Saturday 29th July 2023
Author: Jordan Yates (EvRacing_)
Welcome aboard to this week’s Saturday Preview where it’s King George Day at Ascot and I’ve got four selections to share with you all including my thoughts on the big one itself. As ever though, if you are having a punt, make sure to do so in a responsible manner.
1.50 – Princess Margaret Stakes: This is an extremely competitive Group 3 affair, with not much separating the field in terms of betting and form as most of them have significant potential. I’ve come down on Dazzling Star though who’s currently a 10/1 shot for the team of Charlie Appleby and William Buick. The yard are coming back into form again now, currently operating at a 30% strike rate and this Blue Point filly was highly impressive on her second outing at Newmarket last month, winning by over three lengths. If progressing from that victory here she’s got to be considered a lively player at a nice price. Dazzling Star – 10/1 (Each-Way)
2.25 – Valiant Stakes: I’m siding with Random Harvest in the Valiant Stakes, which is another highly competitive Group 3 affair. She’s got very strong form around Ascot having already won here and most recently going close in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, where she went down by just a neck to Rogue Millenium. She wasn’t seen to best effect last time out in the Falmouth at Newmarket behind Nashwa, however, Ascot seems to bring out the best in her and these are calmer waters. A repeat of her runa the Royal Meeting would see her go very close. Random Harvest – 10/3 (Win)
3.00 – International Stakes: It’s handicap action at 3.00 with the International Stakes and we currently have twenty-six runners currently set to go to post at the time of writing. In this minefield of a race for punters, I’m taking a chance on Vafortino who’s currently trading at a best price of 10/1. He’s no stranger to winning a big handicap at this track and he arrives here in decent form having been narrowly denied at York earlier this month by a short-head. He’ll contest this off the same mark, with Kaiya Fraser taking off five, which effectively makes him five pounds well in. If getting some luck in the run I think he’s got every chance in this. Vafortino – 10/1 (Each-Way)
3.40 – King George: The big one comes up at 3.40 which is of course the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes. This year’s renewal of the race has served up a cracker, with a whole host of top-level performers set to take their place in a battle of the generations. I’m nailing my colours to the Irish challenger though in Auguste Rodin for the all-conquering team of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. He’s a dual Derby winner having both the English & Irish classics on his last two outings, and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet and he could well progress again which would make him a serious threat to all that line-up against him here. He also gets weight off his older rivals, and I’ll side with him to confirm the Derby form with King Of Steel. Auguste Rodin – 10/3 (Win)
