By Charlie McCann
John Gosden’s star filly Taghrooda maintained her unbeaten record in electric fashion, winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and BetVictor make her the 4/1 favourite for the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.
She beat both the boys and her elders in the most breath-taking of fashion, beating recent scorers Telescope and Mukhadram with ease. Admittedly, the daughter of Sea the Stars was in receipt of 15lb from the 4-y-o colts but has improved with every run and will be difficult to beat should she turn up in Paris in the autumn.
Sheikh Hamdan’s other impressive winner this weekend was Muthmir, absolutely dotting up in a competitive sprint handicap at York. Jockey Graham Lee sat motionless as the gelding sliced through the field and he is 6/1 with BetVictor to follow-up that success in the 32Red Stewards Cup at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday.
Lee has enjoyed plenty of success already this season with Jim Goldie up in the north and Thorntoun Care (3.30) can give the team another winner in the extended mile and a half handicap. The selection showed plenty of promise when stepped up to a mile and a quarter last time out on his handicap debut and now upped further, can go one better than his second last time out at the track.
There’s all-weather action from Lingfield where Lola Montez (3.45) is fancied to make her first foray into handicaps a winning one. The Duke of Marmalade filly steps up to a mile and a half for the first time with the stable in excellent forms successful with two of their last three runners.
Luca Cumani’s Mallory Heights (4.45) can land the feature mile and a half handicap, reverting back to the all-weather after a trio of disappointing performances on the turf. The selection was a scorer over course and distance last season from just a 2lb higher mark and can return to winning ways with Adam Kirby back in the plate.
Monday means racing at Windsor and on Glorious Goodwood eve the Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes combination will want to head to the downs in good nick. The pair team up with the once-raced maiden Typhoon Season (6.35) in the maiden over six furlongs and should go close. The colt travelled well on debut earlier this month at Newmarket over 7f and he looks a sure-fire winner for a yard that excels with their juveniles.
Roger Charlton’s Sleep Walk (7.05) looks to have caught the handicapper in a good mood, starting life outside of maiden company from an opening mark of 65. Despite not beating much when winning her maiden as a 1/9 favourite at Bath in May, the Oasis Dream filly is open to significant improvement and can maintain her unbeaten record in the 6f handicap.
The hat-trick seeking Hostile Fire is likely to be a short-priced favourite for the mile handicap however Ed Vaughan’s Si Senor (7.35) looks the value against him. The selection was an impressive scorer on the all-weather in the spring and was far from disgraced when third from a 4lb higher mark on his next start. Providing the gelding can translate his all-weather form to the turf, he remains well treated.
There’s an excellent summer jumping card at Uttoxeter where Kim Bailey’s Midnight Oscar (7.55) can finally get his head in front after a luckless season. The selection was a beaten favourite when third last time out over course and distance but would have been a lot closer, was it not for a mistake two flights from home. The 7-y-o has an excellent record at the track and should remain competitive from an unrevised mark.
For all the latest odds and more head to BetVictor.com
