British Champions Day: Sprint Stakes at Ascot

Events / Timeform / 14 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

Deacon Blues: Looks the one they have to beat.

"Deacon Blues took a keen hold under Frankie Dettori on that occasion and cruised into contention around a furlong out, before quickening up well to put a field of smart rivals to bed in a matter of strides..."

A championship sprint event at the end of the season is exactly what the British Flat Calendar was in need of and Saturday's contest has attracted an excellent field...

Deacon Blues has looked a Group 1 sprinter waiting to happen for the large part of this season. His impressive victory in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot was quickly followed by a win in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, where he saw off the likes of Markab and Regal Parade with contemptuous ease.

His most impressive performance to date then followed as Deacon Blues annihilated Group 3 rivals once again, running out the seven-length winner of the Phoenix Stakes over at the Curragh to mark himself as one of the leading sprinters in training based on Timeform ratings.

He has had just the one start since, showing excellent versatility and speed to take the drop down to minimum trip in his stride as he landed the Group 3 Dubai International World Trophy at Newbury, racing over five furlongs for the first time in his career.

Up against some speedy rivals, Deacon Blues took a keen hold under Frankie Dettori on that occasion and cruised into contention around a furlong out, before quickening up well to put a field of smart rivals to bed in a matter of strides under no more than hand riding.

His trainer has expressed concerns about the unseasonably quick ground that he is likely to experience on Saturday, but Deacon Blues should have the speed to cope and his rivals will have to be at the very top of their game to deny him with the [3.50] currently available seeming fair value.

The French contingent on Saturday will be headed by Moonlight Cloud , with the filly currently second favourite in the market and available to back at [4.5]. She was the impressive winner of the Prix Maurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs at Deauville back in August and, since finishing seventh in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, has really come into her own being dropped back in trip.

She was settled in rear at Deauville, and delivered a devastating turn of foot inside the closing stages to run out the ready winner, ahead of Society Rock in second. It has been suggested that Moonlight Cloud would prefer some cut in the ground, but she is relatively lightly raced over this distance and is considered just 2 lb inferior to Deacon Blues based on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.

Society Rock, who won the Golden Jubilee over course and distance at the Royal Meeting, will reoppose his Deauville conqueror, Moonlight Cloud, on Saturday.

Whilst his performance behind Moonlight Cloud in Deauville was a creditable effort, Society Rock ran below his best when sixth behind Dream Ahead in the Haydock Sprint Cup last time, where a slow start put paid to any chances he had of taking his second Group 1 sprint of the season.

Back at Ascot, Society Rock will be at ease with the likely conditions on Saturday and he always seems to save his best for the Berkshire course.

The likes of Wizz Kid and Genki are also likely to figure in this contest, having shown smart form in pattern Sprints throughout the season.

Wizz Kid experienced a luckless passage to finish fifth in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes before enjoying similar fortunes when fourth in the Prix de l'Abbaye just two weeks ago.

Genki's best run of the season came in the Sprint Cup when he finished fourth behind Dream Ahead, and he has been thereabouts in the majority of British Group 1 sprints this season. Genki is available to back at [22.0], whilst the filly is priced [12.0].

Click here to see the latest odds for the Sprint Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.