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The 2m4f Class 2 Ascot Stakes (5:00) is traditionally dominated by National Hunt trainers with Willie Mullins claiming four victories since 2012. It is a competitive event alongside the 1m6f Class 2 Copper Horse Handicap (6:10).
The 2m4f Class 2 Ascot Stakes (5:00) is traditionally dominated by National Hunt trainers with Willie Mullins claiming four victories since 2012. This year's renewal appears to be no different with Mullins' Bring On The Night heading the betting. The six-year-old has not been seen on the racetrack since a close second behind Coltrane in this contest last year, with the winner going on to score at Group level. He will have prepared for this race and it could be difficult to oppose a horse with proven form in these conditions.
James Fanshawe's Novel Legend sits near the bottom of the weights and may have been over-looked by the handicappers with some strong recent performances. He was an impressive six length victor of the Silver Bar Handicap at Newbury over 2m½f in April and followed up with a fair second in the Chester Plate Handicap. It seemed to take the four-year-old the early part of the race to adapt to the unusual track conditions at Chester, before a patient ride by Dan Muscutt saw him make steady headway up the centre of the course.
Zinc White was having his first start for trainer Ian Williams when taking the aforementioned Chester Plate Handicap ahead of Novel Legend and the yard have enjoyed considerable success in the Ascot Stakes, winning in 2019 (The Grand Visier) and Reshoun (2021). A lightly raced five-year-old gelding, Zinc White was cleverly handled by jockey Jim Crowley in the Chester contest, becoming unbalanced in the closing furlong but still racing clear to win by two-and-a-quarter-lengths. Crowley will maintain his partnership with the horse and the Chester form looks a solid indicator for this race.
WIN: ZINC WHITE PLACE: NOVEL LEGEND
In the 1m6f Class 2 Copper Horse Handicap (6:10), Charlie Appleby is represented at the bottom of the weights by the unexposed Ruling Dynasty. Gelded after his debut second at Leicester, the four-year-old was an impressive six-and-a-half length winner of a Haydock novice contest in early June and steps into handicap company for the first time. Any question marks over the form of the yard have been put to bed in the last couple of days with a 29% (5-17) strike rate from the last fourteen days.
Willie Mullins' Vauban was a Listed winner on the flat over 1m4f in France before being switched to the Irish jumps yard in December 2021. He enjoyed a triple Grade 1 winning campaign on his first season over hurdles in 2022 and finished in the placings behind stablemate State Man in top-level company over the winter. He should have the class to make his presence felt returning to the flat for the first time since July 2021.
Stablemate Absurde scored over hurdles on her debut for Willie Mullins and commands respect as a two-time winner on the flat in France. She was campaigned over a mile to ten furlongs for trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias and won a valuable conditions race at Fontainebleau by four-and-a-half lengths in April 2022.
Joseph O'Brien is represented by Group 2 Levmoss Stakes runner-up Point King and has booked Australian-based James McDonald for the ride. A Listed winner over 1m6f at Leopardstown last August, the four-year-old is still relatively unexposed and seems to perform best over this distance. Owned by Lloyd Williams, the colt looks likely to be targeted at races in Australia in the latter part of the season and a win here would not surprise.
WIN: POINT KING PLACE: RULING DYNASTY