The Veolia Handicap
(2.00) at Ascot on Friday is the most competitive race on the card,
numerically, and a tight handicap, with just 7lb separating the 18
runners, so looks well worth a crack. Frankly, it’s difficult to
write off any of them with any degree of confidence, so we’ve
highlighted a couple that we think could go well at rewarding odds.
Free Zone is on
a losing run of 14, but is consequently 6lb lower in the weights than
when rallying gamely to win a 0-90 contest at Doncaster last season
and obviously well handicapped on his best form. The Kodiac gelding
has form over further, so a testing 7 furlongs should play to his
strengths if he’s able to stage a revival and this race looks
easier than most he’s contested over the last 12 months or so.
Valbchek hasn’t
done much racing, at all, in the last 18 months and hasn’t won on
turf since his 3-year-old days with Jeremy Noseda, but hasn’t been
entirely disgraced on his two starts since returning to action after
over a year off and is starting to look well handicapped. In fact,
Jane Chapple-Hyam’s 7-year-old is 5lb lower in the weights than
when finishing third, beaten just half a length, in a 0-100 contest
over 6 furlongs at Newbury early last season, so would be nailed on
if able to reproduce that form at this lower level.
Lyfka has won
two of his three starts over 7 furlongs in this grade this season,
off handicap marks of 82 and 83 and was left with too much to do on
the other, off a handicap mark of 84, so must have a decent chance
once again. The Kheleyf filly has come up short when raised in class
on her last two starts, but that should be reflected in her price and
she’s fully effective on a sound surface.
Selections:
Ascot 2.00 Free Zone, Valbchek, Lyfka
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