Skip to content

Racecards

14:40 Ascot

Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint (heritage Handicap) (Class 2)

  • 23 Runners
  • Distance: 5f
  • Going: Good to Firm
  • Surface: Turf
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 1m 0.59s
  • Off Time: 14:44:12
  • 23 Ran
1(24)
Silk - ROYAL BLUE, YELLOW stripe, YELLOW sleeves, ROYAL BLUE armlets and star on YELLOW cap

Maltese Falcon

304 t BFD
33/1
  • Form 901245-
  • Age 6
  • Weight 9-10
  • Official Rating 108

held up in touch, effort over 1f out, soon no impression, weakened final furlong

2(12)
Silk - White, Emerald Green diamond and armlets, quartered cap

Celtic Mill

9 p D
16/1
  • Form 1-04034
  • Age 8
  • Weight 9-7
  • Official Rating 104

led narrowly to 2f out, gradually weakened

3(9)
Silk - White, Light Blue hoops, chevrons on sleeves, Light Blue cap

Lafi (IRE)

78 C
11/2
  • Form 2282-44
  • Age 7
  • Weight 9-6
  • Official Rating 104

always behind

4(5)
Silk - Maroon, Yellow spots, Yellow cap, Maroon spots

Orientor

13 DC
11/1
  • Form 6424B3
  • Age 8
  • Weight 9-5
  • Official Rating 106

chased leaders until weakened from 2f out

5(15)
Silk - BLACK & WHITE HOOPS, royal blue cap, white star
14/1
  • Form 002014
  • Age 6
  • Weight 9-2
  • Official Rating 101

with leader, led 2f out, ridden and headed over 1f out, one pace final furlong

6(19)
Silk - Purple, Emerald Green epaulets, Yellow cap
33/1
  • Form 212090
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-2
  • Official Rating 96

held up behind, headway over 1f out, stayed on well final furlong, not reached leaders

7(17)
Silk - Dark Blue, Yellow epaulets, Dark Blue sleeves, Yellow spots

Texas Gold

15 D
12/1
  • Form 0-00002
  • Age 8
  • Weight 9-0
  • Official Rating 100

chased leaders, ridden and no extra over 1f out

9(8)
Silk - White, Emerald Green epaulets and stars on sleeves, Red cap
  • Form 377801
  • Age 8
  • Weight 8-13
  • Official Rating 97

held up towards rear, headway over 1f out, strong run inside final furlong, just failed

10(7)
Silk - Red, Emerald Green triple diamond, armlets and diamond on cap
33/1
  • Form 368390
  • Age 5
  • Weight 8-10
  • Official Rating 94

prominent until weakened from 2f out

11(14)
Silk - Emerald green and orange (quartered), orange sleeves, emerald green armlets, white cap

Graze On

15 b D
33/1
  • Form 967106
  • Age 4
  • Weight 8-9
  • Official Rating 92

chased leaders, ridden over 1f out, no progress and one pace final furlong

12(16)
Silk - WHITE, EMERALD GREEN epaulets and stars on sleeves, YELLOW cap
25/1
  • Form 120193
  • Age 9
  • Weight 8-9
  • Official Rating 93

never a factor

13(11)
Silk - Primrose, violet hooped sleeves, red cap

Connect

15 b D
12/1
  • Form 7-75883
  • Age 9
  • Weight 8-9
  • Official Rating 92

held up mid-division, ridden over 2f out, not pace to challenge over 1f out, stayed on same pace final furlong

14(20)
Silk - Dark Blue and Orange diamonds, hooped sleeves and cap
14/1
  • Form 071297
  • Age 7
  • Weight 8-7
  • Official Rating 90

held up towards rear, good headway over 1f out, strong run inside final furlong, gaining near finish

15(23)
Silk - Light Blue, White hoops, Light Blue sleeves, White stars, Black cap
10/1
  • Form 12-5902
  • Age 6
  • Weight 8-4
  • Official Rating 90

held up in touch, ridden to lead over 1f out, driven out, final furlong just held on

16(22)
Silk - Royal Blue, Yellow epaulets, Royal Blue sleeves, Yellow spots, White cap
16/1
  • Form 080606
  • Age 4
  • Weight 8-4
  • Official Rating 88

prominent, every chance 1f out, weakened inside final furlong

17(10)
Silk - Orange, Dark Blue cross belts and armlets
20/1
  • Form 412426
  • Age 5
  • Weight 8-1
  • Official Rating 86

tracked leader to 2f out, still every chance over 1f out, stayed on one pace

18(1)
Silk - Emerald Green, Orange sash, White sleeves, Emerald Green and Orange quartered cap
7/1
  • Form 402143
  • Age 5
  • Weight 8-1
  • Official Rating 85

