Horse Racing Tips on Friday, July 22
The build-up to the King George begins in earnest on Friday, as Ascot hosts a card the day before its Group 1 masterpiece. Two of our 10,444/1 Lucky 15 best bets feature from the Berkshire track, alongside one each from Uttoxeter and Down Royal.
Balearic (1.35 Uttoxeter)
The form of BALEARIC’s last run has not worked out especially well, but that race threw up a number of surprises in terms of finishing positions. The most consistency on that start from their previous run was displayed by Jonjo O’Neill’s four-year-old.
His charge was rated 81 on the flat at his best, after winning a Chepstow handicap over 1m2f last July. He has only had two runs over hurdles and on both occasions he has placed, albeit in low grade affairs.
His third at Sedgefield on his debut over timber was fairly solid and though his second at Huntingdon has taken some knocks, that was still a solid enough run off which he can build. A go back on the flat over 1m was probably too much of a shock for him most recently, as he was well-beaten.
For his age, he continues to get a 4lb allowance from most of his rivals and maintains potential to rank a lot higher given his flat pedigree and history. His hurdling technique is already largely sound and he can build upon his past two efforts.
Tidal Storm (4.50 Ascot)
A likely improver upped to 1m4f, TIDAL STORM can pose his biggest threat yet in Ascot’s penultimate contest.
Ed Walker’s three-year-old has mid-range form figures of 6456 so far in his career, but that mostly suggests he has been solid if unspectacular. All three of his novice starts last season came over 1m in relatively strong events and he finished in the top half in each field he faced.
The second race he ran in featured both Lionel and Lysander, the former a Listed winner and the latter third in a Group 2 at Royal Ascot, and Tidal Storm was only narrowly behind them both, as well as the 89-rated Zain Nights. That form has a very strong look to it considering this son of Sea The Moon is rated only 71 here.
His sixth on return at Newmarket was probably below par, but he is down 2lb for that. Going up another two furlongs should suit more being by a German Derby winner and the booking of Tom Marquand is a further positive.
Rattling (5.25 Ascot)
Four of the seven runners in Ascot’s final race on Friday won last time out. Of those, Richard Hannon’s RATTLING is the least exposed and gets the verdict.
The daughter of Acclamation has only had three career starts and has the pleasingly progressive form figures of 321. Her juvenile debut third came in a decent fillies’ novice at Windsor last May, but she was then off for 362 days, only reappearing at Lingfield two months ago.
Despite her long absence, she managed to record an RPR 7lb higher than her debut when second at Lingfield. Ten days later, she found herself in Wolverhampton’s winners enclosure after getting off the mark over 6f on the all-weather. That was achieved by a very bare margin, but it was encouraging nonetheless.
A mark of 73 is lenient enough going forward and though there is stamina on her dam’s side, the step back to 5f could also bring about further improvement given the way she has finished off her last two races.
Licence (7.30 Down Royal)
Though Master Of Reality would be the clear class horse if near his best, his two runs this term have been disarmingly poor. There are younger names who can prove too good once again in this Listed race.
Perotan is intriguing coming here after just one run, but preference is for LICENCE who made an equally striking debut, albeit he has had another two runs since. Ger Lyons’ four-year-old could well have plenty left in the locker compared to what he has shown on the course to date.
He won by six lengths at Gowran Park last June, but did not race again at three. Instead, Lyons and co waited until March to run him again, when he finished a narrow second to Layfayette in Naas’s Listed Devoy Stakes over 1m2f. For one so inexperienced, that was a grand effort and given his unusual career trajectory and profile, he can be forgiven for flopping at the Curragh in a Group 2 last time.
As a son of Frankel, stepping right up to 1m6f could be extremely useful for his career prospects. In the two races in which nothing was amiss, he has seen out his challenge well.