RACECARDS
The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections for 26th October 2024
The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections from Newbury, Doncaster & Saint-Cloud
Newbury
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Stakes (Listed) (Fillies) 2.00
Saqqara Sands
A terrific duel in store between course winner Too Much Heaven, William Haggas’s Haydock Park scorer Supermodel, and the Ralph Beckett pair of Sea To Sky and Saqqara Sands. A case can be made for all four of these, but Saqqara Sands was pretty impressive when bolting up in a maiden at Newmarket on just her second start, and is taken to double up here. Supermodel has edged favouritism in the ante-post markets, and certainly won’t mind this deep ground, while Sea The Sky encounters this slower surface for the first time. Too Much Heaven to go well on this track once again, but Saqqara Sands is the one to follow.
BetVictor Horris Hill Stakes (Group 3) (Colts & Geldings) 3.10
Yaroogh
William Haggas can take this Group 3 contest with Yaroogh, who wouldn’t have to improve much from his last run at Chantilly to score here. He dominated the final 2 furlongs of that Listed race on going plenty deep enough, and that gets him the nudge over Raphael Freire’s Benevento, who has been kept to quicker ground so far. Ollie Sangster’s unbeaten Bob Mali is looking for a four-timer here, and rates the main danger, but Yaroogh gets the vote.
BetVictor St Simon Stakes (Group 3) 3.45
Al Aasy (nb)
With just a select field of six declared for the St Simon Stakes, this looks a great opportunity for Al Aasy to make it a tenth win from twenty-two starts. William Haggas’s Sea The Stars gelding is seven now, but just as good as ever when taking the Geoffrey Freer on this track back in August, beating Al Qareem by 2 lengths. Al Qareem exacted revenge when the pair clashed in the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot next time out, with Al Aasy leaving too much to do in the home straight, but that is still the standout form for this Group 3. Ralph Beckett’s Feigning Madness looks the best of the rest on this surface, but Al Aasy is hard to oppose at a price to match.
Doncaster
William Hill Prospect Stakes (Listed) 1.30
Diego Ventura (nap)
This Listed race can go to Hamad Al Jehani’s Diego Ventura, who showed enough last time out at Newmarket to get preference here. This Mehmas colt is two from three now, having scored at Naas, and latterly Ascot, after being bought out of Gavin Cromwell’s yard for the ever growing Wathnan Racing stable. Aidan O’Brien’s Bounty won on just his second start, so has to be respected from the Ballydoyle stable that has such depth in its Juvenile string, while Clive Cox’s Fast Track Harry is a course winner on soft so merits consideration. Diego Ventura and James Doyle to win in the Wathnan Racing silks.
William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes (Group 1) 2.40
Delacroix
Aidan O’Brien has a nice one in his yard with Delacroix, and if coping with the soft ground here he’ll be picking up Group One honours. Improving every time he runs, this Dubawi colt has the right sort of profile for the Futurity, the final important two-year-old Group One in the European Racing calendar, and might just prove too good for James Owen’s Wimbledon Hawkeye. The Royal Lodge winner proved he could act on ground this deep when landing that Group 2 at Newmarket, so rates the main threat to the Irish raider, while Charlie Appleby’s Anno Domini cost a pretty penny at the breeze-ups and completes the shortlist. Delacroix to score for a yard that has a fine record in this Group One.
Saint-Cloud
Prix de Seine-et-Oise (Group 3) 2.50
Quinault
On his first start on French soil, it will be interesting to see how Stuart Williams’s Quinault will fare in this Group 3. There’s no guarantee that he’ll go on ground with this much cut, but he is the class act of this field and has been in a fine run of form, winning at Newmarket and York, before finding 7 furlongs a stretch returned to headquarters. Aphelios has been notching up the winners for Annike Bye Hansen since leaving Mick Appleby’s yard, but this is a tougher assignment, while Christophe Ferland’s Lucky Wine steps out of handicap company to try his luck in a Black Type contest. Quinault to go in again, with the drop in trip in his favour, while the filly Mgheera takes a big drop in grade from the Prix de l’Abbaye and can chase him home.
The Mandarin