Racing tips: William Haggas’ unexposed 5yo could upset the apple cart in the Long Distance Cup

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Litterale Ci simply didn't stay at Uttoxeter yesterday. The leader went off at a frantic gallop, and the stamina came to the forefront, with the front two pulling clear. 

Ascot 1:25

I've said in the past that I don't really rate Trueshan as much as everyone else does, as his performances always come on ground which is not suitable for 99% of horses, so he always looks impressive on that ground. So with that being said, I will be taking him on, despite the fact he won easily in France a fortnight ago. HAMISH is a my selection, and he is a very lightly raced 5yo, who appears to have more to come.

He was the favourite for the Ebor at York, but was pulled from the race due to the going. He was extremely well punted for that race, so connections were clearly excited for his comeback (400+ days off the track) and thought he was well handicapped. He then went to Kempton in a Group 3 where he beat Hukum. That form was boosted in impressive style when Hukum went on to win in his next race, winning at a canter of 6.5 lengths in a Group 3 which produced an RPR of 121. When Hamish beat Hukum, he was staying on strongly, which gave the impression he would be better over further, and today is the day where he proves what level of a racehorse he is.

Stradivarius will have his backers to reverse the form with Trueshan as this will be on better ground, but in my opinion, this race might come too soon for the both of them. 14 days isn't a long break when you've just raced over 2m 4f on heavy ground, and then had to travel back to England. Stradivarius tried this race last year after competing in the Arc, and he was a total flop, which is what will happen again in my opinion. The ground isn't going to be bottomless, so Trueshan should be at a disadvantage to what he would ideally want. Princess Zoe falls into the category of the other two as well, racing in the same race in which they did, but was also convincingly beat by the both of them. This looks like an opportunity for one of the more unexposed horses to stamp their authority in the staying division, and with a 42 day break, Hamish could be the one.

Ascot 2:00

A horse who I think will be well supported today is, ROHAAN. This horse has been one of the stories of the season, and it would be fitting if he could finish the season with a Group 1 win in this race.

The reason why I think he'll be well supported is due to his last race at the Curragh in the Flying Five Stakes, won by Romantic Proposal. He completely missed the break that day, crawled out the stalls, but somehow managed to finish fifth. I recommend watching this race if you haven't seen it already, as it is quite remarkable to see the amount of ground he surrendered at the start, and even at the half-way point he had a mountain to climb. In the final furlong he grew wings and motored home, but sadly it wasn't enough. Today, he has another furlong to aid his strong finishing efforts, and at a track which appears to suit him to the ground. His record at Ascot reads well, with two wins from two runs, with his Royal Ascot performance being rated 121 by the Racing Post, which can't argue with.

This isn't your strongest Group 1 race, with no real stand out horse who you could say they're the one they all have to beat. In the last couple of years, this race has thrown up some wacky winners, so if you're an EW punter, this race is ideal for you. At a price, Brando would be an EW shout. He is always aimed at this race, and he has ran valiantly in this race on many occasions, so I will be having a small play on him as well.

Market Rasen 3:20

With only one horse coming into this race with a recent run under their belt, I think GORTROE JOE is the one to be on. Every other horse in the race has to prove their race fitness in this race, whereas the selection doesn't, and arguably should strip fitter than his seasonal reappearance run.

His recent run over this course and distance was an encouraging return to racing, and the fact that they've come back to Market Rasen is a big positive. This horse appears to like this track, he won over C&D when he was trained by Dan Skelton, and he won over hurdles late last year as well. He looked like having a great chance of winning lto, but got tired in the last 50-100 yards, which saw him get beat by 2.25 lengths.

Today's race is definitely a tougher assignment, but the horses who are in front of the selection in the market look in the grips of the handicapper, in my opinion (Francky Du Berlais & Red Risk), and I can't personally have Gortroe Joe at odds of 7/1, that's a bit insulting.

There is also a possibility that the selection will get a lead, and be able to dictate the race at his own tempo, which could see him go off at a quick pace to test the fitness of others in behind.

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