14:30 - No bet
Another juvenile race, another Aiden O’Brien favourite, this time in Bedtime Story.
She was impressive on debut but I couldn’t be touching her at 7/4 in the race where there is arguably the most potential for horses to improve as they generally step up in trip.
There are much better betting prospects to come.
15:05 - Missed The Cut 11/1 1pt ew
I think this Hardwicke Stakes is a very strong renewal and the form is set by last year’s St Leger winner Continuous. He is closely attended to in the market by Middle Earth who he beat in that race last year, but made a really nice return when winning at Newbury.
They are closer together than they should be on pure form but there is a strong vibe that like many of Aiden’s, Continuous may improve for the run and he will have bigger targets in mind.
The race has a good each way shape to it with that in mind, and I am going to chance Missed The Cut at 11/1. This horse has been running well in America since moving from George Boughey to John Sadler, especially in 2024, highlighted by his 2nd to Silver Knott who then went on to win the Man O War Stakes and looks a top horse out there for Charlie Appleby.
His last start time in Britain was at Lingfield defeating Algiers, setting a new track record in the process. Algiers has since gone on to a rating of 120 and finished 2nd in a Dubai World Cup so that looks a strong piece of form. Missed The Cut also has form at Ascot when winning the Golden Gates in 2022. He will absolutely love conditions and I can’t imagine connections have come over here for no reason and I suspect he will run a huge race.
15:45 - No Bet
The sprinting division is a real puzzle and one too hard for me to solve. If a gun was to my head I’d probably go for Mill Stream but I’m glad I’m not in that situation so I will leave this race alone and just hope something blows it apart.
16:25 - Task Force 15/2 1pt ew
The Jersey Stakes is headlined by the Irish 2000 Guineas 2nd and 3rd, Haatem and River Tiber, and it is a little surprising to see both dropped into a Group 3 after such good runs there.
There is an argument that 7f may suit both of them best but still it feels a slight waste of talent. Despite their obvious claims after their runs behind Rosallion, who did that form no harm at all, I am looking to take them on at their respective prices of 7/4 and 7/2 at the time of writing.
I am wanting to be with Task Force who I also backed in the Guineas, with the hope of an improved run off the back of that. Firstly, he seemed to be very quick as a juvenile despite his pedigree and he backed up his first two wins with a big run when runner up to Vandeek in the Middle Park. With that in mind, the drop back from a mile to 7f could suit him too and he didn’t run that badly anyway finishing 7th, so you can’t say he hasn’t trained on.
This is also his second start after a wind operation and you know the good old phrase ‘that could be the time to catch him’, well hopefully it is here and he makes plenty of appeal as an each way bet at around 15/2, annoyingly I missed the double figure prices on offer earlier in the week.
17:05 - Saint Lawrence 25/1 0.5pt ew
- Apollo One 14/1 0.5pt ew
Weirdly I have a very good record in the Wokingham and I’m hoping that last year’s renewal is the best place to be looking as I am chancing the winner, Saint Lawrence and the runner-up, Apollo One at 25/1 and 14/1 respectively. Both each way with six places.
Saint Lawrence arrives off just a 3lb higher mark than his demolition in this last year and he has the blinkers reapplied after leaving them off last time (won in them first time out for the yard in this last year). The handicapper has been very generous for some Dan Skelton like plotting from Archie Watson and he looks a big price at 25/1.
Apollo One arrives off a 5lb higher mark and certainly is no plot job for he has held his form so well in the big handicaps since that run. He is actually drawn on the side which shapes to have more pace so may not need a forceful ride today and I struggle to see him being out of the frame and that makes the 14/1 look a nice price, even if he does get chinned late all the time!
17:40 - No Bet
I looked and looked through this race and kept thinking Hand Of God could be the horse with the most in hand, however, the 3/1 available does not strike me as great value and I was happy to pass. I could also see Portsmouth running well but I’d question whether he has enough up his sleeve.
18:15 - Queenstown 10/3 2pt win
Queenstown would be a two time winner this season if it wasn’t for bumping into Kyprios on both of his starts at Navan and Leopardstown.
I thought he shaped really well in the latter, really making the now two time Gold Cup winner work hard for his victory.
It will be a relief to him that there is no horse of that calibre in this year’s Queen Alexandra Stakes (not at this point anyway) and I think he has a very good chance now tackling a marathon trip for the first time.
Ryan Moore now gets on board and he sounds very bullish about his chances in columns this week, he is clearly the horse in here with untapped potential and he doesn’t really need to improve to win, it is all just about whether his stamina holds out. If it does, he will take some stopping here and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was quite an impressive winner.
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