AMATEUR PUNTER
Ben Morgan finds places too easy to come by at Royal Ascot
Iknew I had to get on Didtheyleaveuoutto early and I’m really glad I did. This horse had been on my watchlist for a long time. When I saw him declared at Nottingham in a small field, I was unsure what sort of price I would get. I was hoping for double figures considering his bare form in the book but given the small field I was happy with 5/2 or 3/1.
You can imagine my delight when William Hill opened up at 11/2 and I duly waded £100 each way almost immediately. I was adamant this horse was a handicap good thing off 63. A winner of a listed bumper who had been shaping as if the step up in trip on the Flat would suit, I just couldn’t have him beat. Jamie Spencer had been booked to ride, good ground was a certainty and the competition didn’t look as well handicapped as mine so everything was falling into place nicely.
Spencer looked comfortable turning into the straight and was making up ground easy enough. Once he saw daylight, the job became slightly more difficult and Spencer had to get busy but the horse duly responded and looked well on top at the line. A hugely satisfying win, if only it was that easy all the time.
Such a big win gave me plenty of confidence going into Ascot and I was keen to make hay while the sun shone. An each way punt on Sir Busker (£10 e/w at 33/1) in the Queen Anne got the week off to a good start but further each way returns on Maximal (£10 e/w at 25/1) and Elysian Flame (£10 e/w at 16/1) in the St James Palace Stakes and Ascot Stakes respectively left me a little frustrated.
Frustration turned to anger as the main bet of the day, Patrick Sarsfield (£20 e/w at 5/1), got done on the line despite being three lengths clear at the furlong pole. Arguably Tom Marquand kicked earlier enough but he was slowing down at the line and Juan Elcano was staying on faster than him.
I was hoping to turn some of these places into wins on Day 2 but as soon as Get Ahead ran below par in the Queen Mary I knew my fate. I had been topping up on Clive Cox’s speedy filly with some free bets in the build-up to Ascot as she really caught my eye on debut over course and distance. I stood to win a good amount off her but she didn’t ever look like winning and I was left quite deflated.
Further defeats on Wordsworth (£20 win), Double or Bubble (£10 e/w), Armory (£30 win) and Escobar (£10 ew) left me well down for the day and you would have a fair idea how I felt when my final bet, Stunning Beauty, didn’t even leave the stalls in the last race.
Perfect Power (£10 e/w at 14/1) gave me the perfect start to Thursday as he stayed on like a train down the near side rail to provide a welcome first winner at Royal Ascot. Richard Fahey’s horse looked like he would appreciate a stiff 5f in both of his starts prior to the Norfolk and it proved so as he needed all of the Ascot straight to get up on the line.
The good start continued as Secret Protector stormed home for third in the Hampton Court stakes at 22/1 (£10 e/w). He couldn’t quite reverse the form with Mohaafeth but I did fancy him to get a lot closer and he did just that, shaping as if 1m 4f will more than likely suit in the future.
I managed to get five places on
Dubai Fountain (£10 e/w at 10/1) and although she just about held on for 5th I was slightly disappointed with her effort as I had expected quite a lot more after her disappointing run in the Oaks.
The run of places continued as Princess Zoe stormed home in the Ascot Gold Cup for second at 28/1 but that momentum was soon stopped at Mithras couldn’t find the frame in the Britannia. Drawn on the wrong side, Frankie had no choice but to make his move early and despite leading the far side group for the majority of the final furlong, they were miles behind the near side group.
Two of my stronger fancies of the week, Siskany and Kondo Isami unfortunately ended up in the same race but both were decent prices so I backed both. The latter blew his chance early as he fluffed the start and ended up at the rear of the field and could never lay
a glove on any of the leaders.
Siskany, on the other hand, probably sat too close to the pace and paid the price late on but thankfully just about clung onto 4th to bring back further each way returns. The heckling began with friends finding new nicknames for me, all of which had the words ‘place’, ‘second’, ‘nearly’ inserted in them somewhere.
I soon put a stop to that though as Boardman (£15 e/w) finished well outside the places in the 7f handicap finale. That showed them didn’t it?
Rain battered Ascot Thursday night/Friday morning and early afternoon inspections were enough to convince me to reign it in slightly. An each way punt on Eve Lodge in the Albany went awry and I became even more cautious.
It turned out that I should have filled my boots as I enjoyed my most successful day from there on in. Tasman Bay (£10 e/w at 14/1) came second in the King Edward before Dragon
Symbol (£15 e/w at 7/1) claimed victory in the Commonwealth Cup before it got harshly taken away from him in the Stewards room.
Fev Rover ran very well but just outside the places before Raymond Tusk (£10 e/w at 28/1) finished second again in the ultra competitive Duke Of Edinburgh.
Significantly (£10 e/w at 10/1) wrapped the day up in good style as he finally righted a few wrongs. After a slow start to the week, I was now in a great position going into the final day.
My fancy in the Jersey, Ace Aussie, was withdrawn on account of the ground so I had £10 e/w on Rhythm Master instead. Richard Fahey’s soft ground lover looked sure to be in the places and I couldn’t believe I could get 40/1. He duly obliged and finished 4th.
I was let down by Ilaraab and Nahaarr (both £20 e/w at 13/2 & 5/1 respectively) as both ran well below par.
Gulliver (£10 e/w 20/1) perked me up again as he finished in the places in an unbelievably strong renewal of the Wokingham. King Frankel (£20 e/w at 4/1) finished placed, again, in the penultimate race of the week which left me wanting some stats on my place conversion rate!
Thankfully however, we bowed out in great style as Stratum streaked clear in the Ascot Stakes to bring home an each way Lucky 15 worth £300 and a £15 e/w at 9/2 wager. Despite being quite down beat half way through the week, I have to look back at Royal Ascot 2021 as quite a successful week.