Moore can set Ozat on Road to victory at Shergar Cup
SHERGAR Cup Day concludes with the Shergar Cup Mile (4.30pm), and the winning team and rider could all come down to this contest.
Ryan Moore is booked to ride the Ian Williams-trained OZAT, who is an interesting contender.
He caught the eye in Goodwood’s competitive Golden Mile last week, when travelling well inside the final two furlongs but repeatedly running into traffic problems.
Due to the interference, his jockey chose to ease him up inside the final furlong, so his finishing position of 15th can’t be considered a true reflection of his run.
He has now dropped a further two pounds in the handicap and looks well treated.
Ozat has form at Ascot too, when running a respectable race in the Royal Hunt Cup in June, and looks capable of putting up a bold show.
I’ll throw a couple of others into a World Pool Quinella (first two finishers in any order) with Ozat in the hope of ending the day on a high.
BULLET POINT hasn’t really hit the heights in two runs so far this season, finishing down the field in competitive handicaps at Newmarket and York.
His trainer William Haggas has given him a break since those runs, which both took place in May, and his handicap mark has dropped to just a pound above when winning a valuable York handicap last year.
If freshened up after a break, looks to hold strong claims with Christophe Lemaire up.
EBT’S GUARD finished ahead of Ozat in the Golden Mile at Goodwood, but had more luck in running.
Before that, he had been running consistently well in competitive mile handicaps, finishing fourth at Newbury in May, fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot and third at Sandown.
That’s a strong level of form and a return to it would see him in the shake-up, so he’s another for our Quinella.
In the earlier Shergar Cup Stayers Handicap (2.10pm), I’m expecting a big run from MOUNTAIN ROAD.
This versatile seven-year-old can grind the opposition into submission from the front, as he did at Newmarket two years ago, or swoop from the back, tactics which paid off handsomely when he triumphed at Thirsk last time out.
He was right back to his best there and looks set to go well at a decent price with Japanese legend Yutaka Take doing the steering.
For the chance of a mammoth payout, put the Ian Williams-trained DANCING IN PARIS, who is back to his optimum trip, and last start winner MARNIER into a World Pool Quinella alongside Mountain Road.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Mountain Road (Win and Place) 2.10pm Ascot
Mountain Road, Dancing In Paris, Marnier (Quinella) 2.10pm Ascot
Ozat (Win) 4.30pm Ascot
Ozat, Bullet Point, Ebt’s Guard (Quinella) 4.30pm Ascot