The best of Saturday's flat action comes at Ascot, where there are three Group races, namely the Cornwallis Stakes, the Bengough Stakes and the Autumn Stakes, and York, which stages the Coral Sprint Trophy.
The ground at Ascot is currently soft with heavy patches but it is expected to dry out over the next couple of days and that will suit DINKUM DIAMOND in the Cornwallis Stakes (2.30 Ascot). Henry Candy's colt hasn't since scoring a Listed success at Sandown in May but has been running in top company and was not disgraced in the Group 1 Nunthorpe on his penultimate start when meeting with early interference. Arguably his best run, though, came last time out when runner-up to the smart Zebedee in the Flying Childers, which saw his official mark rise to 108 (the highest in this field) and he looks a fair bet to go one better.
REDFORD takes the step up to group company in the Bengough Stakes (3.05) and he is hard to oppose in his current vein of form. Since being switched to David Nicholls, the five-year-old has been a revelation winning the Ayr Gold Cup and Challenge Cup here in recent weeks and connections are apparently eyeing up a run in the Hong Kong Mile in December. This is possibly his toughest task to date but he's clearly improving at a rate of knots and definitely up to this standard, if not better. It's worth remembering that three of the stable's Ayr Cup winners went on to score at Group 1 level and Redford could well emulate them next season.
The Autumn Stakes (4.15) looks harder to call but if Mark Johnston decides to run DORDOGNE, he will be carrying my money. Making his debut at Goodwood last month, the son of Singspiel could not have been more impressive, pulling four-and-a-half lengths clear of the well-regarded Sud Pacifique, and he should do even better on this more testing track.
My nap, however, runs 35 minutes later in the 1m2f handicap (4.50), in which ROCK N ROLL RANSOM can follow up his recent course and distance win. He was always going like the winner last time and his jockey Kieren Fallon was able to ease down considerably at the finish. An 8lb rise makes things tougher from now on but he's clearly improving fast and can go in again.
Up at York, ANCIENT CROSS could go well at a big price in the Coral Sprint Trophy over 6f (3.55), providing he gets in. With the ground sure to be riding on the soft side, I'd expect the winner to come from the bottom half of the handicap and the selection gets in here with a nice racing weight of 8st 4lb. At his best this time of the year (won twice last autumn), he has been in great form of late, most recently doing best of those drawn low in the Ayr Silver Cup (fifth), and that fact he gets 7f will help him in the expected conditions. In his absence, FATHSTA, trained by the in-form David Simcock, looks the best alternative.
Selections:-
Dinkum Diamond 2.30 Ascot
Redford 3.05 Ascot
Dordogne 4.15 Ascot
Rock N Roll Ransom 4.50 Ascot - NAP
Ancient Cross 3.55 York (if absent Fathsta)
