Five To Watch – Saturday 23rd July 2016

We are right in the heart of the 2016 flat season and with the weather starting to co-operate, it really is starting to feel like Glorious Goodwood is just around the corner.  Before the racing world decamps to West Sussex amidst Pimms and Panama Hats, there is a big Saturday of racing upcoming with both Ascot and York being graced by some of the top equine stars on offer.  Let’s take a look at five of the most notable runners that we will be witnessing this weekend.

Fair Eva

Frankel’s foals have made a real impact already and Fair Eva was one of the most impressive yet. The current ante post favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas has been seen just once on a racecourse when a runaway winner at Haydock.  She took a little while to understand what was required of her, hardly a surprise on debut, but once the penny dropped, the racing world was treated to something special.  She effortlessly put four lengths between herself and the second who had already had the benefit of a run, giving the impression that there was any amount of improvement still in the tank.  The runner up has franked the form in no uncertain fashion since, an impressive Listed winner at Newmarket before a return to the July course saw her an excellent third in the Cherry Hinton.  The third has won twice since and even the eighth has got in on the winning act to leave fans of Frankel’s offspring dreaming of Fair Eva carrying all before her in the same fashion as her sire.

Seven Heavens

While we are on the subject of the sire on everyone’s lips at the moment, he has another pair of entries on Saturday looking to continue the near meteoric start that his first crop have made.  Seven Heavens looked on the babyish side on his Ascot debut, a little sideways out the stalls, he hit the front earlier than was probably ideal and was left to find his own way home after nothing could go the same cruising speed as him, getting a little lonely in front and then drifting left under pressure towards the stands rail.  He is likely to have learnt an awful lot for that first racecourse experience and John Gosden has not overfaced him with an entry in the Pat Eddery Stakes back at Ascot.  A Listed race over 7f, it should provide a far more detailed idea of just how good he is, sporting the famous Khalid Abdullah silks carried to victory fourteen times but his illustrious father.

Frankuus

A third Frankel offspring to finish our look at the weekend ahead and for the second time, we could see Frankel V Frankel at Ascot in the Pat Eddery Stakes if Mark Johnston sends his grey down from Middleham to Berkshire.  He came off second best the last time he met a fellow Frankel in the Chesham Stakes when finding Cunco too good but the return to a quicker surface on which he made a winning Haydock debut could be in his favour.  It looks like a little further will benefit him in time so it would be no surprise to see connections make plenty of use of him again in front to try and run the sting out the field.  He is likely to have plenty on to try to get the better of Seven Heavens but his extra experience may stand him in good stead.

Time Test

No-one in racing will have been more thankful for the sun shining than Roger Charlton who sends Time Test to Yorkshire on Saturday for the Group 2, Skybet York Stakes.  Good to firm ground is perfect for him, a winner of the Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot 2015 and the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown earlier this season the twice he has received his perfect underfoot conditions and arguably the pick of his career form.  He ran above many people’s expectations when third in the Eclipse on ground that will have been far too soft for him and this weekend could be the perfect stepping stone to a repeat visit to the Knavesmire and the Juddemonte International at the Ebor meeting in August.

Dartmouth

With Postponed ruled out due to a bad scope, all attention now goes on the Queen’s runner Dartmouth for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Winner of his last three starts (two Group 3s and a Group 2), he looks likely to be sent off favourite for his first ever Group 1 attempt and has an impressive strike rate of 7 wins from 12 stakes and 3 wins from 4 stakes races. He’s the joint top rated in the race along with Highland Reel who he beat by a head at Royal Ascot last time out and Sir Michael Stoute will be hoping to win this race for the third time in the last 10 years.

Betting Tips

Our Channel 4 tips will be online on Friday – previews will be online from Tuesday for early research – but we have daily horse racing tips updated every morning and evening in the meantime!