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Oppose Bow Echo with O'Brien in Royal Lodge
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Cheveley Park distance could suit Beautify on Moyglare run
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Far from the most original selection ever to appear in the column, I am siding with Aidan O'Brien's Action for the Royal Lodge and I am very much going against Bow Echo.
Bow Echo is the favourite here, and while he looked good on his debut at Newbury, the form of that first start looks a bit ropey in my view and he only beat Publish by one length last time in a Listed race. He might be one of those hype horses from a young Newmarket trainer, or he might be very good, but at this stage I would rather side with Action.
His form overall looks to have more substance to it in terms of potential. His debut behind the potentially very good New Zealand looks a stronger piece of debut form than Bow Echo's Newbury race, and the second from that Curragh maiden won at Goodwood subsequently and from Action's victory at Galway, the third has since won too.
Galway would have been a good experience for him, and he improved for the step up in trip and the 1m at this stage of his career looks ideal.
Beautify's second in the Moyglare at the top level in Ireland puts her very much in the frame for the Cheveley Park back down to 6f.
She does hold an entry in the Fillies' Mile, but that could be optimistic with the way she travelled in the Moyglare - and she looked the winner with two furlongs to go. At that point her stablemate Precise was under pressure, and she proved too strong on the outside with her stamina.
Beautify's Timeform figure of 121p is top, and considering it was yielding going last time, I think some quicker ground will suit her even better with a return to 6f.
The Middle Park looks a poor race this year and you wouldn't often see Aidan O'Brien with a pair of 12/113.00 and 14/115.00 chances for a juvenile Group 2.
It leaves the door open for the Godolphin-owned young colt Wise Approach, who doesn't look anything other than an early type of sprinter - and the fact he's already raced five times in his freshman season should stand him in good stead.
His Royal Ascot second to Charles Darwin will make us ponder what might have been this autumn with the winner, but Wise Approach outran his odds that day and acted well on fast going.
He subsequently beat Rock Of Thunder and Amrorim with ease in a Listed Newbury race, albeit a poor one, again on fast going.
Coppull wasn't too far behind him in the Prix Morny last time but he's the form pick here with a ton of experience. With a Timeform figure of 123 he still holds Coppull by 7lb.
Charlie Appleby's Indian Springs looks a good prospect and as a progressive three-year-old taking on older rivals with plenty out of form, he can justify his market support last night on the Sportsbook from 13/82.63 into 11/82.38 away from the ITV action.
He won the Alex Scott Maiden in the spring and while the form hasn't got the strongest look to it bar Raafedd (who finished sixth), he progressed again after a break to score by an even bigger margin under a penalty at Haydock.
Again, form wise, it Haydock was not strong, but his class shone through with a nice lead to aim at and once he was asked, he was gone and in the process clocked a mega-rapid penultimate furlong of 10.85 - the only one at Haydock to go under 11 seconds.
A turn of foot and a handicap debut mark on quick ground all look factors very much in his favour.
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