15:00 Ascot

Saturday 8 August 2020

All12:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:45

Dubai Duty Free Millenium Millionaire Handicap

Off time: 15:01 | Winning time: 3m 28.3s

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Selected odds by:

(1)

Ernesto²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: S Donohoe| T: Ian Williams| OR: 98

66/1

Smart stayer at best for Markus Klug in Germany; hasn't fired in pair of runs for new trainer including here at the Royal Meeting in June.

Form: 5356-00

(2)

Holy Kingdom²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: J Mitchell| T: Tom Clover| OR: 96

10/3

Twice a winner at Newmarket this season over 1m4f/1m6f since returning in June; perhaps didn't relish soft ground back there since but remains on a career-high mark. Australia colt may still have more to come upped in distance.

Form: 132-118

(8)

Eddystone Rock⁵²

Age: 8| Weight: 9-5| J: Cieren Fallon⁽³⁾| T: J R Best| OR: 96| CD

14/1

Won back-to-back handicaps in August 2019 including a 2m win at the Shergar Cup meeting here; 40-1 and may have needed the run over 1m6f here in June and could do better back up in trip.

Form: 7110-30

(5)

Sleeping Lion²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: A Kirby| T: J R Fanshawe| OR: 95| BF

5/1

Ended last season on a winning note at Doncaster and left reappearance run behind when runner-up at Newcastle behind Cosmelli over extended-2m. Up 2lb for that but has run well both visits here previously and worth considering for place money.

Form: 0281-72

(11)

Island Brave²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: M Dwyer| T: H Main| OR: 93

33/1

Multiple AW winner who has also scored twice on turf over 1m5f/1m6f (both on good); behind Charlie D at Newmarket penultimate run in third but less convincing here since. Has dropped below previous win-mark but others more appealing still.

Form: 95-3538

(4)

Charlie D^p,t²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: Jane Elliott| T: Tom Dascombe| OR: 92| D

25/1

1m6f Newmarket winner in June (Island Brave behind in third) took turf record to 5-9; lesser effort since at Newcastle on the AW needs forgiving but could well bounce straight back on decent ground here.

Form: 2-41215

(6)

Australis⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: David Egan| T: R Varian| OR: 92

7/2

Runner-up in the Northumberland Plate 42 days ago having won on reappearance at Wolverhampton; four-year-old back on the turf from career-high mark but not a shock to see him going well.

Form: 4212-12

(9)

Kaloor^t¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 8-11| J: Jim Crowley| T: D Menuisier| OR: 88

4/1

Debut winner in 2018 over a mile at Salisbury for Brian Meehan but not added to that since; latest third at Sandown (1m6f, good to firm; 9-2) teased out stamina still further and interesting now upped in trip once more.

Form: 536-553

(3)

Mondain¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-11| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 88| D

22/1

Impressive winner over similar trip to this at Newcastle on second start back and also scored last summer at Thirsk over 2m; needs to bounce back from a very disappointing Newmarket effort a fortnight ago however.

Form: 558-914

(7)

Red Force One²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 8-10| J: Megan Nicholls⁽³⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 87| D

5/1

Dual purpose performer won over timber at Market Rasen last month and is potentially on a decent mark back on the level with Megan Nicholls taking a further 3lb off.

Form: 119/22-5

Non-Runners

(10)

Diocletian¹⁸

Weight: 9-4| Age: 5

T: A M Balding J: Oisin Murphy

Forecasts

Holy Kingdom (10/3), Australis (7/2), Kaloor (4/1), Sleeping Lion (5/1), Red Force One (5/1), Eddystone Rock (14/1), Diocletian (14/1), Mondain (22/1), Charlie D (25/1), Island Brave (33/1), Ernesto (66/1)

Australis only found one too good in the Northumberland Plate last time and has to be feared here, while Charlie D can likely leave behind a below-par run on the same Gosforth Park surface and bounce back on turf. KALOOR hasn't won since his debut but he's with an in-form trainer now and shaped well last time over 1m6f at Sandown in third despite not getting the clearest run. He's worth a crack at this extended trip and could be the answer.