My Word, this Poet’s ready to be a winner

WE haven’t seen n

POET’S WORD on n the track since he finished second to Deauville at Chester in May — but that run has not been forgotten. Deauville got first run on Poet’s Word in the Huxley Stakes that day, but my selection for the B Betfredtf dGl Gloriousi St Stakesk att Goodwood today failed by only a neck to peg him back. Deauville has run commendably since, twice finishing third in Group One contests — at the Curragh behind Decorated Knight in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and at Royal Ascot, behind Ribchester in the Queen Anne Stakes — and Poet’s Word has got some entries for Group One races later in the year. It’s also a fair bet that trainer Sir Michael Stoute didn’t have Poet’s Word 100 per cent wound up for that debut.

BLESS HIM did this column a favour when winning the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot at odds of 25-1. Conditions will be very different in the Bonham Thoroughbred Stakes today and some of his rivals are proven on soft ground but Bless Him, who represents trainer David Simcock, showed how talented he is and he still has bags of potential to get better.

GM HOPKINS has a good draw in the Betfred Mile Handicap, winning form on soft ground and some good runs in large-field handicaps on his record.