Oxagon got a boost when Cape Orator and Puerto Rico won in France this weekend, the latter winning the Group 1 Lagardere. Oxagon had finished a length behind Puerto Rico in the Champagne Stakes, with Cape Orator third, at Doncaster and with the form of that working out he surely deserves to take his chance in the Dewhurst now. I have already backed Distant Storm at 5/1 for the top 2YO colt's race of the season but Oxagon at 16/1 looks big. It's 3/1 each of three at the head of affairs with Zavateri and Gstaad sharing the honours with Distant Storm.
In the Fillies Mile there are jf at present in Precise and Legacy Link. They are a contrast of potential and proven form. Precise won the Prestige at Goodwood where she beat Moon Target, who has flopped and then beaten again. However Precise went on to win the Moyglare in something of an upset. The Moyglare form has been let down a couple of times, particularly Beautify who was runner up but made no impression in the May Hill at Doncaster. Legacy Link won on her second start looking useful but it was only a class 3 Novice at Haydock. By Dubawi out of Chiasma, who is a full sister to Frankel, she certainly has the pedigree but for now she is rated 24 lbs behind Precise. Trained by Gosden(s) she may be a longer term prospect. She is proven at the mile but the Group 1 form of Precise at the same odds looks the bet to me. PRECISE 9/4 All things being equal I would expect the punters to be backing Precise on the day, rather than a filly with 24 lbs to find on the ratings. .
id be keen on Queen of Hawaii against the top two in the Fillies Mile, shes been quite impressive and has a good level of form in the book, unlike Legacy Link Precise is by Starspangledbanner, started at 6f and showed a lot of speed to win the Moyglare off a slow pace, whereas Josephs filly is more of an out and out mile type, she could probably be doing with some rain to make it more of a stamina test this race was mentioned by Joseph as a good option and hes won it twice in recent years, but not sure if she actually turns up, 11.5 for pennies on betfair at the minute and only some trying to get on at 16 so will wait and see if shes confirmed, not rushing to take 7/1 at this relatively early stage
had a look when I saw your post last night, 16s was a rick, and I was pretty sure it would have in price today, its high level form but I just wasnt convinced about him winning, he got done for speed a bit at Doncaster and a step up in trip for the Futurity was mentioned as an option, so id worry about him against real fast horses like Gstaad and Zavateri, and looking at the entries it might not be the strongest run Dewhurst Distant Storm was mighty impressive last time, but Appleby has said all along its about next year for him, and its quite a quick turnaround to go again 16 days later given his profile, I dont think it was the plan, and the Somerville is usually a relatively weak race, you need to go back to Milk It Mick in 2003 for the last time a winner has followed up here, although Alyanaabi and Wichita have placed i just think this Zavateri is the champion 2yo who turned up in a small yard, it would be great to see the 35k purchase beating the might of Ballydoyle and Godolphin in the top 2yo race, he just fits the bill with that 1111 form, July Stakes, Vintage Stakes, National Stakes, he has a great turn of foot and is game as you like in a finish, proper 2yo and very tough to beat I think
I notice Pathein is entered in the Autumn Stakes on Saturday, which looks a much more realistic go than the Futurity, although the Autumn has been a very strong race in recent years and a better 3yo pointer than the G2 Royal Lodge imo, not sure how its still only G3 status as it regularly produces Group 1 horses a couple of horses have run from the Pathein maiden in the meantime and not really set the world alight, Seaway 6th and Colourband 7th have both run 3rd but well beaten, and Lyneham 2nd was only workmanlike when winning at Newmarket, its enough to put me off being strong on Pathein for this, although I will have a saver at 12/1 (missed 20/1) Appleby and Godolphin have farmed the race in recent years and their Al Zanati is the current favourite, he quickened well to beat August George on debut who went on to run second in the Goffs Million, but he appears to have left that form well behind and theres no guarantee that Al Zanati will have improved similarly, hes priced up more on connections record in the race than substance of that debut imo Straight Up 4/1 is the one to be on I think, when one of Obriens wins like that first time out theyre usually pretty good, and he looked the sort of high class prospect he often runs here, e.g Magna Grecia, Circus Maximus, Delacroix, and I dont think he has a Persian King to beat here, Hankelow for red hot Karl Burke was beaten in a pretty weak listed race so it would be disappointing if the Obrien colt wasnt a class above if the race is to produce another G1 horse, Straight Up looks the most likely candidate to me Autumn Stakes Straight Up 4/1 Pathein 12/1 (saver) 2000 Guineas Straight Up 33/1
