The Student Punter

  5:00 Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) At the time of writing Friday’s racing has seemed to show a significant bias towards low runners, but looking at the pace map for this race all of the prominent racers are drawn high. It’s difficult to know whether those drawn high may chose to drift accross to the supposed quicker far side so I’m backing one drawn low and one drawn high. Of the low drawn runners SILVER SAMURAI  stands out to me, his recent win came in a class three contest but that penalty sneaks him in at the bottom of the weights. Having previously looked fully exposed at a mile, the drop back to six furlongs has reinvigorated the son of cable bay and at the age of five he posted a career best RPR last time out. His career form figures over six furlongs read 13311, he has a run style to suit the Ascot straight track and Marco Botti is operating at a 33% strike rate over the last 14 days. POPMASTER   may be one who could outrun his odds if the near side get in...

  3:05 Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) I had a small ante-post play on El Caballo  so hope he goes well but I won’t be going in again at odds of 5/1 at the time of writing. I thought WINGS OF WAR , who finished behind Karl Burke’s colt at Haydock, reacted very well to the first time cheekpieces that day and was doing his best work late on after meeting trouble in running. I think it would be a bit of a stretch to say he would have won that day but it did show he retains the promise he showed as a two year old when winning the Mill Reef. He was finished last on his only course and distance start but that was on the back of a long lay off in a small field, I actually think returning here in a big field could be just what he wants with his strong finishing racing style. Cheekpieces are retained and at 12/1 with extra places I make him a decent bet. At a huge price I can also see RIZG  running on into the places in the first time blinkers for Roger Varian. He won his sole two...

2:30 Norfolk Stakes (Group 1) I was already sweet on WALBANK  for this before the week got started and after Royal Scotsman’s big run in the coventry it has only made me more confident. I don’t play short priced ones too often but I’ll be happy to take anything above 6/4 so I have to take the 2/1 currently on offer. The Antarctic  is an obvious danger but his form didn’t get franked in the same way when Wadao ran on Wednesday, he’s obviously open to improvement but the favourite should be tough to beat. WALBANK 2/1 5:00 Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) The current favourite is King Of Time  who runs in the blue of Godolphin, but I fancy their supposed second string TRANQUIL NIGHT . He was mightily impressive on the Rowley mile back in April winning by over 3 lengths, the runner up has won twice since and is now 13lb higher, the third is 6lb higher, and the 4th has also won since. So although the 11lb rise he got for that seemed harsh initially, it was probably fair an...

  2:30 Queen Mary Stakes Wesley Ward won this two years ago with Campanelle and has a good chance again in the shape of  Love Reigns , however of those at the top of the market I like DRAMATISED . She was incredibly impressive on debut at Newmarket at the end of April, a performance that the clock watchers have been raving about since. Connections have made no secret of the regard they hold her in and, given that the yards two year olds normally improve significantly for their first run, she could prove very tough to beat. At a bigger price I like CARMELA  as an each-way angle. The daughter of Tasleet had an excuse for her sole defeat when missing the break and closing well to finish 5th in a listed contest at York. She got back on track with a win at Carlisle last time out with the second from that race winning subsequently, she showed a good battling attitude that day and could put that experience to good use. With firms paying as many as seven places each-way...

3:0 5 Coventry Stakes (Group 2) Blackbeard  is a good starting point here given Aidan O’Brien has won this four times since 2010, the son of No Nay Never (whose progeny have a good record at Ascot) comes here off the back of a taking win when making all to win a Group 3 contest at the Curragh. That certainly sets the form standard but many others in here haven’t yet been given the chance to run to that level, so it may be worth searching for one at a bigger price.  A Pontefract conditions race probably isn’t a piece of form which you’d normally turn to in the Coventry, but I think ROUSING ENCORE  could outrun his odds here. He took a big step forward when winning at Beverley on his second start in stylish fashion, where he had multiple subsequent winner in behind. He continued his steep upward curve of progression when making all in the aforementioned Pontefract race last time out. It was a small field he beat but the Quinn team were very surprised to see their runner bea...