Steve Ryder picks out selections at Ascot and Newmarket on Saturday.
1:15 AscotSee All Odds
So Regal 6/5 (1pt)
Billy Loughnane takes over on board SO REGAL (best priced at 6/5) for John & Thady Gosden who should relish this return to faster ground based on her breeding. The daughter of Kingman was an impressive winner of a novice race under a penalty here over a mile in May before running well to finish 2nd at York in the listed Michael Seely Memorial Stakes.
So Regal returned from a 106 day break with a close 5th in the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes when travelling best of all before getting tired on the softening ground that day. This drop to 7f is a positive given how well she travelled that day and she is the one to beat with an official rating of 103.
1:50 AscotSee All Odds
Shagraan 11/2 (0.5pt ew)
Last year’s winner SHAGRAAN (best priced at 11/2) has to cope with different conditions this season but comes into the race with exactly the same preparation. The Clive Cox trained five-year-old won this race on soft ground last year by a neck having finished a neck 2nd in a Group 3 at Newbury over this 5f trip.
Shagraan bounced back to form last time in first-time cheekpieces when finishing a neck 2nd in the same Group 3 at Newbury as last season on good to firm ground. He looks solid with up to four places available.
2:10 NewmarketSee All Odds
Arqoob 18/1 (0.5pt ew)
Seven of the eight runners in this 0-105 Handicap either make the running or race prominently in their races which should set it up perfectly for the only hold up performer ARQOOB (best priced at 18/1). The Lucy Wadham trained eight-year-old has shown good form at Newmarket tracks in his career but most notably at the July course this season with a victory over this 1m4f trip and when beating Goblet Of Fire by a short head over 1m6f. That rival has since finished 2nd in a listed race and is now rated 7lbs higher and Arqoob runs here off only a 3lb higher mark.
Arqoob needs to bounce back from a slightly below par run in the Mallard Handicap at Doncaster but the return to Newmarket will suit much better and hopefully he can pounce late under Jack Mitchell.
