Following a 9/1 winner and 33/1 place yesterday, Steve Ryder is back with three selections for today's action.
14:05 York
The Michael Dods trained NORTHERN EXPRESS (best priced at 3/1) has good form at York and hopefully he can go one better than in this race last season. The five-year-old has form figures of 21612 over this course and distance as well as a close 3rd over a mile here on his penultimate start off a mark of 95.
Following a close 3rd in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot off a mark of 97, the handicapper has raised him up to a career high of 99 but that mark should prove within reach for this consistent gelding. This is an easier race than the previous two he has contested and I expect him to prove hard to beat under Paul Mulrennan.
16:35 Ascot
Elraaed is respected on his handicap debut following his victory at Windsor last month but preference instead goes to INTRICACY (best priced at 3/1) who runs here from 3lbs “well in” at the weights. The Simon & Ed Crisford trained three-year-old has been running consistently well with form figures of 212422 including when beaten only 1 ½ lengths in 2nd at both of Sandown and Ffos Las on his previous two starts.
The handicapper has raised Intricacy 3lbs for his latest run but he instead runs here once again off a mark of 83 meaning that he is 3lbs “well in” at the weights. Connections have decided to fit him with cheekpieces which may bring about some improvement (albeit he didn’t show improvement in a visor three starts ago) and he looks sure to be involved in the finish.
17:10 Ascot
Having tipped GREAT MAX (best priced at 11/1) at a huge price at Royal Ascot, I was getting a bit excited 2f out when he was still leading the field in the Buckingham Palace Stakes over 7f. That performance came in first time cheekpieces where he showed lots of early speed and he should be suited by this drop to 6f for the first time in his career.
Great Max had previously shown good form early on in his career with a 3rd placed finish in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and a 2nd placed finish in the Solario Stakes at Sandown as a two-year-old. He has gradually dropped down the weights and he now races here off a career low mark of 95 and he looks worth taking a chance on over this trip and dropped into this Class 3 0-95 handicap.
