ASCOT hasn’t avoided the country’s torrential downpours, having been pelted with 40mm in the past seven days, making the going currently soft, heavy (in places) on the Round Course and soft on the Straight Course ahead of Saturday’s card.
Things look to be drying up as we head into the weekend but conditions at the Berkshire venue will still be very testing, which will suit SALT BAY in the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes (2:25pm).
Ralph Beckett’s charge has run with plenty of credit this year, including when a neck third to fellow contender Hamish at Newbury on reappearance in April on good-to-soft ground.
He hasn’t raced on slower ground since that day at Newbury and finally he should get that on Saturday.
Ante-post, it looks a relatively strong renewal, with Al Aasy an extremely talented operator who seems to have been rejuvenated to not too far from his best by William Haggas this season.
Cieren Fallon’s mount would, however, have serious issues with slower ground on all known form, demonstrating his best efforts on quicker going.
Salt Bay on the other hand ran Not So Sleepy to within two lengths in September of last year on bottomless ground and since then I’ve been convinced that he will be at his best when the mud is flying.
At around 9/1, he rates as a bet each-way.
Later on the card, the valuable Challenge Cup (3.35pm) is the main betting race on the day.
The seven-furlong cavalry charge looks wide open at this ante-post stage, with Qirat towards the head of most bookies’ markets, but I’m not going to side with another Beckett runner as his price of 6/1 looks on the skinny side.
There’s no doubting that Fresh loves Ascot having won four times at the track, but I’m more drawn to two bigger-priced entrants, firstly AKKADIAN THUNDER.
David O’Meara has had a fine season, recently breaking the £2 million prize money threshold and has brought this son of Night Of Thunder on nicely this term.
Having joined from Roger Varian at the start of this Flat campaign, his form might look somewhat in and out, having twice followed up promising victories with unplaced efforts.
His most recent run, however, showed real promise.
He ran a blinder off his career-high mark of 91 in a typically competitive Ascot handicap over seven and there was a lot to like about that effort, and crucially it was on soft ground.
I expect him to run well here again, with 14/1 more than appealing as an each-way price.
REBEL TERRITORY is another in here with Ascot form on slow going.
Amanda Perrett’s gelding was sensational in the Victoria Cup over course and distance back in May 2023 and has been lightly raced since.
He returned to action behind the aforementioned Qirat in August at Goodwood and ran with credit over this course and distance on his most recent run.
Perrett was openly worried about the short gap between his Goodwood and Ascot runs, and suggested the main target was Saturday’s race above all.
Also available at 14/1, he’s well worth a go each-way.
POINTERS Saturday
Salt Bay (e/w) 2.25pm Ascot
Akkadian Thunder (e/w) 3.35pm Ascot
Rebel Territory (e/w) 3.35pm Ascot