We have a cracking day of Flat racing to enjoy, with plenty of competitive action for punters to get stuck into. The feature is, of course, the £2,000,000 Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, where a star-studded field of nine go to post in what promises to be one of the races of the season. You could make a strong case for several of the runners, and it’s a race I’ll be watching without having a bet. Not every great race needs a financial interest to be enjoyed.
There are some shorter-priced horses elsewhere that look capable of getting the job done. Punters at Salisbury could land a double with the first two races, while Touleen looks to hold outstanding claims in the Group 3 Valiant Stakes at Ascot.
14:44 Gowran Park – BEAU ARMY (9/1 Generally Each Way)
BEAU ARMY looks to be heading in the right direction after a number of encouraging performances. Although both of her victories have come on the all-weather, she showed at Killarney that she is equally effective on turf, staying on well for third over a mile after racing a little too freely in the early stages.
The drop back to 7f looks likely to suit, while she is now 4lb below her last winning mark. She also ran with plenty of credit behind a filly who has since gone on to win at stakes level, giving her recent form a solid look. First-time cheekpieces could bring about a little more improvement and, if they have the desired effect, she should be in the mix.
14:55 Ascot – SWORD (50/1 Generally Each Way)
Perhaps the hardest race of the day to solve is the 7f Heritage Handicap, where you could make a case for plenty of the runners and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see almost any of them come out on top. At a huge price, it could be worth taking a chance on SWORD each way for Stuart Williams and Marco Ghiani, who combined with owners TJE Racing to land a shock winner at Windsor on Monday.
He isn’t the most reliable character, but if putting his best foot forward he is well capable of outrunning his odds. He likes quick ground and shaped better than the result suggests at Newmarket last time after racing too keenly. Before that, he ran well in a strong York handicap, and can stay further than this trip, which should be to his benefit.
Most importantly, he finished an excellent third in this race 12 months ago off this mark, suggesting this is likely to have been a long-term target. With five places widely available, he looks worth a speculative few quid.
SATURDAY SELECTIONS
14:44 Gowran Park – BEAU ARMY (9/1 Generally Each Way)
14:55 Ascot – SWORD (50/1 Generally Each Way)
*Odds correct at time of posting – 19:15 Friday 24th July
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Please note that although Matt has uploaded the tips, he is not our Racing Club Insider – the insider will remain anonymous!
