Ten go to post for the ten furlong showpiece on Wednesday with a definite international flavour: California Chrome: William Buick gets the leg up on the Dubai World Cup runner-up and the principal question mark against the American raider is the turf. Last year’s American Horse of the Year won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but those are dirt races. Cannock Chase: a significant step up in class for the Huxley Stakes runner-up who followed Western Hymn home in the Gordon Richards Stakes before that. Won the Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes at last year’s meeting. Criterion: the Australian raider won his last start at Randwick over 2000m on soft ground in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes beating Red Cadeaux prior to which he had been runner-up to Real Impact in the 1500m George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill. David Hayes charge does not have a great wins-to-runs record and does seem to like easy conditions. Ectot: Elie Lellouche’s charge has not been seen since disappointing in the 2014 Arc, prior to which he won the Prix Niel, also over a mile-and-a-half. There is no guarantee that this French visitor will like the quick ground and he lacks race fitness. Free Eagle: very lightly raced Irish raider who has had his problems but was last seen on Champions’ Day following home Noble Mission and Al Kazeem. Prior to that had won a Group 3 race, so this does require a step up in form. Gailo Chop: another French visitor, who chased home Solow in the Prix d’Ispahan on his seasonal bow having won the Group 2 Prix Guillame D’Ornano at Deauville last term suggesting that a step up in class is required here. Spielberg: the Japanese raider is a son of Deep Impact but it is difficult to assess what sort of impact he will have here. He is allegedly the “best mile and a quarter horse in Japan” having beaten Gentildonna in the 2000m Tenno Sho last autumn. The Corsican: this is a major step up in class for David Simcock’s Goodwood Listed race winner as he finished 2014 winning two handicaps. The Grey Gatsby: has disappointed on two starts this season, well beaten by Al Kazeem in the Tattersalls Gold Cup latest and more than four lengths behind Solow in the Dubai Turf before that. Needs to return to the form that saw him win the Irish Champion Stakes last September to cap a good three-year-old campaign. Western Hymn: winner of both races this term in small fields at Sandown at lower level and was behind Gailo Chop at Deauville last year and behind Free Eagle in the Champion Stakes. This looks like a very open competitive affair with the added interest from five foreign countries thrown into the mix. At the moment, I am leaning towards Jamie Spencer having picked up a good spare on Kevin Ryan’s grey.
I'd agree with you that The Grey Gatsby looks the best bet in this race. He didn't run to well when 4th in Ireland, but it was only a couple of lengths he lost by in what was a muddly run race. The ground was probably not ideal for him, I think he likes quicker ground, so I think conditions will suit him better here. There are also a lot more runners so he should get a much stronger gallop, and as we know from the way he collared Australia on the line last year, he stays on strongly at the end of a strongly run race. He also has the plum draw in 1, which is very important in 10f races at Ascot, as the start is right next to the bend, so it's very easy to lose ground early, or be forced to travel 4 wide to keep with the pace, if you have a bad draw. The 7/1 offered by William Hill about him looks a complete overreaction by bookmakers after his run in Ireland, and I've already got stuck in at that price
Very difficult. I'm looking for one with which to sting the bookies so for me it has to bee (oh ****, sorry) at 14/1
What a shame, I was looking forward to the American horse of the year getting a good thrashing I wonder if they'll hang around for something like the Eclipse. It seems a waist to bring him all this way and not run
California Chrome is now definitely out of the PoW, having been “highly likely” to miss it when his foot abscess was first reported. His defection has not led to a wholesale change in the market as he was double-digit odds. I think that the bookies will be looking to get 3/1 Free Eagle on course as he should not be the favourite on form. The Grey Gatsby is still available at 6/1. California Chrome does hold an entry for the Eclipse Stakes, for which the sponsors make him a 16/1 chance.
