Matchbook’s resident racing tipster Micheál Deasy has a bet for each race on Day Three of Royal Ascot.
Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien have won this race twice in the last four years with horses at a double figure price and Mount Fuji can continue that trend. He showed a lot of greenness on his debut at Cork and was very slow away. It didn’t look like he had any chance 2f out but Seamie Heffernan got him going and he showed a good turn of foot to get up easily enough near the line in the end. He should improve for that run and has a good draw. Should go close at a decent price.
Sangarius is a powerfully built son of Kingman who has the potential to be a future superstar. He showed a great turn of foot to win on debut at Newmarket last August and followed that up with an even more impressive victory in a Listed race at Doncaster. He finished the season with a disappointing run in the Dewhurst behind Too Darn Hot when he never really got going.
He began this season at Sandown in the Matchbook Heron Stakes behind King Of Comedy and ran like a horse that needed the run. There was no money for him that day and that would suggest the stable knew he wasn’t fully tuned up. He is up in trip today and Frankie Dettori has been booked, both of which are positives. I think his price is fair and expect him to run a big race.
Sangarius could be a star of the future.
Of the top two in the betting, I would fancy Queen Power because It looks like she has been kept for this race by Sir Michael Stoute. When I looked at the prices I thought Sparkle Roll was hugely overpriced based on one bad run. She lined up as clear favourite in the Musiadora in May and while her 7th place finish doesn’t look great, she met interference when her run was building momentum and it completely ruined her chance of hitting the frame. Her price of 22.0 is a massive overreaction to that and she arrives here fresh. The extra 2 furlongs is an unknown but she is well worth a bet at a big price.
Thomas Hobson is a guaranteed stayer for this marathon trip having won and placed previously at Royal Ascot in 2017. He was very disappointing last year in the Queen Alexandra Stakes but looked back to his best when finishing second to Stradivarius in the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day last October. He’s getting on now and that may be the reason they are giving him a shot at the big one but he’s definitely worth a place bet here.
Thomas Hobson pictured winning the Ascot Stakes in 2017.
Migration has snuck in at the bottom of the weights here for red hot trainer David Menuisier. He has two good handicap runs earlier in the season to his name and both of his runs saw him start slowly before flying home in the final furlong. This has been his target since his win at Newmarket last time out and things have fallen into place for him nicely to get in off a mark of 90. He is another horse that will probably trade bigger in running so it would be well worth leaving in an offer or two in running to snag some bigger prices.
Turgenev was most recently seen as Too Darn Hot’s pacemaker in the Dante. Before that there were high hopes for him as a 10f horse this season but he has failed to see it out on two runs. He is back down to a mile today and is making his handicap debut. He is also the selection of Frankie Dettori which is another positive for him. Don’t be surprised if he show’s a lot of improvement today.
Severance could be a great bet in this if the ground remains soft. He is a very free going type who bolted up by 7l at Haydock in the rain in April before taking a big jump in class when taking his chance in the Lingfield Derby trial won by Anthony Van Dyck. He tried to make all at Lingfield but that proved a bit too much against some high-class horses. He makes his handicap bow today for a very shrewd trainer and Ronan Whelan makes the trip over from Ireland for the ride. I think he could be better than his mark of 92 and will outrun his odds.
