Song fancied to hit right note at Ascot
Soviet Song is a warm order to notch her fourth Group One win of the season in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
The James Fanshawe-trained filly is a best-priced 11-4 market leader with totesport while Coral and Ladbrokes both go 5-2 for the mile race after 14 runners were declared today.
Soviet Song, a daughter of Marju, is enjoying a hugely successful season that has seen her win the Falmouth Stakes, the Sussex Stakes and the Matron Stakes in Ireland.
She has enjoyed a healthy rivalry with star three-year-old filly Attraction getting the better of her in both the Falmouth and the Matron.
Another mouth-watering clash had been on the cards for Saturday but Attraction was pulled out of the £250,000 contest.
Trainer Mark Johnston had expressed concerns earlier in the week that the watered ground at the Berkshire track may go against the dual Guineas-winning filly.
The three-year-old had been very disappointing on easy ground in the Prix Jacques Le Marois in August, and the daughter of Efisio will now be aimed at the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket next week.
“It is down to us feeling more assured, or as assured as we can be, that Newmarket is going to be faster ground. We feel there’s a lot less chance of it changing at Newmarket,” Johnston said today.
“The filly’s fine though, and she’ll be running on Saturday week.”
Attraction’s absence will only have helped Soviet Song’s chances according to Coral’s David Stevens.
“On paper, Soviet Song’s task has been made slightly easier by the defection of Attraction, and there’s little doubt that the filly will go off a very warm favourite on Saturday,” he said.
Although Attraction does not run, Johnston will still be represented in the race by Lucky Story, one of last season’s top juveniles.
The Kris S colt made a belated racecourse debut when a narrow second behind Norse Dancer in a Group Three at Salisbury last month but he failed to make an impact in the Prix du Moulin last time.
Darryll Holland was forced to make the pace on Lucky Story and the colt could finish no better than seventh prompting connections to consider a step up in trip.
However, Johnston thinks the colt may have had his excuses at Longchamp and he is hoping for a better showing on Saturday.
“It was a very disappointing run last time. At the time, we put it down to the the distance and his laziness as he was not used to be in front and making his own pace,” he said.
“We decided after that we would run in the QEII but with a view to the Champion Stakes, almost as a prep race.
“But having said that, I looked at Norse Dancer’s form and the form of the that Salisbury race added to the way he’s been working on the gallop would have to give him a chance.
“It seems likely there will be more pace in this race which should suit him.”
Attraction was the most high-profile absentee but a total of eight runners were withdrawn, including the Luca Cumani-trained Le Vie Dei Colori.
The four-year-old was third in the Sussex Stakes before disappointing in the Moulin last time after pulling very hard early on.
Cumani feels this race would not be ideal for the colt and will now aim him at the seven-furlong Prix de la Forêt at Longchamp on October 9.
He said: “We just decided that the race was going to be run on quite fast ground with many runners which would not really suit him. He will go for the Prix de la Forêt instead.”
Hurricane Alan, Pentecost, Tillerman, With Reason, Troubadour and Majestic Desert were all taken out as well.
Godolphin’s Refuse To Bend, the mount of Frankie Dettori, is the general second favourite for the race while Ladbrokes report some solid support for Andre Fabre’s runner Diamond Green.
The French challenger has been second in three Group One races this term, including the St James’s Palace Stakes, and following a bet of £2000 at 10-1, the firm have chopped his price by a couple of points.
“With four consecutive seconds over the summer, this client is clearly hoping the son of Green Desert breaks his seconditis jinx,” said Ladbrokes’ Balthazar Fabricius.
The three-day meeting at Ascot will be the final fling for the track before a 20-month closedown for redevelopment.
Although clerk of the course Nick Cheyne did do some light watering earlier in the week, the going remains good to firm, good in places for the Berkshire track’s finale.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes betting:
William Hill: 9-4 Soviet Song, 13-2 Refuse To Bend, 7-1 Haafhd, 9-1 Diamond Green, Rakti, 10-1 Ace, Nayyir, Norse Dancer, 12-1 Antonius Pius, 14-1 Bachelor Duke, Lucky Story, 50-1 Fantastic View, Fong’s Thong, 100-1 Blatant.
Coral: 5-2 Soviet Song, 13-2 Refuse To Bend, 7-1 Diamond Green, Rakti, Haafhd, 11-1 Bachelor Duke, Nayyir, Norse Dancer, 12-1 Ace, Antonius Pius, 20-1 Lucky Story, 50-1 Fong’s Thong, 66-1 Fantastic View, 200-1 Blatant.
Ladbrokes: 5-2 Soviet Song, 5-1 Refuse To Bend, 8-1 Diamond Green, 9-1 Haafhd, Nayyir, 10-1 Ace, Norse Dancer, Rakti, 12-1 Bachelor Duke, 14-1 Antonius Pius, Lucky Story, 40-1 Fong’s Thong, 50-1 Fantastic View, 66-1 Blatant.
Totesport: 11-4 Soviet Song, 11-2 Refuse to Bend, 8-1 Nayyir, Diamond Green, Rakti, 9-1 Norse Dancer, 10-1 Ace, 11-1 Haafhd, 12-1 Lucky Story, Antonius Pius, 14-1 Bachelor Duke, 50-1 Fong’s Thong, 66-1 Fantastic View, 100-1 Blatant,
