Saturday’s racing is headlined by the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes. With that stellar Group 1 taking place, Andrew Mount picks out his top tips on that card among others.
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Posted: 4pm, Friday, July 26th
1.50 Ascot – TALES OF THE HEART (1pt win – 12/1 William Hill, BetVictor)
Runners who prepped at Newmarket have a good record in the Princess Margaret Stakes, especially those who contested the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at the July Festival. TALES OF THE HEART caught the eye when a three-length sixth of 12 in that contest last time, doing well to finish so close under a patient ride on the slowest part of the track. Her earlier July Course Listed second to Ed Walker’s Celandine was a solid effort give the winner’s subsequent placed effort in a French Group 2 and her patient style will be better suited to Ascot than Newmarket. Simply backing all runners in this Group 3 contest who ran at HQ last time, since 2012, would have found nine winners from 33 bets for a profit of £38.16, with the Duchess Of Cambridge runners winning six from 15 in the same period (+£28.82). Duchess Of Cambridge runners who were ridden patiently at Newmarket, as Tales Of The Heart was, had form figures of 118112 (4-6) for a profit of £32.63.
3.00 Ascot – DIVINE LIBRA (1pt ew – 20/1 bet365, 18/1 William Hill, Ladbrokes, BetVictor)
Nine of the last ten winners of the International Stakes prepped at Ascot or Newmarket and I like the claims of DIVINE LIBRA, who had a poor draw (stall 18) when tenth of 20 in the Bunbury Cup at HQ last time. Charles Hills’ four-year-old was sent off at just 15-2 for that Heritage Handicap and to go down by a little over six lengths after racing on the slowest part of the track was a solid effort. He proved his effectiveness over course and distance when sixth of 26 to English Oak in the Buckingham Palace Stakes and he looks over-priced.
3.20 Chester – LAHAB (1pt win – 9/1 bet365)
Michael Wigham has a fine recent record at the first time of asking with horses he takes over from other yards, especially in handicap company. Since the beginning of last year, he’s won with five of the 13 qualifiers for a profit of £59.50 to a £1 level stake at SP (expected winners = 1.15). Two of the beaten horses finished second (18-1 and 11-1) and another was third (8-1), suggesting that LAHAB might go well on his first start since leaving Grant Tuer’s care. The four-year-old went into my tracker when seventh of 17 in the Carlisle Bell on his penultimate start, doing well to finish so close after blowing the start and challenging on the slowest part of the track, and is worth chancing from a useful draw in stall 4.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.50 Ascot – TALES OF THE HEART (1pt win – 12/1 William Hill, BetVictor)
3.00 Ascot – DIVINE LIBRA (1pt ew – 20/1 bet365, 18/1 William Hill, Ladbrokes, BetVictor)
3.20 Chester – LAHAB (1pt win – 9/1 bet365)
Andrew Mount’s tips for Saturday, 27th July 2024.
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