Woodward Racing:
Ascot 13:15 HONEY SWEET 10/1 2pt win (Mainstream)
Ascot 14:25 GURU 9/2 1pt win (Inclusive)
Ascot 15:00 MOTAKHAYYEL 5/1 2pt win (Mainstream)
Ascot 15:35 ADAYAR 11/4 2pt win (Mainstream)
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Ascot 13:15
HONEY SWEET is a progessing filly. She has had 3 starts and Karl Burke has reappointed his trusted jockey (Clifford Lee, 282 rides, 38 wins, 100 places in the last year) to ride again, after winning on debut.
Lto this horse road at Newmarket in today’s class. She was at the rear, and last 3f out, when staying on at 6f. The step up to 7f will help, Ascot and Newmarket being very similar, galloping with a stiff finish.
She is 2lb better off today, and has a trusted jockey aboard.
K Burke has an okay record here with 2yo olds, and has the same p/l with them, as Charlie Appleby (-1.15). Charlie has a runner here, NEW SCIENCE, who didn’t take well to the soft ground lto. Charlie’s last winner at Ascot with a 2yr old was in 2019. He’s had odds of 4/5, 4/1. 3/1 run since yet none winning. With William Buick on board that losing streak extends back to 2017 when winning with a 16/1, with no winners since. That really puts me off the 5/2 fav here.
We are drawn perfectly in stall 1, and with a patient ride we should be rolling home from the back. We are near the pace of MR MCCANN who will likely front run, so a nice toe into the race will help.
A real good price here, has every chance scoring the top of the speed ratings at these conditions.
Ascot 14:25
GURU is my selection here. This lightly raced 3yr old returned to the track after 103 days off to put in a solid effort lto at Ascot. The first time blinkers were added and remain on today.
Going up in class means we are 10lb lighter today, and I think that will make all the difference here.
He should progress, given a 15 day rest since his return after a break. Oisin Murphy is on here for the first time, after running for MARSABIT and TITAN ROCK lto. The trainer doesn’t often work with Oisin, with just 8 rides together in the last year, with 2 wins and 6 places. This is a big positive here running from the back.
With an impressive speed rating scored lto, he will look to follow up again today with a run from the back. ISLA KAI will likely try to take them start to finish, but will struggle with the step up in class, and fits less trends than we do. We also look more progressive, hitting that speed figure off a break and when “bit short of room”.
The danger is LATEST GENERSTION, who also fits the trends and has William Buick on board for the first time in a while. He didn’t run all to great here lto however, but still looks a threat from the back.
With progression likely this is a great price for us to take the win here.
Ascot 15:00
MOTAKHAYYEL done the double at Newmarket lto, and heads here 3lb heavier than last time, in which he won easily.
Dane O’Neill has ridden before, when slowly away in a class 1, in which he came back to finish 2nd. With his experience ridding he should be just fine here, having ridden the course 69 times.
We fit many trends today, and will look to follow up as a winning fav, as did last years winner of the race.
Some of the best speed ratings in the field, at just 5 years old. A tiny increase in weight shouldn’t be an issue here, and with a fairly prominent ride tracking the leaders I can see another huge performance.
Ascot 15:35
ADAYAR looks the winner here. He fits so many trends compared to the fav LOVE, and I’m confident William Buick can take this.
Slowly away when running at Sandown 3 runs ago, this horse kept on and went second late on. The added 2f, and jockey change to William Buick will defiantly help, with the 5lb allowance since that race.
It looks a fast pace, so the threat LONE EAGLE will be pushed to the max in front. He was pipped at the post in Ireland lto, but I’m not to sure those tactics will work here. Yet to win a group 1 or group 2 race, which 19/19 previous winners have done, so that puts me off.
A decent price on what looks to be a rare loss for fav LOVE.
