Ascot Saturday Preview - 24/07/21

The first race of the day at Ascot on Saturday is the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes over seven furlongs and the horse who gets the nod from us is Angel Bleu.

The Ralph Beckett trained two year old has been a very smart juvenile this season racing four times and winning twice over both five and six furlongs.

He made his seasonal debut in April at Leicester when a good third of seven behind the smart Gubbass for Richard Hannon who has since franked the form in better company.

Angel Bleu also franked that form line when winning next time out on quick ground at Salisbury and he made it back to back wins when stepping up to 6f at Pontefract.

He was kept at 6f for his final outing in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Ascot and overall he was outclassed and ran no sort of race.

Going up a furlong should suit and dropping back to Listed company looks more within his sphere.

Handles both good and soft ground.

Another nice event on the Ascot card is the Group Three Princess Margaret Keeneland and Desert Dreamer for Stuart Williams has been knocking on the door far too long now not to get her head in front.

The filly has been seen five times during her small career scoring on debut at Newmarket in a smart five furlong maiden that has seen the form franked on numerous occasions.

Stepped up to six furlong next time out she was another good winner at Newmarket and off the back of that headed to Royal Ascot.

She was sent into the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes and although running nicely could only finish midfield, with the drop to 5f finding her out.

Since then she has been seen twice more, finishing a bright second in the Listed Empress Stakes behind rival System and again last time out she was another close runner up behind the unbeaten Sandrine in the Group Two Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

The quicker the ground the better for this horse and she looks a filly that just keeps improving and now dropping down to a Group Three makes her interesting.

In the Porsche Handicap over a mile at Ascot the John & Thady Gosden trained Guru takes the eye as a big improver, that could be the value in the field.

The three year old son of Kingman has a lovely pedigree and as a juvenile showed us just how good he could be when winning on debut over 7f at Newbury, seeing off the likes of St James's Palace fourth Maximal.

He was not as good on his second start but after that was put away ahead of this season and returned in a Novice Stakes at Doncaster where he may have needed the run.

Now fully tuned up he was last seen finishing an extremely bright second over course and distance behind the smart Isla Kai who he takes on again in this event.

Today Guru makes his handicap debut and if building on the finish of his last race, he looks to be feasibly treated in this field at the weights.

The big fielded International Stakes over seven furlongs sees some very smart handicapping horses go to post and Danyah at an each way price is our angle into the race.

The four year old has always been a bright gelding winning three of her 10 events, including placing in another six events, only being out the frame once.

This season he has been seen three times, all in big fields, making his seasonal debut at Doncaster in the Lincoln Handicap when a close up fourth of 18 runners.

He then headed to Newbury for the Spring Cup Handicap over mile off a mark of 98 and was a close second behind the Richard Hannon trained Nugget.

Danyah was last seen over course and distance off a mark of 101 in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and again he was a narrow second to the progressive Highfield Princess, who has since won in Listed company.

The gelding is up another 5lb but he holds some serious form, especially at the track and he has to be feared once more.

The feature race of the afternoon in Berkshire is the Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 1m4f and we can't look past Aidan O'Brien's superstar.

Love was always destined to be a smart horse and at juvenile level proved that when finishing third on her final two year old start in the Group One bet365 Fillies Mile, but this season she has transformed into a world beater.

She made her seasonal debut in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and beat a superb field of runners by over four lengths to solidify her credentials for the season.

From there O'Brien decided to step her up in trip for the Epsom Oaks and she revelled in the extra distance, beating a sound field by a devastating nine lengths.

The Yorkshire Oaks was another test for the three year old and again she passed with flying colours, not seeing a rival all the way round and going clear towards the end of the race.

All of these runs were in preparation for the Arc at ParisLongchamp but with the rain falling making the conditions extremely testing, she was withdrawn from the race.

There was rumours that the filly would head to the Breeders Cup meeting, but connections decided to pull up stumps for the season and bring her back this term.

After numerous withdrawals because of ground turning soft, she finally got her starting point at Royal Ascot in the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes where she managed to see off a superb field.

O'Brien explained she will come on for that run in a big way and if that is the case then she is the one to beat.

Won't want any rain.

The penultimate event of the afternoon is the Class 4 Handicap over 1m4f and in a small field the outsider Good Soul looks overpriced to us.

The three year old has been seen three times during her small career, twice as a juvenile when fifth of 10 at Wolves on debut, but off the back of that got off the mark next time out at Newcastle when stepped up to 1m2f.

Back this season the filly made her seasonal debut in a Novice Stakes over 1m4f and was a fair third behind Law Of The Sea, who looks progressive.

The filly makes her handicap debut today off a mark of 77 which could be very workable and she could also improve for her first start on turf.

Inform Tom Marquand takes the ride.

The final event of the afternoon sees the seven furlong handicap for Female Amateur Jockeys and Crack Regiment for Henry Spiller looks one of the more likely winners.

The four year old Moved over to Britain this season having been a fair horse in France before that and on his three starts this term has progressed in a big way.

Needing the run at Lingfield on seasonal debut, he then went to Yarmouth over a mile on quick ground and finished a close up third.

Dropped a pound for that run, last time out he got off the mark at the third time of asking over a mile at Newcastle and this still 7f at Ascot is sure to suit off only 5lb higher.

Alice Stephens takes off a handy 3lb.