Ascot Saturday Preview - 05/10/19

The first horse on this exciting Ascot card is the Listed Rous Stakes over five furlongs and in these soft conditions there is only one horse who we think will take the spoils.

Michael Dods Dakota Gold has been one of the most consistent sprinters of the season coming through the handicap ranks all season winning three out of three on the turf.

He then stepped up to a Listed contest at York and again flattened the field in smart style, this lead him to Newbury in a Group Three where he was a valiant second.

Back down in class today and with conditions to suit winning on soft before makes him the one to beat.

Another lover of soft ground is Andrew Balding's Morando who goes for us in the Cumberland Lodge stakes and this Group Three is a big chance for the gelding to get back to form.

The six year old is a dual Group Three winner that adores cut in the ground and at Ascot on Saturday that is exactly what he will get.

On his seasonal debut he hosed up at Chester in the Group Three Diamond Ormonde Stakes beating some smart horses, with that he got back on soft last time out and was a bright second at Newbury which sets the form standard here.

The Class 2 Challenge Cup over seven furlongs brings an experienced field of handicappers to the forefront with many winning this season over this distance.

The David Barron trained Kynren is one of these horses that has an exceptional record in these types of races between seven furlongs to a mile.

He has placed in every race this season with proven form at this track and on soft ground and with the five year old still being on a fair mark it makes him an interesting contender.

One of the trickiest races on the card at Ascot on Saturday is the Group Three Bengough Stakes over six furlongs and we have gone for the Roger Varian trained Cape Byron.

This course and distance winner hacked up at the royal meeting looking like a Group horse in a handicap when taking the Wokingham.

He went straight into a Group one and was heavily outclassed with the contest maybe coming to soon, he then faired much better in the Group Two City Of York Stakes finishing a big third in a tough field.

Now down to a Group Three in what looks a much easier contest it gives him a big chance to get back to winning ways with the soft conditions being fine having won on this surface as a three year old.

The penultimate contest on the six race card sees a Listed Fillies and Mares event over seven furlongs and we are sticking with the favourite Dandhu.

David Elsworth's three year old filly has been patiently raced this season only having two starts, getting off the mark on his seasonal debut in April landing a nice Group Three at Newbury.

He was then put in the 1000 Guineas where he was outclassed but now back in a Listed contest and being fresh from a break leaves him being the number one contender.

The final runner of the afternoon comes in the Class 3 McGee Group Handicap over five furlongs and in this big fielded sprint contest we think we have a gem in Celsius.

The Tom Clover trained three year old has been in superb form all season racing five times and winning four of them with the other event seeing him place.

He has got better and better with each run coming through Class 5 and 4 races to win a smart Class 3 last time out which makes him a big player here.