James Can Delight

Hi all,

Inside today’s main piece I’m beginning my look ahead to the weekend’s big race action.

Looking Ahead to the Weekend – Part 1

As we approach Royal Ascot, this Saturday offers a more subdued racing lineup quality wise. Despite the lower profile, there are still some good races to look forward to.

Saturday Highlights:

• Sandown: The Listed Scurry Stakes (2:40) stands out as the feature race.
• York: The Listed Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes (3:00) offers quality action.

ITV Racing are covering seven races live on Saturday afternoon, four from York, two from Sandown and an additional race from Chester.

Sunday Highlights:

• Thirsk: ITV Racing will cover all seven races from the Sky Bet Sunday Series card.

International Focus:

• Chantilly: The highlight of the weekend is the Prix de Diane (French Oaks).

Advanced Going Reports

Sandown:

• Current Going: Good to Firm (as of Tuesday)
• Forecast: Some rain expected for the rest of the week.
• Expected Going for Saturday: Should remain no worse than Good.

York:

• Current Going: Good, good to soft in places (as of Tuesday)
• Forecast: More rain expected than at Sandown, particularly on Friday.
• Expected Going for Saturday: Likely to be on the easy side of Good, but not Soft.

Chester:

• Current Going: Good to Soft (as of Tuesday)
• Forecast: Additional rain expected throughout the week.
• Expected Going for Saturday: If the optimistic forecast holds, it should be no worse than good to soft.

These forecasts indicate reasonable racing conditions for the weekend, with slight variations depending on the amount of rainfall each location receives.

Several of my early-season future winners are set to compete this weekend. The promise of easier ground, particularly at York, seems to have enticed their connections to enter them. However, if you're considering an ante-post bet for Saturday’s races, keep in mind that some horses have multiple entries this weekend.

James Can Delight

One horse to watch is Executive Decision, who is entered in a 6f fillies handicap (3:00) on Friday. She ran well at Epsom last time and prefers easier ground, which she’s likely to get on Friday. Now 1lb below her last winning mark, she's poised for a strong performance.

Crystal Mariner, who impressed with a third-place finish at Chester last time, is entered in the 1m 2f handicap (3:15) at Sandown on Friday. He’s another to keep an eye on.

Clear Angel, who caught my attention with a fourth-place finish in the Spring Mile at Doncaster, is set to run in the 1m 1f handicap (4:45) at York on Saturday. He excelled on soft ground at Doncaster, and I’d only consider betting on him if the ground conditions are at least good to soft.

Additionally, a couple of horses I backed last time are entered on Saturday. One of them is James’s Delight in the 6f handicap (3:35) at York. He disappointed at Newbury, but the ground was too quick for him that day. Forgiving one poor run can be wise, especially if he gets his favoured ground conditions. Ryan Moore has been booked to ride, and he and trainer Clive Cox combined to win this in 2022. The 12/1 odds available with Coral & Ladbrokes seem like good value, and he’ll likely be shorter on the day if the ground is in his favour.  Just to compound matters, I also like a Richard Fahey horse in the same race.

If you want my selections for Saturday’s races and of course Royal Ascot, you can get them here for just £19.99.

There will be more on Saturday’s racing. Plus, more Royal Ascot stats in tomorrow’s column.

Wednesday Racing: Horses to Watch

To be honest, Wednesday’s racing isn't particularly exciting. However, as the saying goes, “It is what it is.” Here are a handful of horses that caught my eye for Wednesday:

Kempton

5:05 – Red Hat Eagle: Despite finishing 9th out of 16 at Thirsk last time, he performed better than the result suggests. Prior to that, he was consistent on the all-weather, going close at Chelmsford from a 2lb Lowe mark. With a win over C&D last autumn and his trainer boasting a 4 from 12 record in the past 14 days, he should be in the mix.

6:40 – Jimmy Speaking: I've been waiting for Jimmy Speaking to run since his improved win at Ascot last month. He’s missed two recent turf engagements and has been nudged up 4lb since but he dons cheekpieces for the first time. Despite a less-than-ideal stall 9, he looks like a progressive handicap sprinter who can go close.

8:15 – Chagall: He wasn’t helped by a slow start but finished strongly to take 4th place at Lingfield 11 days ago. With a 1lb drop in weight and Rossa Ryan taking the saddle, he’s got a good chance here.

Hamilton

9:00 – Ledger: In great form, Ledger aims for a hat-trick after two course wins, the latest 14 days ago. He handles both good and soft ground, so rain won’t be an issue. Despite a 3lb rise, Brandon Wilkie’s 5lb claim negates the weight increase, giving him solid claims.

While any of the above four horses could tempt me, today’s free tip takes us across the Irish Sea to Limerick.

Limerick

8:30 – Say It So: On paper, Say It So might seem the least promising of the horses mentioned. The 5-year-old is a 13- race maiden on the flat but he’s weighted to be competitive on his length 3rd of 17 at Cork (1m 4f) last August. He wasn’t disgraced when finishing 4th over hurdles at Tipperary last time. With Shane Foley as a positive jockey booking and the step up to 2m 1f potentially ideal, he could surprise us. A modest stake each way bet looks the way to go.

Say It So – 20/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes (paying 5 places.

Good luck with your Wednesday bets.

John