The Tote Ten to Follow is back, and as a result, we are looking closer at some of the available horses and where they are likely to be picking up points for their stables. In this section, we will be taking a closer look at the stayers, identifying six staying horses that should prove fruitful for their Tote Ten to Follow stables throughout the 2021 flat season. For an in-depth look at how to play the Tote Ten to Follow, check out our handy Tote Ten to Follow guide.
STRADIVARIUS
No better place to start this list than with STRADIVARIUS. A winner of 16 of his 26 career starts to date, Stradivarius will undoubtedly be targeted at all of the long-distance races in the 2021 flat racing calendar. Stradivarius’s biggest target this year, however, will undoubtedly be the Ascot Gold Cup – where he will aim to become only the second horse after the mighty Yeats to win four straight Ascot Gold Cup’s.
With the Ascot Gold Cup acting as one of the 25 bonus races in the Tote Ten to Follow, the knowledge that Stradivarius will have the race as his main seasonal target should result in any Tote Ten to Follow player strongly considering him as one of their ten stable options.
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TRUESHAN
Whilst Stradivarius will be a popular choice for many players, he did end last season on a sour note when down the field behind TRUESHAN in the Ascot Long Distance Cup. The latter demolished a smart field that day, marking him down as the potential heir to Stradivarius’ staying crown.
Alan King’s five-year-old has an impressive career record of 7 wins from 11 starts and remains open to improvement this season. Much like Stradivarius, his seasonal target is expected to be the Ascot Gold Cup, but he can also be expected to participate in all of the other top staying contests this season – so should give players plenty of opportunities to pick up points.
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SANTIAGO
Aidan O’Brien has won the Ascot Gold Cup more times than any other trainer (7), and SANTIAGO may provide him with his best hope of success this year. This Authorized colt made a winning seasonal reappearance at the Royal meeting in last season’s Queen Vase, and he supplemented that victory with success in the Irish Derby.
Solid efforts in defeat in the Goodwood Cup and St Leger marked this horse down as a potential staying star, and last season’s Royal Ascot victory suggests that he may well be returning to that meeting in June to contest the Gold Cup.
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OCEAN WIND
One of the most progressive staying handicappers last season, OCEAN WIND has the potential to make his presence felt at both handicap and pattern level this campaign. The one-time Champion Bumper sixth was 3 from 4 on the flat last season, and since returning from a break has finished a credible second in both of his 2021 outings.
Those efforts came in small-field events, yet Roger Teal’s charge gives the impression that he will be a better horse once given a decent pace to aim at. With that in mind, and a rating of 108 guaranteed to get him in, the Ebor may be a suitable long-term target.
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PRINCESS ZOE
Arguably the story of the 2020 flat season was the rapid progression made by Tony Mullins’ star mare PRINCESS ZOE. After being beaten off a mark of just 64 on her debut for the yard, Princess Zoe went on to win her next five starts, her winning sequence culminating in victory in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran.
Despite the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe reportedly her seasonal aim, a disappointing seasonal reappearance over that 1m4f trip suggests that she may need dour stamina tests to be seen at her best. With that in mind, it would be no shock to see connections focus on a Cup campaign for Princess Zoe over the summer, before looking at Longchamp nearer the time.
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RANCH HAND
After having a brief hurdles campaign curtailed after his jumping let him down, RANCH HAND has gone 2-2 since returned to the level. Both of those victories have come on the All-Weather (now 4-4 on synthetics), so a trip up to Newcastle for the Northumberland Plate could be on the cards for Ranch Hand.
Andrew Balding’s charge is by no means solely an AW horse, however, having taken a Listed contest at Newmarket at the backend of last season. That versatility bodes well for whatever races connections point Ranch Hand towards this season, and as such he looks sure to pick up plenty of Tote Ten to Follow points.