Fresh from plundering many of the major jumping prizes last season, Irish trainer Willie Mullins will head to Royal Ascot next week with plenty of chances in the big staying races on the flat.
Predictably, the bookmakers are taking no chances and his most fancied horses for the two Tuesday staying handicaps are short-priced favourites: Bring On The Night for the Ascot Stakes and Vauban for the Copper Horse Handicap. Both horses are around 2-1 for their respective targets.
Mullins could easily land a double but both horses look poor value in such competitive races. In the latter contest, I fancy a couple of horses who may not make the ‘cut’ for the 16-runner handicap over 1 miles 6 furlongs so I will keep my powder dry for now in that race.
But I am backing the ultra-consistent ZOFFEE against the Mullins’ favourite in the Ascot Stakes over nearly 2 miles 4 furlongs (Tuesday 5 p.m.). Hugo Palmer has placed this seven-year-old to great effect since taking possession of the gelding from the jumps yard of Philip Hobbs more than a year ago.
Zoffee was fourth in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch last October despite a troubled run and then ran a cracker when second to Metier in the Tote Chester Cup.
Until the Chester race, he had been regarded as a top of the ground horse by his astute Cheshire handler but that run, when beaten by only a neck on his seasonal debut last month, showed he can handle most ground conditions. That is a big bonus for any ante-post bet, particularly with some rain forecast over this weekend.
I put Zoffee up last month at 20-1 for the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate on July 1 and he has halved in price since then. I hope he will run a big race on Tuesday at Royal Ascot before taking his chance in the valuable Newcastle handicap, run on the all-weather, just 11 days’ later.
Zoffee is now on a career high flat rating of 95 but he deserves to be because of his consistently fine runs in several major staying handicaps over the past year. When everything drops right, I have no doubt he has the ability to land a big pot this season.
Take the 14-1 each way for the Ascot Stakes offered by most bookies including bet365, William Hill, Betfred, Paddy Power, Betfair and BetVictor. There will be more places available on the day but I doubt that he will still be 14-1 come the off on Tuesday.
Zoffee is also entered in the Copper Horse Handicap on the same day but he is unlikely to make the ‘cut’ for that race and, in any case, he is better suited by a trip in excess of two miles these days.
Hugo Palmer may have a second runner in the Ascot Stakes too in the shape of Solent Gateway, who would not be without a chance on the basis of his win last time out at Haydock, when the five-year-old gelding bravely held off the late run of Law of the Sea. Law of the Sea was fourth in the Chester Cup prior to that Haydock race and so that form looks strong too.
Bring On The Night is understandably favourite for the Ascot Stakes after being second in the race last year to none other than Coltrane who, 12 months on, is vying for favouritism for the Ascot Gold Cup no less. However, Bring on the Night has not run for a whole year and is up 3 lbs in the ratings for his last run so I don’t mind taking him on at the prices.
As with the Cheltenham Festival in March, I will be writing a daily tipping column throughout Royal Ascot week which will be published the afternoon or evening before the next day’s racing. So, quite apart from five days of quality fare, there is plenty to look forward to for racing enthusiasts next week, especially those who like the occasional bet.
2023 flat season running total: – 5.3 points.
2022-3 jumps season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
Pending bets:
1 point each way Zoffee at 14-1 for the Ascot Stakes, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
2 points win Saga at 14-1 for the Royal Hunt Cup.
1 point each way Zoffee at 20-1 for the Northumberland Plate, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
Settled bets:
1 point each way Royal Scotsman at 17/2 in the 2000 Guineas, 1/5 odds, paying four places. 3rd. + 0.5 points.
1 point each way Call My Bluff at 4-1 in the Chester Cup, paying six places, 1/5th odds. 3rd. – 0.2 points.
1 point each way Safe Voyage at 12-1 in the Victoria Cup, paying seven places, 1/5th odds. 5th. + 1.4 points.
1 point each way Popmaster at 6-1 in the Connect It Utility Services Handicap
Unplaced. – 2 points
1 point each way Royal Acclaim at 6-1 in the Temple Stakes. Unplaced. – 2 point.
1 point each way Sprewell at 10-1 for the Derby paying 1/5 odds, five places. 4th. + 1 point.
1 point each way Arrest at 4-1 for the Derby, paying 1/5 odds, four places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Mokaatil at 12-1 for the Epsom Dash, paying 1/5th odds, seven places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
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