Ante-Post Focus

Published  22/07

STELLAR SUNRISE (each-way) stands out at the prices in a mouth-watering renewal of the Moet & Chandon International Handicap (2.55) at Ascot on Saturday - live on Sky Sports Racing.

The market is dominated by unbeaten fellow three-year-old Extremely Zain, who went off a short price when landing a big-field York handicap last time and holds a Group 2 entry at Newbury next month.

Second-in is my old pal Back In Black, who again looked unlucky in running in the Bunbury Cup a couple of weeks ago, drawing this comment from one professional race reader: “Has now suffered eight successive defeats off marks in the 90s but can surely put that right before long, as the rapid move he made from the rear to hit the front before the winner could only be done by a well-handicapped horse.”

Other single-odds contenders are major players from the royal meeting here - Mezcala, winner of the Buckingham Palace, and Wokingham runner-up Completely Random.

At much bigger odds though, Stellar Sunrise makes a fair bit of appeal, representing the powerful Andrew Balding-Oisin Murphy combination and is set to have his first run since being gelded.

He was dispatched to the vets after finishing last of six when even-money favourite for the Surrey Stakes at Epsom on Oaks day, albeit the soft ground was probably to blame (the only previous time he finished out of the frame was in last autumn’s Group 3 Horris Hill on similarly testing ground). He’s better judged on his decisive victories in a traditionally strong Newbury handicap in the spring and 18-runner York nursery at last year’s Ebor meeting. 

A beaten favourite third in the King Charles II at Newmarket is easily forgiven as the small field may not have been ideal (he’s won all three starts in double-digit line-ups) and the manner of that Newbury win suggests he may still have another good prize in him returned to handicap company off this 7lb higher mark.

Published 21/07

GHOSTWRITER appeals as a value selection for the Sky Bet York Stakes (2.35) on Saturday given the pick of his overall form and prospect of taking a big step forward from last month’s Royal Ascot reappearance after a year’s absence.

The five-year-old duly ran as though in need of the run when beaten six and a half lengths in the Wolferton, 360 days after finishing third to the recently retired globetrotting legend Rebel’s Romance in the Hardwicke at the corresponding meeting.

The latter went on to finish third to Calandagan and Kalpana in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, that pair due to renew rivalry in Ascot’s Group 1 showpiece this weekend - live on Sky Sports Racing. Both have won subsequent championship races to underline the strength of the form.

Trained by Clive Cox back then, the selection was bought for a whopping £2 million by Amo Racing five days before the Hardwicke and later switched to their retained trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy, for whom he had his first run in the Wolferton.

The Belgian was quoted in the run-up to Ascot that Ghostwriter was “getting there fitness-wise”, suggesting he would improve a fair bit for the run, and that’s the way it looked as he was too fresh after his layoff yet still shaped well until weakening in the final furlong.

Ratings-wise, he put up arguably the best performance of his career when third to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International over this course and distance two years ago and, relatively lightly raced since, he might well relish the return here in significantly lower grade.

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 1's 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.