Interesting 2YO race at Naas this afternoon. Official Ratings has only 3 lbs between the leading two in the betting but on RPR's there is an 8 lbs advantage to one runner.
The horses heading the betting are Peace Charter from the Ger Lyons stable and Harpocrates from the Aidan O'Brien yard. Peace Charter won on debut before then finishing second to the then Albany Stakes favourite Etoile, who missed the Royal Ascot race due to a setback. Peace Charter went on into Group 2 company and was third to Albigna, who is more or less favourite for the 1000 Guineas now. Only two lengths behind in that Group 2 contest Peace Charter was four and a half lengths clear of the 4th placed filly and she sets quite a strong standard here I reckon.
Harpocrates has some useful pieces of form in his four starts. The pick is probably his third place to prominent 2000 Guineas candidate Siskin in Listed company. Another good run was his 5th to Guineas hot favourite Pinatubo at Royal Ascot over 7F. On those two pieces of form he is a player here but he was beaten as odds-on favourite here last time out when dropped back to Maiden company and that has to be a big concern.
Joseph O'Brien's Latin Five has been backed this morning from 5s into 3's. A winner last time but that was a Nursery Handicap where he went in rated 84. Raised to 91 for that win he still has 6 lbs to find with Peace Charter and has to concede her a pound. I am a bit wary that Maiden and Handicap company form can compare to a filly who ran in a Group 2 last time.
I much prefer Peace Charter here. Harpocrates is still a maiden and was disappointing last time, while Latin Fivemay be improving but this is far different to running in a handicap off 84.
All in all I felt Peace Charter was going to be very hard to beat today and she has only had three starts, so she has as much scope as the others. I made her about an 11/8 shot today, so with plenty of 7/4 available I had to go with Peace Charter as the bet of the day. I'll be very disappointed if she cannot win this dropping down from Group 2 class. Her maiden win has not worked out well but she has probably improved about a stone since then.
2.35 Naas Peace Charter 7/4