towards rear, stayed on from over 1f out, ran on final furlong, nearest finish

19(6)
Silk - LIGHT BLUE, ROYAL BLUE star on body and cap, LIGHT BLUE sleeves, ROYAL BLUE stars
16/1
  • Form 097136
  • Age 4
  • Weight 7-12
  • Official Rating 79

held up behind, clipped heels and unseated rider well over 2f out

20(18)
Silk - Grey, Red star on body and cap, Red sleeves, Grey armlets
66/1
  • Form 39070P
  • Age 5
  • Weight 7-12
  • Official Rating 78

chased leaders to 2f out, soon weakened

21(4)
Silk - Black, Yellow Cross of Lorraine

Plateau

20 D
33/1
  • Form 645927
  • Age 7
  • Weight 7-12
  • Official Rating 77

held up, ridden 2f out, stayed on final furlong, not reached leaders

22(21)
Silk - Grey, Pink seams, Pink and Grey halved sleeve, Pink cap
66/1
  • Form 220367
  • Age 4
  • Weight 7-12
  • Official Rating 74

prominent, ridden over 2f out, weakened rapidly over 1f out

23(2)
Silk - Emerald Green, White spots, Yellow sleeves, Emerald Green and White striped cap
33/1
  • Form 812128
  • Age 5
  • Weight 7-12
  • Official Rating 75

held up in rear, stayed on from over 1f out, nearest finish

24(13)
Silk - Light Blue and Maroon stripes, Light Blue sleeves, Maroon armlets

Coconut Moon

16 BFD
40/1
  • Form 813252
  • Age 4
  • Weight 7-12
  • Official Rating 71

prominent to 2f out, soon weakened

8(3)
NR
  • Form 24-6402
  • Age 4
  • Weight 8-13
  • Official Rating 100

Nonrunner

In depth

Verdict

This looks a cracking sprint handicap with plenty of the 24 runners having claims including the likes of One More Round, Texas Gold, Trinculo and Connect but the vote goes to Lafi. The selection has only had the two starts so far this term but has run well on each occasion and has probably been aimed at this for some time by his shrewd trainer David Nicholls, who has plenty of ammunition in the sprinting division. Jockey Eddie Ahern has only ridden the gelding once before, when landing the Wokingham two years ago, and it looks significant that he takes the mount today. Nicholls has no fewer than six other runners in the field including Machinist, who has a high draw, and Trinculo, the mount of the trainer's son Adrian. Bo McGinty, berthed in stall one and Celtic Mill, who is better than recent form would probably suggest have to be considered although a bigger threat may come from Clive Brittain's recent Haydock second Excusez Moi. The booking of Richard Hills for Connect takes the eye, while Texas Gold has a race of this nature within him but Lafi makes plenty of appeal and he gets the vote.

Formwatch

Celtic Mill 7-1 (9-1) Chased leaders, ridden and every chance over 1f out, no extra inside final furlong, 4th of 9, 2l behind Donna Blini (8-11) at Newmarket 5f stk (3) gf.

Texas Gold 5-1 (9-9) Held up in touch on inner, switched right over 1f out, ran on under pressure inside final furlong, not reach winner, 2nd of 10, 3/4l behind Green Manalishi (9-10) at Lingfield 5f hcp 0-105 (2) pol.

One More Round (USA) 25-1 (8-11) Behind, not clear run briefly 2f out, headway over 1f out, storng run to lead well inside final furlong, won at Windsor 6f hcp (2) gf beating The Kiddykid (9-5) by a hd, 16 ran.

Trinculo (IRE) 8-1 (8-12) Led for 1f, tracked leader after, every chance 1f out, unable to quicken inside final furlong, 3rd of 10, 1l behind Green Manalishi (9-10) at Lingfield 5f hcp 0-105 (2) pol.

Connect 11-2 (9-13) Held up, ridden and headway over 1f out, one pace final furlong, 3rd of 7, 1 1/2l behind Wyatt Earp (9-4) at York 6f hcp 0-95 (3) gf.

Machinist (IRE) 8-1 (9-2) In touch, ridden over 2f out, headway to lead over 1f out, headed and no extra inside final furlong, 2nd of 13, 3/4l behind Bayeux (9-11) at Hamilton 6f hcp 0-105 (2) gf.

Bo McGinty (IRE) 9-1 (8-6) Mid-division, 8th under 2f out, ridden to go moderate 3rd under 1f out, stayed on well without reaching leaders, 3rd of 13, 1l behind Osterhase (10-3) at Curragh 5f hcp gf.

Plateau 5-1 (9-11) Behind, ridden over 2f out, no impression, 7th of 9, 5l behind Rudi's Pet (8-5) at Musselburgh 5f hcp 0-80 (4) gd.