Thursday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The Michael O’Callaghan-trained Crispy Cat (best priced at 11/1) has shown good form on all of his three starts so far and the form of his latest two runs have been boosted at this meeting already this week. The son of Ardad made a winning debut at Cork in April before finishing a short head 2nd to Blackbeard at the Curragh in a listed race in May. That rival went on to win a Group 3 by 3 ½ lengths on his next start before finishing a close 4th in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday.

Crispy Cat then finished 2nd to Maria Branwell in the listed National Stakes at Sandown by a neck and that rival has also boosted that form by finishing 3rd in the Queen Mary Stakes yesterday. Rossa Ryan has chosen to ride Walbank over Crispy Cat but Silvestre De Sousa should suit this colt well and I expect him to run well with four places.

Steve Ryder's ante-post pick: Stradivarius 

The John & Thady Gosden trained STRADIVARIUS (best priced at 4/1) bids to equal Yeats’s record of four wins in the Ascot Gold Cup and the weather forecast looks sure to swing it in his favour.

The eight-year-old could only finish 4th in the race last season when bidding for four wins in a row in the race but he was denied a clear run rounding the bend meaning he lost crucial ground and momentum on the winner Subjectivist. 

Since that run, Stradivarius has bounced back to win at York and Doncaster before making a winning reappearance at York in the Yorkshire Cup when he managed to concede weight to the field. 

Trueshan beat the selection twice last season at Longchamp and on Champions Day at Ascot but those were on soft ground and the weather forecast looks dry for this upcoming week meaning the ground should be on the fast side of good. 

That should swing things in the favour of Stradivarius and I feel he will be well supported to beat the current favourite Kyprios who still needs to prove his stamina over further than 1m6f. 

The Queen and Frankie Dettori have strong claims in the Hampton Court Stakes with Reach For The Moon but we may not have to wait that long for a Royal winner as I fancy SAGA (best priced at 11/1) for this race. The John & Thady Gosden trained colt ran well on his three starts as a juvenile including when winning over 7f here in September by 1 ¼ lengths.

Saga finished 2nd on his reappearance at Kempton in a conditions race before disappointing on his next start on his handicap debut. Connections now fit Saga with a first time tongue tie and first time blinkers for this race and hopefully a combination of those factors with a draw in Stall 18 means he runs well in this race.

The Saeed Bin Suroor trained SMART START (best priced at 11/2) hasn’t lived up to his debut effort but he is now interesting on his handicap debut in this race. The lightly raced four-year-old finished a short head 2nd on his debut over this course and distance in November 2020 before disappointing when sent off favourite on his next start.

Smart Step was gelded following that run and returned from a 378 day break to finish 4th at Kempton earlier this month. He shaped as if he needed his reappearance that day and he should now run well on his handicap debut off a mark of 75 with first time cheekpieces added.