Ante-Post Focus

Published 19/08

INTO THE LIGHT quickly put a Royal Ascot blip behind him at Goodwood last time and looks sure to appreciate the step up in trip in the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap (2.25) at York on Saturday.

Charlie Appleby’s colt responded well to first-time cheekpieces at the ‘Glorious’ meeting, giving William Buick more assistance in the early stages than had been apparent in the King George V Stakes previously when a tight 4-1 second favourite.

He’s up 8lb for that success but is a typically well-bred sort from the yard, with plenty of stamina in the pedigree (dam a Listed winner over just shy of two miles), and is still potentially well-treated on the form of his Sandown near-miss off level weights against Lost Boys in the spring.

The winner has since completed a seasonal hat-trick in Newbury’s London Gold Cup and the Golden Gates at the Royal Meeting, earning a 20lb rise in the process.

Provided the selection retains the focus he showed at Goodwood, another bold show looks on the card - the penultimate effort at Ascot is the only time he’s finished out of the first two in five career starts.

Published 18/08

ZAVATERI is a fresh horse owing to his early-season setback and has no Bow Echo or Gstaad to contend with in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (3.00) on Saturday.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s admirable colt, who cost just 35,000 guineas as a yearling, got a bump from the former two furlongs out which may have cost him third spot behind the Guineas one-two in last month’s Sussex Stakes.

That was a cracking Goodwood effort in the circumstances, coming off a three-month injury break following his similarly encouraging second in the Greenham at Newbury which had been intended as a prep run for the season’s first Classic.

The selection is entitled to improve for that recent return to action and, having got the better of a sustained duel with Gstaad in last year’s National Stakes at the Curragh, there should be no qualms about this drop back to seven furlongs.

The latter, who ended the campaign by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, turned the form around when they were second and fourth to Gewan in the Dewhurst next time, but Zavateri is better than he showed there as he became unbalanced in the Dip before regathering his momentum when it was too late.

This more conventional track promises to suit him well and he’s got the form to give older market leaders Notable Speech and Lake Forest something to think about in receipt of the 5lb weight-for-age allowance.

Published 17/07

DAIQUIRI BAY showed a terrific attitude when landing a Royal Ascot touch for this column and looks worthy of reinvestment with trainer Alan King confirming he’ll go straight for the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York next month.

The progressive four-year-old already has a good high-profile Knavesmire run on the board, having finished third in last season’s Melrose, and has clearly improved for being gelded over the winter.

He beat race-fit favourite Gamrai in a 1m4f handicap at Newmarket on 2000 Guineas day and confirmed superiority over that rival, albeit narrowly, on 2lb worse terms upped in trip for the Copper Horse at the Royal Meeting.

Out of a two-mile winner, he retains scope for further improvement over this sort of distance and a 5lb rise shouldn’t be a major stumbling block given his stamina and doughtiness.

He’s evidently suited by the prevailing quick ground, but King has said he might even prefer some cut, which makes him an attractive Ante-Post proposition in terms of what the weather does over the next five weeks.

Current best prices will do for me at the quarter-odds-four-places available across the board.

Published 08/07

Derby runner-up MALTESE CROSS is set to reappear in the Grand Prix de Paris on Tuesday so now may be a good time to back him for the Betfred St Leger - both Group 1s shown on Sky Sports Racing.

William Haggas’s colt has displayed stamina and tenacity on all five starts to date, while his credentials for Doncaster’s extended 1m6f are backed up by a high-class German middle-distance pedigree on the dam’s side.

Haggas sent out another son of Sea The Stars to finish third in the Leger three years ago and has a stronger contender this time around as Desert Hero had progressed from handicaps and lacked Group 1 form going into the race.

Even before Epsom, the trainer had expressed the opinion that Maltese Cross would stay beyond 1m4f and it’s worth noting the upcoming Bastille Day showpiece at Paris-Longchamp has proved a successful stepping-stone to the season’s final Classic in the last 25 years with Scorpion, Kew Gardens and Hurricane Lane winning both races.