El Vip and Abe Lincoln have been backed in off-the-boards over the last few weeks. The former has been the subject of a jockey change with Jamie Spencer switching from Banksea due to Frankie Dettori’s injury, and although unexposed, he lacks experience in these big-field events.
Abe Lincoln is similarly unexposed, but it will take a monster training performance to pick up a victory after a twelve-month layoff and 10/1 is not an attractive price to be ploughing in at.
Those drawn in the highest or lowest six stalls have tended to edge it here in recent years, and GEORGE WILLIAM (drawn 1), can go close for Richard Hannon. He finished second to Fastnet Tempest over this course over 7f on his last start and receives 7lbs in return from the 9/1 second-favourite.
George William has been running well all-season including a victory over the reopposing G K Chesterton on his first start of the season, and now races on 5lbs better terms than the Godolphin runner. He then finished an unlucky 4/24 in a 1m handicap at Newbury on gd-fm ground behind Banksea, when he didn’t get a clear run and had to switch only to lose by three parts of a length.
He remains a horse on the upgrade and could still be ahead of handicapper. The main question mark against him is whether he will get sufficient pace with his draw as it appears that the speedy starters are mostly drawn middle-to-high.
With that in mind, we also think that 2015 Royal Hunt Cup winner GM HOPKINS has got a great chance. He has landed a plum draw right off the pace in stall 29 and has dropped to a dangerous looking handicap mark of 105.
He won this race off a mark of 103, and came second in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot in the same season off 109. After a brief stint over longer distances and out of handicap company he returns on a winnable-mark over the straight-mile of his favourite track with his perfect ground conditions – so he looks set for a big run.
GM Hopkins put in a fairly disappointing run on his first start this campaign over an inadequate 7f, but that has helped his mark and should have put him bang on for this.
At 28/1 he looks an appealing each-way prospect for the mighty John Gosden yard.
0.75pt each-way George William @12/1, 17:00 Ascot, Wednesday (Skybet 1/5 odds, 6 places)
0.5pt each-way GM Hopkins @28/1, 17:00 Ascot, Wednesday (Coral 1/4 odds, 5 places)
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