PROVENANCE can kick on from a pleasing display at Royal Ascot by winning the Ambant Gala Stakes at Sandown.
Her fifth in the Wolferton Handicap at the big fixture was a really solid run in one of the classiest handicaps of the season.
Winner Mahsoob is unbeaten and could be anything, while the placed horses are all tried and tested.
The Michael Stoute-trained Provenance was held up early and did not get the smoothest of passages, but there was no doubt she was doing all her best work at the end to be beaten less than two lengths. A close third on her seasonal reappearance in a Listed event at Goodwood, she looks well worth this return to that sort of company.
Soapy Aitken can clean up in the Listed Racing UK Day Pass Dragon Stakes. Clive Cox’s young colt showed lots of pace when victorious on his first two outings, and was anything but disgraced at Royal Ascot.
The son of Pastoral Pursuits was only beaten two-and-a-half lengths by Washington DC in the Windsor Castle Stakes and, on paper at least, there appears nothing of that calibre in this race. That Ryan Moore has been booked is a genuine statement of intent.
Druids Ridge has been a touch unfortunate to run into some useful performers so far this year and can reward those who keep the faith in the betdaq.com Serious About Horses Maiden Stakes at Doncaster.
The Paco Boy colt found only Sahaafy too strong on his Newbury debut in mid-April, a horse who now has a rating pushing 100 after a subsequent stroll in a Newmarket handicap.
Druids Ridge was a little disappointing on his second start at this track when finishing fourth, but the ground may have been softer than ideal and his subsequent runner-up finishes behind Hathal and Ashridge Lad have been a step in the right direction.
There does not appear to be a lot wrong with his attitude and if John Gosden can coax just a smidgen more improvement out of him he should be hard to beat on his return to Town Moor.
A Friday night meeting at Haydock is bound to be well attended and those flocking to Merseyside could do worse than back Decorated Knight in the New Racing UK iPad App Maiden Stakes.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
Nap: Provenance (3.55pm, Sandown)
Double: Soapy Aitken (2.50pm, Sandown)
Treble: Druids Ridge (2pm, Doncaster)
Treble: Decorated Knight (9pm, Haydock)
