Inclyne
Inclyne could only finish third behind Pledge Of Honour in the 10-furlong handicap, but she could build on this, her first run since early June. Andrew Balding's filly just got a little out-paced when they quickened at the three-furlong marker, and she was a little short of room when Oisin Murphy wanted to go forward. Moved towards the outside as they raced to the furlong pole, she kept on well from there, improving from sixth place into third place by the time they reached the winning line, closest at the finish.
She can go well fresh, she won at Newmarket on her debut this season in June, but she hadn't run in the interim, and she left the impression here that she could do better with this run under her belt. She could improve too for a step back up to a mile and a half, the distance over which she won a novice median auction stakes at Kempton last August. A half-sister to Elm Park, who won the Royal Lodge Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy for Andrew Balding, she should still be capable of going beyond her current rating of 82. She holds an entry in a 12-furlong handicap at Newmarket on Saturday, and she will be of interest if she lines up in that.
Newbury, 18th September 2020
Breanski
Breanski's next win may not be far away now. Jedd O'Keeffe's horse ran another good race in defeat in the six-furlong handicap at Newmarket on Saturday. Drawn in stall two, seven away from the stands rail, he shipped a bit of a bump from his stable companion Flavius Titus after the stalls opened, which wasn't ideal. Dropped in behind runners after that, towards the near rail, he was about five lengths off the pace after they had gone two furlongs. He picked up on the run into the Dip, but he hung a little to his right, and he didn't have a lot of racing room until late on, when his stable companion moved to his right away from the stands rail, and he stayed on well to finish third. He was only beaten a total of three parts of a length by the winner Nefarious, and he left the impression that he had at least a little left to give.
This was another good performance by the Delegator gelding, after keeping on well to finish third behind Bernardo O'Reilly in a six-furlong handicap at Doncaster's St Leger meeting. It may be that the handicapper has his measure, he has been rated in the mid 80s since last July, but his last two runs have suggested that he could do better when he steps back up to seven furlongs. The best runs of his career have been over seven furlongs, and he does go well at Doncaster, so he will be of interest if he runs over that trip at one of Doncaster's remaining meetings this year. He goes well on soft ground too, so he won't mind if the ground eases.
Newmarket, 19th September 2020
Bernardo O'Reilly
Bernardo O'Reilly did well to get as close as he did in the Ayr Silver Cup from his high draw. Held up early on by Paul Mulrennan, he came under pressure a little on the run to the three-furlong marker. Switched towards the near side in order to get racing room, he picked up well on the run to the furlong pole, and he finished off his race strongly down the near side to get up for sixth place, doing best of those horses who raced towards the stands side. The first five home raced, respectively, from stalls four, five, seven, 11 and one.
That was Bernardo O'Reilly's 22nd race, he is not especially unexposed, but he appears to be in the form of his life these days. Rated 94 at the start of the season, he kept on strongly to win a six-furlong handicap at Doncaster's St Leger meeting the previous weekend off a mark of 87 and, racing under a 5lb penalty for that on Saturday, despite the fact that he was only raised by 4lb by the handicapper, this was probably a step forward from that. The handicapper left him on this mark of 91 after the Silver Cup, and he was beaten off that mark of Nottingham on Sunday, but there were excuses there. He missed the break, he was squeezed out of it at the start, and he was a bit isolated through the race on the near side, as the race developed on the far side. He is worth another chance. There could still be a good handicap in him off a mark in the low 90s. He does go well at Doncaster, so he will be interesting when he goes back to Town Moor.
Ayr, 19th September 2020
Ascension
Ascension ran out a good winner of the seven-furlong handicap. Sent off as favourite but weak in the pre-race market, he was smartly away and he was quickly into a nice position, just behind the two pace-setters. He travelled well into the home straight and, moved to the far side, he picked up nicely to hit he front at the two-furlong pole. He was challenged by Hajjam at the furlong marker, but he kept on powerfully all the way to the line, winning by a length and a half in the end and strong in the finish.
This was another step forward by Roger Varian's horse. Winner of novice stakes races over six furlongs at Salisbury and Newcastle last season, he was beaten as favourite in his first two runs this season as a three-year-old, but he has now won both his races since he was gelded. He kept on well to win a handicap off a mark of 86 at Newmarket in August, and he was well able for a 4lb higher mark at Ayr on Saturday. The handicapper has raised him by another 6lb for this win, but he probably won with a little bit in hand on Saturday from Hajjam, who ran well to finish second again over the same course and distance on Tuesday off a 2lb higher mark. As well as that, that was just Ascension's second run since he was gelded, and he has the potential to progress again now. Seven furlongs is a good trip for him, but his dam won over 11 furlongs and he races as if he could improve for a step up to a mile. He goes well on soft ground, so he will be of interest if he races again now before the end of the season.
Ayr, 19th September 2020
Royal Champion
Plenty went wrong for Royal Champion in the one-mile maiden, but he coped with all of it, and he ran out an impressive winner. He was strong in the pre-race market, but he missed the break and he had to do a little bit of catching up. As well as that, from stall nine and with the stalls on the far side, he was out towards the centre of the track from early, which wasn't ideal for a colt who was making his racecourse debut. But he travelled well through his race, he made nice progress on the run to the two-furlong marker, he hit the front on the run into the Dip, and he went on to win nicely.
The form of the race looks good too, with warm favourite Toromona, who had finished second in a novice stakes at Sandown on his only previous run, finishing second and the front two pulling nicely clear. Roger Varian's colt is a half-brother to Outbox, who won over a mile and five and a half furlongs, and his dam, Emirates Queen, won a Lancashire Oaks, so he should get further than this one-mile trip. He raced here like he will too. This was a very likeable performance, and he is an exciting prospect.
Newmarket, 24th September 2020
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