24 Jun 2023 - NEWS
O'BRIEN AND MOORE TAKE TOP TRAINER AND JOCKEY TITLESKing's Stand Stakes 2016: When Saturday comes
Posted in: Royal Ascot Tips
It can’t be much fun being a jockey. The risk of serious injury, the lack of food, the countless motorway miles. And then this: “He was very experienced, but he didn’t do as I said. I told him to whip the horse to get around [in the stretch], and he never did. He was behind a wall of horses, and pulled back. I’ve never complained to a jockey, never, but this time I was very unhappy with him.”
The withering words of trainer Ganbat Enebish, who was clearly not impressed with the ride given by Doug Whyte to his horse Mongolian Saturday in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize in Hong Kong at the start of May. In truth, it’s hard to disagree too vehemently. Whyte rushed Mongolian Saturday up from his inside draw to chase a very strong early pace, before easing back at the start of the bend into the home straight. Having lost his good position, Whyte was now trapped behind horses and, once in the clear, Mongolian Saturday was allowed to coast home in his own time.
You may recognise the horse’s name – he sprang a 20/1 surprise in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last season – though perhaps not the name of his regular jockey, Florent Geroux, who will be back on board in Berkshire. Born in France and affectionately nicknamed ‘Frenchie’ according to Enebish, Geroux has developed a good rapport with Mongolian Saturday and, having also won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 2014, the jockey is clearly comfortable in top level sprints on the big stage.
The make-up of the King’s Stand looks to have a speedier dynamic this year, with horses such as Wesley Ward’s Queen Mary winner Acapulco, David Griffith’s Take Cover, and Australian hope Holler all capable of setting furious fractions. The last two renewals have seen a (relatively) sedate pace set but, should those three all stand their ground, the course record could be under threat.
Mongolian Saturday is a quick starter, who stays six furlongs (and more), so should be able to track the pace and try to put the race to bed a furlong from home in the manner of 2012 victor Little Bridge, the most recent international raider to lift the prize.
More likely to go down the ‘last-gasp Sole Power route’ is Waady, who looks to have been underestimated in the ante-post market after two runs this season.
Though beaten into third in both the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket and the Temple Stakes at Haydock, on Timeform ratings John Gosden’s charge has at least matched his Group 3 Charge win last term, a season which featured four wins in total. Four of his five career wins have come at Sandown, suggesting that a stiff finish is ideal, and, combined with a strong pace and quick ground, the King’s Stand could be the perfect race for him.
Despite defeat to the progressive Profitable at Haydock, Mecca’s Angel is Timeform top-rated and would be very hard to beat on genuinely soft ground, however those conditions appear unlikely for Michael Dods’ stable star. Dual King’s Stand winner Sole Power could better last year’s fifth granted a strong pace to chase, while Goldream has now won two of his three Ascot starts, and, having landed the Prix de l’Abbaye since his win in this race twelve months ago, is now considered a genuine Group 1 horse. Medicean Man is another to consider, with form figures of 4-11-4-2 in this race, however he has been at least 25/1 on the day on each occasion so doesn’t rate a value ante-post bet at 33/1.
Palace House Stakes and Temple Stakes winner Profitable, who was second to Waady (giving 3 lb) in the listed Scurry Stakes last season, is on a steep upward curve and might simply have improved past Waady, so is hugely respected, along with the trio of second-season sprinters – Acapulco, Easton Angel and Quiet Reflection – who have already proven that they have trained-on this season with one win apiece.
The aforementioned Godolphin-owned Holler is also three, but because of the difference in the southern hemisphere breeding season, will receive no weight for age allowance from his older rivals; however that didn’t stop Choisir winning this race (and the Golden Jubilee) at the same stage of his career in 2003.
Click here to back Mongolian Saturday at 20/1 in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot
Click here to back Waady at 16/1 in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot
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