Royal Ascot 2022 - Day 5

 

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 involved. He bounced back to something like his best last time out when only beaten half a length on the all weather. Prior to that the seven furlong trip likely stretched his stamina, but he returns to his optimum conditions of quick ground and six furlongs here. An impressive course and distance winner of 95 last September, he’s only 3lb higher here so if he returns to his best he is well treated.

SILVER SAMURAI 12/1

POPMASTER 18/1


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