ITV Racing Tips: Persian Force can avenge Royal Ascot defeat in Ireland
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There is plenty of novelty racing about during the weeks between Glorious Goodwood and the York Ebor Festival and this weekend sees the return of one of the most established, the Shergar Cup.
No big-name horses will be appearing on the card at Ascot, but there are big name jockeys, plus a few overseas representatives hoping to become bigger names.
Frankie Dettori, Jamie Spencer, Hayley Turner and Christophe Lemaire captain the four teams of Europe, Britain & Ireland, Ladies and Rest of the World, who will fight it out for individual as well as team honours on an eight-race card.
Hollie Doyle won’t be taking part this year as she has an important assignment in Ireland where she will partner Royal Ascot winner Bradsell in the Group 1 National Stakes.
The Curragh race will be part of ITV’s coverage which will be anchored from Ascot with other Group action coming from Haydock and Newmarket.
There will be 11 races in total shown by ITV from 13:00. We have previewed the three of the day’s significant races in our ITV Racing Tips.
A new race to the Shergar Cup, this 7f conditions race has disappointingly failed to fill with only eight horses declared for the £50,000 prize. Connections can’t have been put off by the prize money so maybe it was the presence of Orbaan that was the main deterrent.
After frustrating more often than delivering, he came good at Goodwood when he flashed home to win the Golden Mile last week. He doesn’t win often but even conceding 5lb to the rest of the field he should give Neil Callan a winning start to the day.
A well-matched group of juvenile fillies line up for this Group 3 prize over 7f at Newmarket. Lakota Sioux and Ivory Madonna bring Royal Ascot form while Novokai steps up in class having won impressively at Doncaster on debut.
Ivory Madonna has the pick of the form on her third place in the Albany Stakes at the royal meeting, but she failed to back that up in a Newmarket maiden next time.
Lady Alara could be the answer. The Charlie Hills-trained filly made late headway to claim third at Sandown last time behind Dance In The Grass, her effort not helped by rearing as the stalls opened.
Aidan O’Brien won five out of six Phoenix Stakes up to 2018 but hasn’t won it since. It looks like he won’t have the favourite here with Coventry Stakes winner Bradsell, who will be ridden by Hollie Doyle, preferred by the market.
There are only six runners, but it doesn’t look an easy race to call with five of them holding decent claims. O’Brien runs two in Anglesey Stakes winner Little Big Bear and Blackbeard, winner of the Prix Robert Papin.
Ryan Moore rides the former, but it won’t have been an easy choice. Bradsell is reopposed by Persian Force, the horse he beat into second by Royal Ascot.
Persian Force franked the form by winning the July Stakes next time with little fuss. That was an improved effort, and he could be the value to turn the tables on the favourite.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday 6th August
13:35 Ascot – 7f classified stakes
14:10 Ascot – Shergar Cup Dash
14:25 Haydock – 1m Handicap
14:45 Ascot – Shergar Cup Stayers
15:00 Haydock – Rose of Lancaster Stakes
15:20 Ascot – Shergar Cup Challenge
15:40 Newmarket – Sweet Solera Stakes
15:55 Ascot – Shergar Cup Mile
16:15 Curragh – National Stakes
16:30 Ascot – Shergar Cup Classic
17:05 Ascot – Shergar Cup Sprint
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
