8th-Sept-2018

I am taking a chance on Simply Breathless here at a decent price.

Clive Cox’s filly won two of her first four races this season, and she ran well in defeat on the round course at Ascot in mid-July off a mark of 88, 8lb higher than the mark off which she won at Newmarket in June.  It didn’t look like she was going to catch the impressive winner Racing Country that day, but she kept on well out wide to take third place.

She did even better next time over Ascot’s straight mile, today’s course and distance, in a better race.  She raced on the near side, and had nothing with which to race from the two-furlong marker as the race developed on the far side.  Crack On Crack On got up to beat Ulshaw Bridge on the far side, but Simply Breathless did best by far of the three horses who raced down the near side.  And she was beaten less than two lengths by the winner in the end.

She could only finish third at Goodwood last time, but the ground was a little loose that day, and she was ridden forward.  She should do better today, back at Ascot, back on faster ground and hopefully ridden a little more patiently.

Jason Watson is a top booking, he claims a very valuable 3lb, and that could give her an edge in a competitive fillies’ handicap.

SIMPLY BREATHLESS WON (ADV 10/1, SP 6/1)