Sovereign made all to cause a 33/1 shock in the Irish Derby on Saturday and the Galileo colt was cut to 10/1 post race for the St Leger in the immediate aftermath of the Curragh classic. Japan is the 7/4 favourite with BetVictor for the final classic of the season, but I wonder if Doncaster will be his long-term target? It was no surprise to me to see Sovereign clipped to 7/1 with BetVictor for the Leger on Sunday morning – he looks a top-class stayer in waiting to me.
At Pontefract this afternoon Monoski (2.30) has just over three lengths to find with Lord Of The Lodge on Coventry Stakes running at Royal Ascot, but the selection went off too fast on ground softer than idea on that occasion. Mark Johnston’s juvenile had previously made all over today’s C&D and he is taken to return to winning ways and make all.
There is the possibility that Chynna (3.05) has just not trained on for Mick Channon, but I feel she is worth another chance as she slips down the weights. This represents a drop in grade back against her own sex and it might be a long season for Mick Channon’s filly if she doesn’t run a big race this afternoon.
Strindberg (3.30) who makes his handicap debut this afternoon is the half-brother to 10 winners and I thought he shaped with considerable promise when fourth in a Nottingham maiden on his second and final juvenile start. There wasn’t much to take from his Windsor reappearance, but trainer Marcus Tregoning steps his three-year-old up to 12f for the first time this afternoon and he can improve past his field.
At Wolverhampton Leopardina (2.15) steps up in trip to 7f for the first time and she is the half-sister to a couple of winners at the distance. David Simcock applies a hood to his lightly-raced three-year-old for the first time this afternoon and she has an excellent draw in stall two.
Trainer Richard Hughes saddled three winners last week and I hope to see his Dark Kris (3.15) land the 7f Novice Stakes. The selection was no match for Guildsman in his second start on soft ground at Goodwood over 6f, but that form was given a huge boost when the winner was beaten less than a length when third in the Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting earlier in the month.
Spice Of Life is a fascinating debutante at Windsor this evening representing the stable of Ralph Beckett who has saddled the winner of the opener on the card twice in the last three years. A market move would be worth noting.
The classic generation have won the last five renewals of this fillies only event and I hope to see Cherry Cola (5.45) land her hat-trick. The selection won over C&D on her penultimate start but showed improved form when doubling up at Yarmouth last time from a 5lbs lower mark. That latest win came on soft ground, but she is equally adept on a quicker surface.
Roger Varian fits Takumi (7.15) with first-time cheek-pieces and his three-year-old remains open to further improvement having failed to finish out of the top two in three starts so far this term. It will take a career best for the each way selection to score in this company but he is clearly going the right way.
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