Rory Delargy

ASCOT SATURDAY

1:50 PRINCESS MARGARET JUDDMONTE STAKES (Group 3) 6F

Nyaleti impressed when beating the useful Billesdon Brook on her debut at Salisbury, and has taken her form up a notch in defeat since, pushing September hard in the Chesham Stakes before finding Clemmie too good in the Duchess Of Cambridge at Newmarket. There was absolutely no disgrace in finding either of those highly-regarded Ballydoyle fillies too strong, and she has the opportunity to gain her own headlines here.

Forced to make her own running in the Chesham, she has the benefit of stablemate Rebel Assault to help with pacemaking duties. Mistress Of Venice and Spring Cosmos also made the running on their most recent starts, the former somewhat surprisingly leading Nyaleti in the Duchess Of Cambridge, but no match for that rival in the closing stages.

The return to Ascot and the prospect of a well-run race both appear as big positives for the daughter of Arch, and the booking of Ryan Moore is not to be sniffed at either.

2:25 PORSCHE HANDICAP 1M

Juanito Chico put up a career-best performance when chasing home Addeybb on the round mile here a fortnight ago, despite being unsuited by the steady tempo, and he did well to pull clear of the others having raced freely in the early stages. He has been raised in the weights for that defeat, but the combination of a likely frenetic pace and a switch to the straight track ought to see him defy the attentions of the handicapper. This race is replete with early pace, and Fire Brigade is the only other confirmed hold-up horse who isn’t out of the weights.

It’s interesting that Hayley Turner is extending her brief return to the saddle to ride Fire Brigade, and he’s quite an interesting outsider given how the race will play out, but his form has come at a slightly lower level, and Juanito Chico looks a much more solid proposition.

3:00 GIGASET INTERNATIONAL STAKES 7F

At first glance, the International looks almost impossible, the surprising lack of a guaranteed pacemaker on either side of the track adding to the sense of uncertainty, but what pace there is looks like being concentrated towards the stands side, and that may help Firmament to bounce back to form in the big-field handicap scenario which suits him so well.

The selection shaped extremely well despite a troubled passage when placed in the Balmoral Handicap here last autumn, and showed his mark was still workable when runner-up at York on his most recent handicap start.

He’s been disappointing in stakes company the last twice, which is reflected in his price of 25/1, but he is likely to bounce back in a race of this nature, and the last time he tackled track and trip, he was beaten only narrowly by handicap blot Librisa Breeze, having also finished second in a similar event over course and distance on his previous outing.

Big Ascot handicaps have a habit of going to horses with previous course form, and while Firmament’s handicap mark is certainly not a gimme, his ability to run to his best in similar events augurs well for his chances here.

3:35 KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (Group 1) 1M 3F 211Y

Neither of the pair who have dominated the headlines for this event are proven on slow ground, although the impression with Enable is that it’s just a case of lack of opportunity rather than lack of aptitude in the conditions. Highland Reel, on the other hand, has a well-earned reputation for being at his best on a sound surface, and while his price may have drifted too far during the week, he’s hard to back with any confidence given there are still showers in the forecast.

Enable has looked something very special in completing an Oaks double at Epsom and the Curragh, and she is clearly the likeliest winner, but the easy ground changes the shape of this race, and brings Jack Hobbs, a horse who probably needs to get his toe in due to past injury problems, into the equation. I wouldn’t get too carried away by the fact that Jack Hobbs slammed Highland Reel at Meydan in the spring, but that was the last time the pair encountered a similar surface, and there is clearly some significance in the result.

John Gosden’s five-year-old looked uncomfortable on the fast ground when the tables were turned comprehensively in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, and is better judged on his placed efforts in the last two runnings of the Champion Stakes here. Those efforts leave him with a little to find, but the return to a mile and a half will help in that regard, and he looks a solid option for those seeking each-way value.

YORK SATURDAY

2:40 SKY BET DASH HANDICAP 6F

The draw bias over sprint trips at Hamilton this season has favoured those drawn near the stands rail, so it was most unfortunate for Muntadab to be drawn highest of all on the day that trend was turned on its head last weekend. In the end, Roger Fell’s charge did best of those drawn in double-figure stalls, but couldn’t cope with the group which raced on the normally-unfavoured far side. That effort showed the son of Invinvible Spirit to be back in top form having failed to face blinkers in the Wokingham on his previous start. He was a head second to Al Qahwa on soft ground here in May and is weighted to reverse that form, while the winner has disappointed on tapeta since.

At bigger prices, I wouldn’t rule out Jaywalker, who represents a yard in sparkling form, and is lightly raced. The main concern with Rebecca Bastiman’s runner is the possibility of the ground easing, given how well he acts on a sound surface.

RECOMMENDED:

JUANITO CHICO 2.25 Ascot – 1pt win @ 7/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral)

FIRMAMENT 3.00 Ascot – 1pt e/w @ 33/1 (Hills)

JACK HOBBS 3.35 Ascot – 1pt e/w @ 5/1 (Hills, Ladbrokes, Coral)

MUNTADAB 2.40 York – 1pt e/w @ 16/1 (Hills, Paddy Power, Betfair Sports)