Many considered The Gurkha unlucky at Royal Ascot and the French Guineas winner has been Backed off the boards for the Coral Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday and is now Evens at BetVictor. The last two winners of the Gp 1 contest from the classic generation were both Derby winners (Sea The Stars 2009 and Golden Horn 2015) dropping back in trip whereas The Gurkha steps up from a mile although he gives every indication this 10f trip will suit.
At Perth I wouldn’t want to see too much rain for John Williams (2.40) who shaped with plenty of encouragement on his chase debut over a trip on the sharp side and he has been dropped 8lbs for that run. The selection won a point-to-point on good to firm ground a couple of years ago and this trip looks ideal; the ground is currently good which is fine but he wouldn’t want conditions to deteriorate too much.
Miss Joeking (3.10) is another selection who would not want soft ground but the mare made an encouraging return when third over the minimum trip at Hexham last month. Trained by Lucinda Russell she has been given plenty of time to get over that run, the step up in trip will suit and a 1lb rise is fair.
The feature race is the £15,000 Handicap Chase over three miles and Call Me Vic is interesting despite having been raised 4lbs since finishing second at Aintree last time. The vote goes to Baileys Concerto who has slipped down to a winning mark, is a dual winning hurdler at Perth and can score for the first time over three miles although the 10-year-old is another declared on good ground and significant rain would be a concern.
In the last Carinena (5.10) hadn’t been asked a question when coming down fur out at Kelso last time and it should be noted that both her career wins have come on flat right-handed tracks including winning her Bumper here last August. It almost goes without saying that she wants good ground to be at her most effective.
There are likely to be a number of non-runners, if you can believe the weather forecast, at Worcester where they are expecting heavy rain on Tuesday evening and showers on Wednesday.
In the opener I am convinced there is more to come from Tsar Alexandre (2.20) and this lightly-raced 9-y-old has run well on soft ground in the past; a winning pointer he is 6lbs lower over fences than hurdles and get the each way vote in a hot opening contest. No Through Road is dropping down to a winning mark and is another who won’t be inconvenienced if the forecast is correct.
Preseli Rock (4.20) can land the Novices’ Hurdle over 3m for Oliver Sherwood; the 6-y-old is considered a long-term staying chaser but won stepped up to 3m at Uttoxeter last time and will be hard to beat.
At Kempton the well-bred Taqaareed (6.40) is no star but is entitled to come on for her racecourse debut and this sister of Oaks Taghrooda can get off the mark at the second attempt for John Gosden. Connections will be very keen to get a win next to her name as soon as possible for breeding purposes.
Three of King Calypso’s four career wins have come at Kempton and the 5-year-old showed he stayed 2m when running on over that trip at Goodwood last time; young apprentice Edward Greatrex is excellent value for his 5lbs claim and I would be disappointed if he wasn’t competitive.
That said he hasn’t won for the best part of two years and Saborido (8.10) is still well treated despite having been raised a couple of pounds for a facile win at Lingfield last time; the selection is now 10-years-of-age and is not getting any better but the handicapper has relented and Hector Crouch takes off a valuable 5lbs.
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