12:40 Royal Ascot

Saturday 20 June 2020

All12:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:40

Silver Wokingham Handicap

Off time: 12:41 | Winning time: 1m 13.91s

(16)

Count D'Orsay¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: Oisin Murphy| T: T D Easterby| OR: 96

25/1

Has improved dramatically since winning a 5f Naas maiden (for Charles O'Brien) last June; form figures for this trainer read 1021213; no issues with soft ground -as shown in the 5f Catterick Dash- but is making first start over 6f since March 2019.

Form: 02121-3

(1)

Magical Wish¹⁰¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: R L Moore| T: R Hannon| OR: 96| D

28/1

Versatile and reasonably reliable (3-15); finished 18th of 24 in last year's Ayr Silver Cup (6f, good); historically his strongest form has come early in the season; 3lb higher than when beating Keyser Soze by ½L at Lingfield (7f) in March.

Form: 20070-1

(20)

Blue Mist⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Jason Watson| T: H & R Charlton| OR: 95| BF| C

7/2

Somewhat of an Ascot regular since winning a 1m classified stakes with a tonne in hand in late 2018; didn't find a great deal off the bridle when a beaten favourite (second) at Newbury (7f) last week; possible on first ever start over 6f.

Form: 4/6036-2

(15)

Chiefofchiefs^v¹¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 9-4| J: W Buick| T: C Fellowes| OR: 95

20/1

No win since early 2019 (on the AW); finished a respectable ninth of 20 in last year's Balmoral Handicap (1m, heavy) before a winter stint in Dubai - nearest at the finish when third to Woven (7f, good); 6f trip too short?

Form: 479-630

(19)

Vintage Brut^b¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: S De Sousa| T: T D Easterby| OR: 95| D

80/1

Lacklustre since rounding off his juvenile campaign with a 4½L romp in the Listed Rockingham Stakes at York (6f, soft); keen to post and in the race when posting a low-key return to action at Newcastle; is likely to be suited by any further rain.

Form: 45050-0

(12)

Louie de Palma²⁵²

Age: 8| Weight: 9-4| J: A Kirby| T: C G Cox| OR: 95| CD

25/1

6lb higher than when making all in the far side group over C&D (soft) last May; no match for Swindler here in July, but has posted rock-solid efforts in the Ayr Gold Cup (sixth) & the Coral Sprint Trophy (fourth) since; ground conditions favourable.

Form: 123364-

(9)

Total Commitment¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: Nicola Currie| T: P Hedger| OR: 95| D

40/1

Left Roger Charlton (then 4-7) for 200,000gns last autumn; consistent (without winning) on the AW at Lingfield Park (6f); finished immediately in front of Swindler when a close fourth to Tinto at Newmarket (6f gd/fm) just over a fortnight ago.

Form: 14-2224

(13)

Aplomb¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: Tom Marquand| T: W J Haggas| OR: 95| BF| D

7/1

All three wins (from 12 starts) have come on either good to soft or soft ground, and was only beaten a neck by Tinto in a Class 2 handicap over C&D (soft) last October; should improve for his Newmarket comeback run over an inadequate 5f.

Form: 61420-5

(17)

Embour⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Thore Hammer-Hansen⁽⁵⁾| T: R Hannon| OR: 95| D

14/1

Driven out to score narrowly at Windsor (6f, good to firm) last July; seemingly handicapped out of things since - sixth of 22 (Portland), fifth of 24 (Ayr Gold Cup); finished 2L fourth to Lahore on Doncaster (5f, good) comeback run.

Form: 2365-44

(8)

Woven¹³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: Jim Crowley| T: D M Simcock| OR: 95

22/1

There or thereabouts on many occasions last summer, including when third (vastly improved Oxted second) in a competitive Class 2 handicap at Newmarket (6f, good); is very closely matched with Chiefofchiefs on more recent winning Meydan form (7f).

Form: 3335-61

(10)

Cosmic Law¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: K Stott| T: R A Fahey| OR: 94| D

50/1

Various near misses early last season, including when rattling the crossbar behind Staxton at Newcastle (6f); a shade underwhelming thereafter; hasn't won since his smooth 6L victory in the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom (June 2018).

Form: 5/2420-9

(23)

Hyperfocus^p¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: J Garritty| T: T D Easterby| OR: 94| D

33/1

Won the Directors Cup (6f, Ripon) last June and very nearly emerged successful in the Great St Wilfrid (neck second to Growl); handicapped to remain competitive off this mark (94); feasibly could benefit for his Newcastle comeback; worse outsiders.

