Timeform’s Ascot Racing Tips
13:50 – Little Empire
14:25 – Isambard Brunel
15:00 – Ballet Slippers
15:35 – Diego Ventura
16:10 – Waleefy
16:45 – Awaal
17:20 – Pedro Valentino
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
13:50 – Little Empire
Little Empire was a decisive winner at Ayr in June and has remained in good form since as he was probably unlucky not to follow up at Wolverhampton 24 hours later when meeting with plenty of trouble (ultimately finished a close-up fifth) and he then found only one too strong when running from out of the weights in a better handicap back at Ayr. His latest effort can be ignored as he unseated his rider coming out of the stalls at Navan, and his profile is a positive one on the whole.
14:25 – Isambard Brunel
Isambard Brunel offered plenty to work with when fifth on debut at Newbury last month and, with improvement anticipated, he gets the vote in an admittedly warm maiden. Isambard Brunel boasts an excellent pedigree being by Justify out of a sister to Arc winner Found, and he also impressed on looks ahead of his debut at Newbury, catching the eye with his size and substance. He needed the experience on that occasion, running green when shaken up, but he should be sharper for the run and can take a big step forward for the powerful Aidan O’Brien stable.
15:00 – Ballet Slippers
This looks like an excellent opportunity for the promising Ballet Slippers to get off the mark. Ballet Slippers is the first foal out of multiple Group 1 winner Magical and she has shown plenty of promise on both starts at the Curragh, finding only one too strong on each occasion. The form of her latest second, when beaten only a neck and finishing clear of the remainder, is the best form on offer and she can raise her game again over this extra furlong.
15:35 – Diego Ventura
Diego Ventura is bred to be sharp – he’s by Mehmas out of a five-furlong winner – and he looked like a good prospect when making a winning debut at Naas in July, despite getting loose beforehand. Diego Ventura stayed on well to win by a cosy half-length and the form of that race has been well advertised since, notably by the runner-up who won a Cork maiden and was then second in the Roses Stakes at York. Diego Ventura has been bought by Wathnan Racing and moved from Gavin Cromwell to Hamad Al Jehani and he is taken to defy a penalty on his first start for his new stable.
16:10 – Waleefy
Waleefy is unlikely to live up to his superb pedigree – he’s a half-brother to Baaeed and Hukum – but he’s been progressing well this term. Waleefy was suited by stepping back up in trip to seven furlongs when successful at Doncaster on his penultimate start and he arguably produced an even better effort from his higher mark when runner-up at Newbury last time. He was unable to reel in one who was seen to good effect from the front, but he stuck to his task well and should continue to give a good account of himself.
16:45 – Awaal
Awaal failed to win last season but he produced some smart efforts to finish placed in the Lincoln, Hunt Cup and Bunbury Cup. He also ran well in the latest edition of the Bunbury Cup on his seasonal reappearance at Newmarket, shaping better than the result might suggest in seventh as he fared best of the quartet who raced towards the far side. He’s been eased 2 lb and this is less competitive than many of the handicaps he has contested, so this looks like a good chance for him to register an overdue success.
17:20 – Pedro Valentino
Pedro Valentino has gone from strength to strength since cheekpieces were applied and he made it two wins from three starts in the headgear when successful at Yarmouth last time. That was a game performance from Pedro Valentino who was joined a furlong out but dug deep to prevail by a neck. That form is working out well so he still looks fairly treated off a 4 lb higher mark, while his uncomplicated way of going about things is a positive.
Timeform’s Ascot Racing Tips
13:50 – Little Empire
14:25 – Isambard Brunel
15:00 – Ballet Slippers
15:35 – Diego Ventura
16:10 – Waleefy
16:45 – Awaal
17:20 – Pedro Valentino
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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