Queen’s Best can reign supreme
Army Of Angels is sure to have his supporters as he is better off here than in future handicaps but the ‘bounce’ factor has to be a concern and he has to concede weight to Michael Stoute’s filly, who was once touted as a Guineas contender.
On her final start of 2005, she won a backend maiden in a faster time than a Listed race on the card so looked reasonably treated on her handicap debut in June from a mark of 76.
She found the smart La Mottie too strong that day but may have been jarred up on the fast ground as connections gave her plenty of time to recover before bringing her out in a competitive handicap on soft ground at Ascot.
She is 11lb higher following a decisive win but is
entitled to have come on for that run and everything in her pedigree suggests the best is yet to come.
Tcherina won the Betfair Apprentice Training Series Finale Stakes last year and with underfoot conditions ideal, a repeat success seems likely.
She has struggled to find her form this term but is now 1lb lower than when winning this race and has only been out of the frame once on four previous visits to York, that when racing on firm ground over a trip in excess of her optimum.
Tim Easterby’s horses are in fair form at present and she looks to be on her way back.
The Acorn Web Offset Stakes is a potential minefield but there is a lot to like about Al Khaleej.
As a son of Sakhee, he should stay further in time but he has already shown enough speed to win over this trip and the testing conditions will be in his favour.
His maiden did not take an awful lot of winning but the form of his debut is working out well enough to suggest that he has plenty of scope from a mark of 82.
The Halloween Family Fun Day October 26th Median Auction Maiden Stakes at Lingfield looks a decent opportunity for Whazzis to increase her paddock value.
She was well-backed to win the valuable Watership Down Stud Sales Stakes and ran well to finish fourth behind subsequent Cheveley Park Stakes winner Indian Ink.
That form is by far the best on offer and, providing that none of the newcomers are out of the ordinary, this looks well within her grasp.
