THERE’s also high-quality Saturday action away from Ascot the Group Two York Stakes (3.15pm) from the Knavesmire.
My eye is immediately drawn to Passenger at the top of the market.
The Niarchos-owned colt ticks many of the rather clichéd boxes as a ‘classic, progressive Sir Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old’ and impressed on his seasonal return with a taking defeat of future Royal Ascot winner Israr at Chester.
Improving, talented and unexposed he may be, but hardy, he is not.
His fragility ruled him out of multiple future engagements following his Roodee win, and I’m not sure he’ll even make Saturday’s race given the murmurings from the yard.
While Passenger is unfortunate to be blighted by this lack of soundness, I’m keen to take him on with a horse who himself needs to find the rub of the green in KING’S GAMBIT.
Harry Charlton’s colt was arguably one of the unluckiest losers at Royal Ascot this year when a narrow second to Jayarebe in the Hampton Court.
William Buick gave Jayarebe a five-length head-start into the home straight, and his charge did extremely well to get to within three-quarters of a length of the winner.
Prior to this, he’d been a sparkling winner of Newbury’s London Gold Cup, marking himself out as a horse firmly on the up.
Three-year-olds don’t have a great record in this race, but he gets nine pounds from his elders and doesn’t have much to find on ratings.
Alflaila demands respect after running Auguste Rodin to three-and-three-quarter lengths in the Prince of Wales’s but will have to prove he can string two top runs together off a long absence.
At around 6/1 each-way with Star Sports, King’s Gambit is the bet here.
POINTERS SATURDAY
King’s Gambit e/w York 3.15pm