Star Storm was an effortless winner at Yarmouth when just four ran, but it’d be easy to get carried away with such form and 4/1 is no sort of price to bank on him progressing past some classy performers.
The favourite, Romsdal, from a punting perspective, is still burdened by his two placed efforts in British Classics last season. The reality is a career record of 2/11 – both on Kempton’s polytrack – and he really is shocking value at 3/1.
That usually signals value elsewhere then, and Sir Michael Stoute’s Hillstar returns to a course and distance he’s enjoyed success with in the past. His Ascot record is very mixed and he’s won on all sorts of ground so has the potential to run a big race. A Grade 1 win in Canada around this time last year suggests he could find his form, but 2015 has been dire otherwise and he can’t be backed with any confidence at 5/1.
Windshear’s best form is on a softer surface while Red Galileo’s career record of 1/19 has him easily opposed. The ten-year-old Forgotten Voice hasn’t won since 2013 and isn’t getting any better, while Missed Call has her own course and distance success having notched on Shergar Cup day, yet has plenty to find with these and is fully exposed.
I’m itching to back Queen Of Ice, who returns after a long break and has to bounce back from two last-placed blanks at Haydock. Twelve furlongs and good ground is her want, though, and at 11/1 she might be worth siding with. A couple of listed successes at the back-end of 2014 suggest this could be her time of year and she certainly has the scope to match the ambitions of her connections – she’s entered in Group One company back at Ascot on Champions Day. She’ll likely need this race, but if she’s good enough she can improve past this rather-mediocre lot.
1pt win Queen Of Ice @11/1, Ascot 14:35 (StanJames)
Leave a comment