in better form this season, hitting the frame in both the July Cup and the Haydock Sprint Cup behind The Tin Man last time, and he should go well again here.
His ability to travel strongly in these conditions will surely help him go very close.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Flag Of Honour 1.25pm Ascot
Brando e/w 2.00pm Ascot
Coronet e/w 2.40pm Ascot