DOUBLE HANDFUL
FRANKIE DETORRI has been dieting hard to make 8st 7lb so he can ride Enable in today’s King George at Ascot. Apparently he has been taking a protein shake for breakfast, a protein shake at lunch and at dinner he attacks anyone he sees with food on their plate.
The King George represents the first major opportunity for the cream of the Classic generation to take on the best older horses over a mile and a half.
What looked to be a battle between Highland Reel, Jack Hobbs and Ulysses has been shaken up with the inclusion of dual Oaks winner Enable. G
ST John Gosden has a cracker of a filly S here, make no mistake, and with her weightfor-age G allowance of 14lbs and the class of G Frankie in the saddle you can see why she’s G ST a short-priced favourite.
G But she shouldn’t be as short as even money in my book, not up against the likes of two Prince of Wales winners, the winner of the Eclipse and the winner of the Hardwicke Stakes. Three-year-olds have won two of the last 10 renewals compared to eight four-year-old winners so it’s certainly worth taking on Enable, especially with the added security of the each-way places. Ulysses is a good horse, he was a tip in this column not three weeks ago when winning the Eclipse at a tasty 8-1. Highland Reel and Ulysses are both classy beasts and, if the ground were firmer, one of those two would be carrying my money. However, I feel the ground could be key to the outcome of this race. JACK HOBBS should relish the surface plus the step up to a mile-and-a-half, which is undoubtedly his optimum trip. You’ll have to forgive him a really poor showing at the royal meeting last time but he showcased his class when trouncing the opposition (including Highland Reel) when winning the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan back in March.
GAMBLING WISDOM “Casinos and prostitutes have they the same thing in common; out are both trying to screw you of your money and send you home with a smile on you face.” VP Pappy