The defection of
Caravaggio from the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (3.30) at Newmarket
on Saturday has left Blue Point (2.2) as the hot favourite for
the Group 1 event. Charlie Appleby’s Shamardal colt has tasted
defeat just once in his short career, when going down by a neck to
Mehmas in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood on his penultimate start,
after hanging right in the closing stages, but resumed winning ways
when quickening clear to beat Mokarris by 3 lengths in the Gimcrack
Stakes at York five weeks ago.
Mehmas had previously
been put firmly in his place by Caravaggio in the Coventry Stakes at
Royal Ascot and subsequently proved no match for Churchill in the
National Stakes, over 7 furlongs, at the Curragh last Sunday, so it
would be fair to say that Aidan O’Brien has a pretty good line to
the form. The Master of Ballydoyle has entered both Intelligence
Cross, third in the Richmond Stakes, and Peace Envoy, a never-nearer
third of five, beaten a length, behind Lady Aurelia in the Prix Morny
at Deauville last month.
Intelligence Cross was
disappointing in the Richmond Stakes, but had previously been beaten
just half a length by Mehmas in the July Stakes at Newmarket and
easily won the Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh last month, while
Peace Envoy arguably has the best single piece of form in the race,
on paper, and appears to have been underestimated by the bookmakers.
To cut a long story short, three or four of these appeal as likely
winners, so laying Blue Point, at the shortest price available, on
Betfair is the recommended play this week, provided Mehmas,
Intelligence Cross and Peace Envoy all stand their ground at the
final declaration stage on Thursday.
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