Vincent Cheminaud has a fine chance of making his first visit to Britain a successful one, thanks to Acolyte (3.50) in the Sprint, the concluding race on Ascot’s Shergar Cup card. The draw of mounts for this card is supposedly controlled so as to give each rider a hand of similar strength but few runners here can match the claims of Acolyte, a progressive young sprinter from Roger Charlton’s yard.
Charlton’s ability with sprinters is well established and he won this race with both Genki and Mince. Acolyte is improving rapidly, judged on two Polytrack successes last month, and it may be that switching to front-running tactics has helped.
This field is not without danger. Midlander can probably do better than he was able to show at Goodwood and he won his four races before that. Primrose Valley and Roossey, the latter a reserve at the time of writing, both ran well behind Magical Memory when last seen and that winner has since landed the Stewards’ Cup.
But Acolyte is the one most likely to be ahead of his mark and he has what seems a handy draw in stall two. Cheminaud lacks experience of Flat racing but he is France’s champion jump jockey and was cool enough to win the French Derby this summer, so he is unlikely to lose this through lack of composure.
12.55 Ascot Stall two is also the berth for another improving young sprinter in the opening race. Double Up, to be partnered by Blake Shinn, won a much more valuable contest over this course and distance last month. He then went to Goodwood and was beaten by only a well-treated rival from an in-form yard. He has gone up another 4lb and would be vulnerable in most handicaps open to him but this one seems to lack depth. Dungannon is interesting, though, having won this four years ago. He has Olivier Peslier aboard, which is hardly a hindrance.
1.30 Ascot Wordiness has taken his form to a new level since joining David Evans this year and being stepped up in trip. He never got into his race at Goodwood, being held up at the back of a big field when it paid to race prominently. Prior to that he won three in a row and still does not look harshly treated. He is another big chance on the Shergar Cup yard for Cheminaud.
2.05 Ascot The luck of the draw has reunited Xinbama with Jamie Spencer, who was aboard for the first time when the pair won at Leicester last month. That was a career high for the six-year-old, who seemed to win with something in hand. The runner-up has won since so, even from his revised mark, Xinbama should still be able to run on into this. His best form seems to come in the first half of his seasons, so it must help that this is only his second start of 2015.
2.20 Haydock Rembrandt Van Rijn, frustrating in his maiden days, appears more professional this year after a gelding operation. He is two from two in handicaps and is only 6lb higher than for his Sandown success, when he won cosily despite meeting traffic. He is the standout on form here, having had a nice break since last seen.
2.40 Ascot This will hopefully work out better for Master The World than the two Sandown handicaps in which he was fourth and then third from wide draws early in the summer. With cheekpieces back on, he won at Newmarket on his next start and can probably be forgiven a moderate effort at Goodwood last time, this race being less competitive. He is still handicapped to win when things fall right and it is easy to have faith in his allotted rider, Pat Smullen.
2.55 Haydock This looks a straightforward opportunity for Intilaaq, who was the comfortable winner of a Listed race over Consort last month. He did not cope with the 2,000 Guineas on his previous start but it would be no surprise if he worked his way back to Group One company at some point.
3.15 Ascot The lack of a strong gallop cost Perestroika on her penultimate start but her record this year has nevertheless been firmly progressive. She stormed home at Windsor last time and looks well equipped for a test like this. Her jockey, Peslier, won this last year.
3.35 Newmarket Blue Bayou was the least experienced runner in the field for last month’s Duchess of Cambridge but she was beaten less than a neck in the end, form that looks strong in light of the runner-up landing a Group Three next time. Brian Meehan has said Blue Bayou is as good a juvenile filly as he has trained, which is significant praise, and indeed she is bred to be good. There are promising talents in opposition but she offers most.
