Following five wins at Newmarket on Guineas weekend William Buick could be making headlines again in Ascot’s Victoria Cup on Saturday. The jockey is an eye-catching booking for Sabador (4.00), winner of two of his four starts for Ed Walker last year.
The grey was last seen getting a luckless run here in the Britannia last June but even in defeat he showed his ability. Granted an even break, he can outrun odds of 16-1. Shady McCoy makes each-way appeal at 25-1.
1.55 Lingfield Ralph Beckett can get his fourth success in the Oaks Trial with Cecchini, who set a course record for juveniles when winning her only start at Kempton in November. She can outpace the Irish raider Flattering, who hacked up in the Cork mud last weekend.
2.15 Ascot The winner of three consecutive handicaps last summer, Thundering Blue may now be ready to go in again, following a very respectable fifth in the City And Suburban on his reappearance. Humble Hero is a live danger after a gelding operation.
2.30 Lingfield Aidan O’Brien’s Kew Gardens is the clear form pick and can defy a penalty for scoring at Listed level last year. He will be sharper for his Feilden Stakes third and this extra distance will help.
2.50 Ascot Roger Varian’s older horses are keeping his Newmarket yard in winners just now, so there is every reason to hope Barsanti can be straight enough to show his best here. He has not yet won at this level but loves a fast surface and ran Idaho to half a length in a Group Two last summer.
3.10 Haydock Paul Nicholls could get his first success in the Swinton with Capitaine, an exuberant grey who goes well on dry ground. He was rather too free on his first start for four months at Cheltenham last month but this could work out better for him and his rating looks lenient.
3.25 Ascot A return to best form would make Urban Fox pretty hard to beat here, as she makes her handicap debut on her first start for the in-form William Haggas. Tried in the Guineas last year, she was rated 7lb higher than her current mark at the time.
3.40 Lingfield Bred to be quick, One Master needs to improve on her three runs last year but was going the right way when last seen, scoring at Ascot in October.
Ascot 2.15 Thundering Blue 2.50 Barsanti 3.25 Urban Fox 4.00 Sabador (nap) 4.35 Mutawaffer 5.10 Madame Bounty
Haydock 2.00 Wolf Of Windlesham 2.35 Amlad 3.10 Capitaine 3.45 Intisaab 4.20 Tabarrak 4.55 Breath Caught (nb) 5.25 Ballyarthur 5.55 Pearls Legend
Hexham 1.45 It’s All About Me 2.20 Peculiar Places 2.55 Dica 3.30 Sporting Milan 4.05 Well Smitten 4.40 Crest 5.15 Influential Lady Lingfield 1.55 Cecchini 2.30 Kew Gardens 3.05 Midnight Mood 3.40 One Master 4.15 Mancini 4.50 Kirkland Forever 5.20 Aclimatise 5.50 Island Of Life
Nottingham 2.05 Prevent 2.40 Ebitda 3.15 Mod 3.50 Pretty Baby 4.25 Michele Strogoff 5.00 Tight Lines 5.35 Jungle Room 6.05 Misu Pete
Thirsk 5.45 Who Told Jo Jo 6.15 Juan Horsepower 6.45 Stonific 7.15 Conversant 7.45 Dundunah 8.15 New Graduate 8.45 Melaniemillie
Warwick 5.30 Clondaw Anchor 6.00 Finley’s Eyes 6.30 Spectator 7.00 Poppy Kay 7.30 Rebel Yeats 8.00 Charlie Mon 8.30 The Wolf
