It was a strange run from Brosay, and I thought he shaped better than I believed he would have after the first fifty yards.
Obviously, I thought Brosay was the most likely winner, hence why he was tipped up, but you could tell from the start he was going to struggle.
He was too keen and didn't get cover for a little while, and as a result, he burned too much energy. After that, I thought he was going to fall through the back of the picture, but he battled and eventually finished off in a respectable position; granted, he refused to settle. Still, it was a poor effort in the grand scheme of things.
Princling 4/1 – Ascot 3.00
It's not a great surprise to see the two Oppenheimer-owned horses at the front of the market, but I'm siding with the higher-priced one of the two, and he is sporting the second coloured silks.
Despite not being the horse to wear the main coloured hat, it doesn't bother me, and if you are picking between the two, you are going off solid form in handicaps and potential. In the end, the rock-solid form of Princling outweighed the appeal of Cockade.
The numbers next to the profile of Princling don't look appealing, those being 4,5 and 6, but you've got to dive into the form. The fourth was at Carlisle in a race which has been boosted by those who finished ahead of him. The winner was clearly miles ahead of his mark, and is now rated 17lbs higher after winning another Class 2, this time at York. Crest Of Fire, who was third, has also franked the form. That horse is 16lbs higher, and has also won a good handicap, as well as going close on two other occasions.
Princling then raced over further in tough handicaps. He ran well at Royal Ascot after things didn't go to plan, and then last time out he was a little too keen. I think this drop in trip is what he wants, and with this being his first run since being gelded, he can improve further.
Pilu 17/2 (EW, 5 places) – Ascot 4.10
I was tempted to back Pilu at Yarmouth last time out, but I got sucked into backing God Of War. Pilu showed that he is progressing nicely and is a very straightforward horse, which is what you want.
Pilu isn't a flashy horse, and doesn't win by big distances when he does win, so it's always going to be a concern that every time he rises in the handicaps, whether he's gone up too much or not. Based on his last two performances, I think he is still good enough to compete, and he is a nice each-way price for a big field event like this.
Obviously, this is another step up for Pilu, as he has won in Class 4 and Class 3 company. It's going to take a career best to get this over the line, but he is in great form at the moment, and the form of his win at Newmarket was boosted by Sword, who won last weekend.
GambleAware