1200m – Turf
Horse Racing
Season
Wokingham Stakes (Handicap) - Form Comments
| 1 | Intisaab | A powerful finish saw him win a valuable local G3 over 1200m in Doha, Qatar earlier in the year. Back with a win at Haydock on his latest start, again closing late – tactics which more certainly will be planned for today. Fast ground suits. |
| 2 | Lancelot Du Lac | A regular in these races and gained a deserved success when landing a major handicap at Goodwood last year, though on soft ground. Third in this race in 2015 but didn’t make a big impact in the closing stages last year. |
| 3 | Mr Lupton | Ran quite well on his only previous Ascot visit, in a G1 in 2016. Missed the break but finished strongly to win a 1000m York handicap last month. Still reasonably handicapped and chances for this hold-up horse if the gaps come at the right time. |
| 4 | Tommy Taylor | The winner of a slow-ground Listed race over this distance at York last season. Not right at his best on his 2018 reappearance but his trainer believes that he will one day be capable of landing a major handicap like this. |
| 5 | Bacchus | Difficult to win a race like this without a run since last season. His final 2017 effort was a close fourth over this course and distance and he ran well in some other sprint handicaps. |
| 6 | Ice Age | Led from the start to win a fast-ground handicap over this distance at Newbury last time. He seems to be still improving and is used to big fields like this one plus the fact that he has winning form over 1400m is an advantage in this type of race. |
| 7 | Dreamfield | Will start a warm favourite despite this being a red-hot handicap. He has G1 entries and came back from a long absence to surge clear in a handicap over this course and distance, a really classy show with some of those behind having won since. |
| 8 | Undrafted | Finished fast to land the G1 Diamond Jubilee on this day in 2015. Form in recent seasons hasn’t been at the same level but that is reflected in his shrinking handicap mark. From a formidable US stable he will have his supporters. |
| 9 | Sir Robert Cheval | Has some good form here where he was formerly a winner over 1600m. Better known as a sprinter now and last seen when runner-up in a Listed event here last October. The stable have been struggling but big signs of a revival lately. |
| 10 | Growl | Has run creditably in G1 company in recent years and though that has left him high in the handicap, he’s back down to a reasonable mark now. He won a maiden over this course and distance on his first career start back in 2014. |
| 11 | Danzeno | Only beaten 1 1/2L when fifth of 27 in this race last year and his rating is 2 points lower this time. Generally in good form since including when third in a competitive York handicap last time. |
| 12 | Reckless Endeavour | His nine starts – including one win – since joining his current trainer have been on an all-weather surface. However he has some fast-ground turf wins earlier in his career and this event has been on his agenda for some time. |
| 13 | Foolaad | He recently won five consecutive races, though four of those were about 1000m on an all-weather surface. However he’s versatile and still seems to be at the top of his game judging by his second of 19 over this distance at York last time. |
| 14 | Major Jumbo | His four starts this season have been at 1000m but last September he won a handicap over this trip at York. Another good run when second at Musselburgh last time, but he currently looks to have a tough handicap rating. |
| 15 | Spring Loaded | Most of his success has come on an all-weather surface but he won a major turf handicap at Doncaster last season. He was seventh of 28 in this race back in 2016. Others appear more favourably handicapped. |
| 16 | Silent Echo | Runner-up to Dreamfield over this course and distance three back, and has won twice since at Windsor, easily confronting higher handicap ratings. He seems to have improved since dropping down to this distance. Likely to be played late. |
| 17 | Out Do | Won this off a rating of 99 last year and is only 1lb higher for this repeat bid. Since returning from a fair Meydan campaign he has run quite well at York but surely found 1000m too short at Thirsk last time. |
| 18 | Gilgamesh | Led late on when winning over 1400m at York last time. He was originally destined for a 1600m handicap earlier in the week but connections have opted for this sprint handicap. His ability to stay may prove a good asset in this demanding affair. |
| 19 | Tupi | Ran better than his long odds suggested when only 3 1/2Ｌ sixth in the G1 over this course and distance this day last year. Ran some fair races at Meydan earlier in 2018. Prefers fast ground and stays well so the likely urgent gallop here will suit. |
| 20 | Upstaging | A six-times winner from 27 starts and very effective at this distance but this will be his debut run at Ascot. He does have some decent form in big-field handicaps like this. |
| 21 | George Bowen | One of four in this field from a stable that have won it before. Gained his sixth career win two starts back, surprising his trainer who thought he wasn’t suited to the track at York. Versatile groundwise, he’s running at Ascot for the first time. |
| 22 | Brian The Snail | Lightly-raced, he has won four of his ten starts. Bounced back from some undistinguished efforts when beating ten rivals in a handicap over 1202m at Doncaster a few days ago. He gets a 5lb penalty for that. |
| 23 | Tis Marvellous | Has been high in the handicap due to a G2 success in France in his two-year-old days. His handicap mark is looking easier now and he proved that he can be competitive in a big field handicap when fifth over this trip at Newmarket in May. |
| 24 | Victory Angel | His three career wins have all come over this distance and on a fast surface. His 2018 reappearance fourth in a competitive 1200m Newmarket handicap was close to a career best and he’s lightly-raced and probably still progressive. |
| 25 | Flying Pursuit | Did run a good second on his only previous run over this course and distance. However this six times winner has not performed particularly well in two starts this season. |
| 26 | Blue De Vega | His two wins came much earlier in his career and over 1400m on slow ground. Mixed messages from his runs this season and, though he looks quite well handicapped now, his stable have been struggling for winners lately. |
| 27 | Al Qahwa | Second of 22 in a valuable handicap at The Curragh last year and a good second at Ripon on his 2018 return when he didn’t get the best of runs. Ideally suited by softer ground than he is likely to find here. |
| 28 | Ultimate Avenue | Has only won one of his nine starts but likes fast ground and may be open to more improvement than most of his rivals. He also has experience in big field handicaps like this one. Both runs this season have been positive. |
| Reserves | ||
| 29 | Gunmetal | Has shown significant improvement since being gelded and moving to his current stable. He has won both starts this season latterly when coming late to win over this distance at Newmarket. He loves fast ground. |
| 30 | Shanghai Glory | Will need to do a lot better than he did in this race last year when last of 27. He did run a good race last time when third at Epsom earlier this month. Slow ground would help, but it is not expected. |
| 31 | Polybius | Sitting on a lengthy losing run but his four career wins have come at this trip. Generally well beaten when competing at Meydan earlier in the year. |
Others
22/06/2018
22/06/2018
22/06/2018
22/06/2018