Form: 23026-8

(22)

Flavius Titus¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: Hollie Doyle| T: Jedd O'Keeffe| OR: 94| D

33/1

On an upward curve for Roger Varian early last season (131), just edging out Louie De Palma in a tight finish at Newmarket (6f, gd/fm); disappointing thereafter, and has moved on for 35,000gns; finished last of 11 to Tinto on Newmarket stable debut.

Form: 13108-0

(3)

Dirty Rascal^b²⁷⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Charles Bishop| T: T Ward| OR: 94| D

40/1

Raced exclusively over 7f & 1m since finishing a close second (headed late on) in a valuable juvenile sales race at Doncaster (6½f) in late 2018; left Richard Hannon after winning at Goodwood (7f, Cl 3) in July 2019; others are better handicapped.

Form: 352315-

(14)

Golden Apollo^p,t²⁷³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: D Fentiman| T: T D Easterby| OR: 93| CD

40/1

Close fourth to Swindler over C&D last September before keeping on resolutely to land the Ayr Silver Cup (6f, good) on his final start of the season; a subsequent 5lb rise is fair; more than capable assuming he's ready to roll off a 273-day absence.

Form: 483461-

(24)

Burmese Waltz¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: D Tudhope| T: A Watson| OR: 93| D

22/1

Ex-Ger Lyons; made a winning start for Archie Watson when all out to fend off Shimmering Dawn on handicap debut (Cl 3 fillies') at Kempton ten days ago; that was a pleasing effort off a 14-month absence; 4lb higher in a much deeper race.

Form: 3216/3-1

(21)

Nahaarr¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: James Doyle| T: W J Haggas| OR: 93| BF| D

4/1

Lightly-raced four-year-old; won four on the bounce (6f-7f) between May and July 2019; twice a beaten favourite since, including when racing keenly on seasonal reappearance at Newmarket (7f, gd/fm) a fortnight ago; drop back to 6f in his favour?

Form: 11113-4

(4)

Bernardo O'Reilly²³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: M Dwyer| T: R Spencer| OR: 93| D

100/1

5-18 career; promises to be suited by the projected good to soft ground; got there late when winning at Ffos Las (6f, good) in August; essentially low-key from his revised mark since, and is difficult to consider in this stronger Class 2 contest.

Form: 1/62100-

(7)

Gabrial The Wire¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Connor Murtagh⁽³⁾| T: R A Fahey| OR: 93

50/1

Chester regular; was winning for the second time on the Roodeye when beating Humble Gratitude by a comfortable 2¼L (7½f, good); finished a keeping on third to the progressive Mubakker on AW/seasonal debut at Newcastle (6f) 18 days ago.

Form: 10891-3

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies to all bets - deduction 15p in the pound

Non-Runners

(2)

Swindler¹⁵

Weight: 9-5| Age: 4

T: E Walker J: Andrea Atzeni

(11)

Open Wide⁶

Weight: 9-5| Age: 6

T: Mrs A J Perrett J: P J Dobbs

(6)

Pass The Vino¹⁵

Weight: 9-3| Age: 4

T: P W D'Arcy J: Non Runner

(18)

Sir Maximilian¹⁴

Weight: 9-2| Age: 11

T: Ian Williams J: R Kingscote

(5)

Gunmetal¹⁵

Weight: 9-2| Age: 7

T: T D Barron J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Blue Mist (7/2), Nahaarr (4/1), Swindler (11/2), Aplomb (7/1), Embour (14/1), Gunmetal (14/1), Pass The Vino (16/1), Open Wide (16/1), Chiefofchiefs (20/1), Burmese Waltz (22/1), Woven (22/1), Louie de Palma (25/1), Count D'Orsay (25/1), Magical Wish (28/1), Flavius Titus (33/1), Hyperfocus (33/1), Sir Maximilian (33/1), Golden Apollo (40/1), Total Commitment (40/1), Dirty Rascal (40/1), Gabrial The Wire (50/1), Cosmic Law (50/1), Vintage Brut (80/1), Bernardo O'Reilly (100/1)

Saturday's Ascot action begins with the consolation for the Wokingham Stakes. A maximum field (of 24) has been declared and it's probably an advantage to be drawn mid-to-high which could count against the progressive Swindler (2) and the otherwise interesting Pass The Vino (6). The Ayr Silver Cup winner Golden Apollo (14), the dropped-in-trip Blue Mist (20), and the largely unexposed duo of Aplomb (13) and Nahaarr (21) figure on the radar. However, we'll elect to stick with proven C&D form and plump for the Clive Cox-trained 8yo LOUIE DE PALMA (12). He has favourable conditions, and acquitted himself admirably in various similar races in 2019.