6f Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-110)
Ah, the Wokingham – an old favourite of mine. Don’t be shy on backing big odds, in the last 10 years, over half the runners have been priced at 18/1 or better.
There is no denying that Dark Trooper is a sprinter on the up and he could make it in pattern company. Unequal Love ran in a Group 2 last time out and she looks like she has improved, but a draw in stall 1 tempers enthusiam. Harry Three, Apollo One and Albasheer could all run blinders.
But I think this race could set-up well for FERROUS who is a son of Dark Angel. Ferrous has already won twice this season on the all-weather going up 13lbs in the handicap. He put in another very strong run last time out at Newbury when coming from off the pace to finish a couple of lengths down on Lethal Levi and Rumstar – now both worse off at the weights – who were up with the pace. He looks an improving sprinter and has potential for a mark in three figures for Jack Channon who’s only other horse at the meeting, Metal Merchant, ran very well this week. He looks decent odds for each-way backers with an ideal stall in 18.
Another one that looks very interesting at a huge price is TORIVEGA for Sheila Lavery. Torivega’s record of 1 win in 8 starts may not look the most inspiring, but most of those races have been run with cut in the going description and before he was gelded at the start of this campaign. His two best runs were both on good ground winning a maiden in Cork over 6f last July and he ran a career best last time out on his first start of the season (post gelding operation) in a 17 runner handicap at The Curragh where he stayed on best to finish third.
That looked like a great prep run for Torivega considering the jockey didn’t make much use of him in the race and given he finished ahead of the winner shortly passed the post. The form of that race is also working out well with the fourth already winning next time out, whereas the seventh finished sixth in the Royal Hunt Cup earlier in the week. Torivega is certainly more unexposed than most and he looks like he has a great draw in stall 20 to give himself a chance in this off a low-rating of 98.
1pt each-way Ferrous @16/1, 17:05 Royal Ascot, Saturday (1/5 odds, 1-8 places with Skybet)
1pt each-way Torivega @22/1, 17:05 Royal Ascot, Saturday (1/5 odds, 1-8 places with Skybet)