Beatrice can provide welcome cheer for Dunlop
By Stephen, bettingexpert.com | Published
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John Dunlop has endured a torrid season by his standards, but his Beatrice Aurore is a confident selection to land Ascot's Woodcote Stud E.b.f. Valiant Stakes.
The popular veteran trainer has managed just 3 winners from a 100 runners this term, with many of his runners failing to fire and a lack of new blood coming forward. However, this quality filly has run with credit on all three starts in 2012 and now has a great chance to get back on the scoresheet with William Buick in the saddle. She progressed well last season, winning in handicap, listed and Group company before signing off with a close second in a decent Italian Group 1. The quickening ground has come in her favour and she can make the most of a drop in grade.
Main danger for the £33,000 prize money comes from Mahmood Al Zarooni's Pimpernel. She was never out of first three last year, winning four times in total including a valuable Newbury listed race on her final outing. The 3-y-o has not peaked this time round but did run with a great deal more promise over this course and distance at the Royal meeting, and fast ground has always suited her well in the past.
Richard Hannon's Free Verse has taken time to reach her best this season, getting off the mark at the fourth time of asking in a fair Newmarket soft ground handicap 14 days ago. She travelled best and readily asserted there, but this will be a totally different test upped to a mile in a much warmer Listed prize and she lacks the scope for improvement of some of these rivals.
Thistle Bird is a lightly-raced filly from the in-form Roger Charlton yard, who was better than ever in a first-time hood when winning five-runner 1m Windsor listed race on her reappearance. Much more is needed under the penalty for that win and temperament issues remain, while I Love Me seems to have regressed dramatically since a very good fourth in the Coronation Stakes last June.
Perhaps Moone's My Name offers an each-way alternative to those at the front of the market. She followed up a comfortable seasonal debut win at Windsor in April with a very creditable fourth over this course and distance next time. The 4-y-o improved again to win at Newmarket last month and Ralph Beckett usually places his runners very astutely at this level.
Raasekha was third in a muddling Goodwood contest last time and doesn't seem good enough, while Night Lily is much better on the all-weather surface.
In summary, a classy renewal of this listed prize affords a great opportunity for Beatrice Aurore to return to the winners enclosure. The hot and sunny week means the ground will ride ideally for her and she can swoop late on with a telling turn of foot. At around 4-1 this morning a maximum each-way bet is recommended.
Stephen's Friday Nap Fleeting Smile 2.20 Ascot
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