Jet looks good bet to take out Commonwealth
FEW PEOPLE have crabbed the decision to introduce the Commonwealth Cup (3.05pm) in 2015, and the short but select roll of honour confirms that this has already become a highly prestigious race.
Muhaarar, Caravaggio and Campanelle have already won today’s Group One contest, so it usually takes a classy type to emerge victorious and the one I like the look of is TWILIGHT JET.
Michael O’Callaghan’s son of Twilight Son is about as experienced as they come for a horse of his age having already run 12 times, and that should stand him in good stead here.
He ran well in a number of good races last season, including a close-up seventh to one of today’s rivals, Perfect Power, in the Norfolk Stakes at the Royal meeting.
The Irish raider ran a cracker in the Middle Park to finish close behind Perfect Power, where he looked crying out for a step back to five furlongs.
And so that proved as he dotted up in the Cornwallis Stakes next time out in the style of a good horse.
You can ignore his run in America as everything went wrong and instead it’s best to concentrate on his dominant victory in a Group Three at Naas on his seasonal reappearance which showed he’d very much trained on.
A win here would require another step up, but it’s hard to say he hasn’t stopped improving and he looks the bet each-way at 8/1 with William Hill.
The World Pool will once again be in effect at Ascot with tote.co.uk and with plenty of horses in with appealing profiles, I’m going to throw a few in a Quinella in the hope of a decent payout.
The first of those is EHRAZ, who looks primed for a big run here.
He looked badly in need of the run at Ascot on his seasonal bow where he was last off the bridle but found little to finish third of four.
Richard Hannon’s contender was then seen in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury where he absolutely stormed home to just be touched off by Tiber Flow.
It’s a ride jockey Jim Crowley probably would like to have back again as he gave him a lot to do, and his mount is certainly a contender if things go to plan a bit better.
I have to throw EL CABALLO in there given he’s won his last six.
He just seems to find more improvement every time he runs, as shown by his win in the Sandy Lane last time.
WINGS OF WAR finished behind him there, but he stuck on in eye-catching fashion there and his victory in the Mill Reef at the backend of last season brings him into it for connections who won this with Golden Horde.
In the proceeding Albany Stakes (2.30pm), I’ll be backing MAWJ for Saeed bin Suroor.
She was hugely impressive at Newmarket bolting up by nearly five lengths on similar ground to what she’ll encounter here.
Bin Suroor doesn’t tend to get the best Godolphin two-year-olds these days, but he looks to have a real talent on his hands here.
Loads in this have huge amounts of potential, notably Meditate and Queen Olly, but I’m keen on Mawj at 3/1.
POINTERS
Mawj 2.30pm Ascot
Twilight Jet e/w 3.05pm Ascot
Quinella
(Twilight Jet, Ehraz, El Caballo, Wings Of War)