Back in February, I mentioned how then apprentice jockey Marco Ghiani was one to follow and great value for his claim. I hope some readers have kept an eye on him over the last few months – since February he’s had 57 winners from 299 rides, including 40/1 shot Burning Sun in a Lingfield Handicap back in May.
ad you stuck a tenner on each ride, you’d have a profit of €750 to traditional SP or €1,200 to Betfair SP after commission. I’m not quite sure he’ll be as profitable to follow in the future as the talented young Sardinian rode out his claim last month. But he’s still getting plenty of winners and had a good month in July, despite competing on level terms within the senior ranks.
I don’t back any jockey blindly and I must admit I’ve missed a few high-priced winners of his, but every so often he rides one with a real stand-out chance and I’ll have a decent whack on Real World, which trades at 11/8 at the time of writing for the Group Three MansionBet Rose Of Lancaster Stakes (4.10 Haydock).
A Godolphin colt trained by Saeed bin Suroor, he spent the winter and spring racing on dirt in Dubai with limited success, but he’s really come alive since switching to the turf in Britain and gave Ghiani his first Royal Ascot success in the Royal Hunt Cup Handicap at 18/1.
He was well clear of his rivals and looked very classy and he managed to follow that up with a Listed victory at Newbury in mid July, Ghiani’s first win at that level.
It looks like Real World has got a great turn of foot and he’s got a fantastic chance of taking the step up in class here, especially if the ground remains good. It’s obvious the yard has high hopes for the son of Dark Angel, and he’s got a couple of early Group One entries for later on this season.
Of the rest, Euchen Glen is the main threat, despite being eight years of age. Jim Goldie’s gelding has not slowed down yet, and has won at both Listed and Group Three level so far this season.
On the same card, Maamora gets the nod at 13 /2 or thereabouts in the Listed Fillies’ And Mares’ British Stallion Studs EBF Dick Hern Stakes (3.35). Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, a lot of punters will be put off by her latest run when last of eight in a Group Three at Epsom which explains her relatively high price, and she also underperformed on her seasonal debut in a Listed race in May.
I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, however, and she won a Group Three last year in good style. She appeared a little rusty in her first race back this term and while I can’t quite explain her Epsom flop, she seemed a little distracted.
I’m not normally a fan of backing horses in first-time headgear, but on some occasions it can help and the visor may give her the extra boost she needs today to keep her focused and get her career back on track. Potapova is my main worry from Sir Michael Stoute around 9/4, but if you ask me this is a wide-open race and a number of others look better value.
At Newmarket, I was expecting to see Wild Beauty to be priced a good deal shorter than the 9/4 available yesterday, and I think she’s a cracking bet for the Fillies’ Group Three 100% RacingTV Profits Back To Racing Sweet Solera Stakes (2.50).
A daughter of Frankel, she couldn’t keep up with Inspiral in a Listed race at Sandown recently but she’d won her previous two races with a bit in hand. She was unlucky to meet that smart sort last time but Charlie Appleby’s charge sets the standard on all known form here and should be hard to beat.
Finally, Richard Fahey’s Internationaldream gets a tentative vote each-way in the Sprint Handicap at Ascot, which is part of the Shergar Cup (3.45).
Expected to go off around 14/1, the three-year-old was a bit high in the ratings in the 90s this summer and made no impression in a Goodwood handicap over a week ago, but a drop down to 88 for this leaves him in with a good chance of a place.