Ascot host’s an excellent eight-race card featuring the mouthwatering King George Stakes and Sam King returns with three selections for what looks set to be a superb Saturday’s racing.
The Berkshire venue is our first port of call and I'm hopeful Symbology can remain unbeaten by landing the Princess Margaret Stakes at 1.50.
With Soprano failing to take a Listed event at Sandown on Thursday, her participation must be very unlikely and that certainly gives the race a more open feel to it. Pretty Crystal commands respect following a solid fifth-place finish in the Albany Stakes on her second start at Royal Ascot, but Symbology looked a stakes winner waiting to happen when scoring at York on debut and should have no issue with any cut in the ground.
I really like the way Clive Cox's filly went about her business to make a winning debut at York and she gave the impression there would be bundles more to come. The form is slightly questionable, but she could only beat what was in front of her that day and the time was by no means disgraceful.
You'd like to think she'd have learnt plenty from that initial experience given how green she was in the early stages and although this represents a much stiffer task, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if she took high rank amongst the two-year-old fillies entering the latter stages of the season.
Selection: Symbology – General 7/2
Our second wager also comes from Ascot. As expected, the concluding Whispering Angel Handicap at 5.25 has attracted plenty of runners but The Big Board stands out as a most progressive sprinter this season.
The Richard Hannon-trained filly has won three of her last four outings to date and looked to have plenty up her sleeve when winning on soft ground over course and distance a fortnight ago. The daughter of Profitable has only been raised 4lb for that effort and the booking of Oisin Murphy is an obvious positive.
Stall nine gives the three-time champion jockey plenty of options and there looks to be an even pace throughout. It certainly will not be an issue if any further rain arrives, and I'm slightly surprised she's as big as 11/2 to continue the winning thread.
Selection: The Big Board – General 11/2
The third and final selection comes from Windsor. George Wood is 4-10 (40%) over the last 14 days and he looks to have an excellent chance of continuing his good run of form onboard Montauk Point in the VRT Your Local VW Audi Specialist Handicap at 7.30.
She finished runner-up at Deauville for Jean-Claude Rouget before making a successful start for new connections in a seven-furlong Salisbury novice event two weeks ago and left the impression there was plenty of further improvement to come.
It was soft ground that day at Salisbury and she clearly relished conditions when striding clear for a comfortable success. The daughter of Kingman showed plenty of pace that day and the drop back to six furlongs will pose no issues. An opening mark of 77 looks more than fair and given she tackles some fairly exposed handicappers here; Freddie and Martyn Meade's charge should have every chance of making a winning handicap bow.
Selection: Montauk Point – General 3/1
