It was the return to the thread that I was hoping for, with two duds to welcome me back.
Tuco Salamanca didn't look up to it under Jamie Spencer. Can't fault the ride, which is something you can normally do with ease with Jamie, but in all fairness, the horse was severely one-paced.
Grizedale ran a perfectly sound race on his turf debut. Once again, he was beaten by two better horses on the day, but there are many big days for him to come.
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Princess Rascal 7/1 (1pt) – Newmarket 1.30
I think the bigger yard's horses will attract the most attention, but I was willing to back Princess Rascal after a poor effort on her all-weather debut at Kempton a couple of months ago.
I tipped this filly up at Salisbury on her second start and really liked what I saw from her. I then tipped against her last time out when backing the Godolphin winner at Kempton. I thought she wasn't going to enjoy the setup of the race fully as it lacked pace, which turned out to be true. Not only that, but the performance was that bad; she must've hated the all-weather surface, so seeing her back on the turf is not a surprise.
If the ground deteriorates, she has proven she handles cut in the ground. I firmly believe she is much better than her rating of 81, so I'm expecting a return to form.
Lady Of Spain 4/1 (1pt) – Newmarket 2.40
The two proven Group 1 horses in the race are Cinderella's Dream and Fallen Angel. They both have similar form coming into this race, but Fallen Angel has started to get her act together towards the back end of the year, with two Group 1 wins. Even though both of the horses named are very talented and consistent, they're not world beaters, and I think Lady Of Spain is worth a small bet against the two at the top of the market.
Given how many Group 1s the top two have won, you'd have imagined that there would be a big gap in the odds compared to the others. Lady Of Spain sits as the third favourite, and is probably a bit short on what she has achieved. However, she is unbeaten in five races and managed to land a Group 3 on her return to the track last time out. Given it was her first run in 255 days, and she was giving 6lb to the in-form Blue Bolt, that was a very taking performance. There is always the off chance that she'll bounce, or maybe she's not good enough at this level, but I think she is worth a try, as she has progressed on every step up in grade.
Coltrane 9/4 (2pt) – Longchamp 12.58
This has to be one of the worst Group 1 races I've seen, and for that reason, Coltrane must be in with a superb chance of winning this.
I really wanted to back Caballo De Mar, but I'm unsure about the ground and trip for him. Coltrane is one of the only horses in this race who is proven over today's trip. Last year, he finished third in this race to Kyprios, only beaten by 2.25L. That form is clear of anything else in this race at the staying trips, and that was also on soft ground.
Oisin is on board, and I think he is the one to beat, even at the age of eight.
Ascot Placepot with Totesport
1.15 – Sunfall
1.50 – Beautiful Diamond
2.25 – Hamish
3.00 – Quinault
3.35 – Hickory
4.10 – King Of Light
GambleAware