Stick with Smarty for Ascot success
SMARTY WILD can tame the opposition in the Events At Ascot Handicap Chase.
The Philip Hobbs-trained sevenyear-old is sure to be all the better for a promising reappearance at Newbury two weeks ago when he finished fifth behind Dublin Four.
That only tells half the story as he had every chance, despite taking a keen hold in the early stages, before the lack of race fitness told and he had no more to give.
Smarty Wild was still only beaten five lengths by the winner and considering that was his first start since March, it is fair to assume the Fair Mix gelding will have come on enough to land the spoils.
Kapga De Lily can overcome a 230day absence to land the Not Forgotten Handicap Chase.
The Venetia Williams-trained mare can run well fresh, as she showed last season when scoring at Bangor after 235 days off the track.
She won her first four starts last term and five of her seven races in all, with placed efforts in the other two.
Kapga De Lily has inevitably gone up in the ratings, but even now she is only 4lb above her last winning mark and should prove hard to beat.
Torn And Frayed can build on a promising fencing debut to open his account over the bigger obstacles in the Windsor Horse Rangers Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
A third-placed finish behind Annual Invictus at Cheltenham, beaten three and a quarter lengths, does not read badly, especially with the winner having gone on to followup in facile fashion at Plumpton.
Torn And Frayed, a dual scorer over hurdles, appeared to take to fences well and will have learnt plenty from that initial experience.
Hidden Depths can defy a 7lb penalty to complete a hat-trick, after two wins at Hereford, in the Royal Ascot Racing Club Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Neil Mulholland’s six-year-old is actually 2lb well-in as he has been put up 9lb for future races.
Minella Trump is likely to be a banker for Catterick punters in the Lyn And Holly’s Big Birthday Celebrations Novices’ Chase.
The seven-year-old has not only won his last six races - five over fences and one over hurdles - but he looks as though he could go on to better things.
Trainer Donald Mccain is in no rush to raise the bar too high at this stage and this looks an excellent opportunity for Minella Trump to extend his winning streak before stepping up in grade.
Mccain can also strike with Minella Plus in the racingtv.com/freemonth Novices’ Hurdle.
The four-year-old got off the mark over hurdles at the second attempt with an all-the-way win in a fourhorse affair at Musselburgh.