Two bets for Royal Ascot on Saturday I have placed late this evening complete my portfolio for the week.
Fresh 1pt @ 15/1
Wokingham Stakes
When James Fanshawe lines up a 6F sprinter at Royal Ascot you just have to take notice.
it’s 10 years since he won the Wokingham with Deacon Blues, but thee are some similarities between his runner this year, and that Wokingham winner.
Deacon Blues and Fresh both ran in the same prep race at Ascot in mid-May.
Deacon Blues
ran off 95 in that Ascot mid-May prep race and finished a photo 2nd
posting a career best RPR of 105 (by 6lb)
and a career best Topspeed of 95 (by 10lb)
He was raised 3lb to 98 and won off that rating in the Wokingham, improving 7lb on RPR and 11lb on Topspeed to do so.
Fresh
ran off 91in that Ascot mid-May prep race and won it,
posting a career best RPR of 101 (by 5lb),
and a career best Topspeed of 93 (better by 11lbs).
He was raised 5lb to 96, and will run off that mark in the Wokingham.
An interesting comparison though ten years apart.
Trainers can be creatures of habit, and it’s interesting to see James Fanshawe try the same prep plan 10 years later, with horses of similar ability, who improved a similar amount to hit personal bests on speed and ratings in the same race.
It’s nine years since James Fanshawe had a runner in the Wokingham, and that didn’t tread the same path as Deacon Blues in his penultimate race.
Can Fresh provide the stable with a Wokingham runner for the first time since 2012 , and repeat their uncannily similar prep, and win in 2021 (as they did in 2011)?
Final Song 1pt @ 25/1
Golden Jubilee
Similar to Indie Angle earlier in the week, one of Frankie’s rides at big odds, in a big race, has come in for support this evening.
Final Song is bred to be a sprinter and set out that way as a two year old.
Last season she was stretched out to 8F, and though she was consistent she didn’t look like a Grade 1 filly.
Saeed Bin Suroor has switched her back to sprinting this season at Meydan, and it’s looked to be the making of her.
A Grade 3 win over 6F was followed by a half length second to Extravagant Kid in the Grade 1 Turf Sprint on the big race day of the Festival.
The US horse went close, in third in the Kings Stand on Tuesday so the Group 1 form holds up well.
Final Song’s comeback race in the UK was in the Duke of York Stakes when she finished tamely. she was checked out Post-race at the track, but no abnormality found.
The money late on Thursday night suggests that maybe she is back on song, whatever ailed her there.
Hopefully Frankie can find another bit of improvement from a 4yo mare, on straight course, and rather can run like Indie Angel did on Wednesday.
She is still 25/1 with Sky and 20/1 with William Hill as I type this.
