In the Manny Mercer Apprentice Handicap
(4.55) at Ascot on Wednesday, Love And Be Loved made decent
progress in the second half of last season, winning four of her last
six starts, including three on soft, or heavy, going under today’s
jockey William Cox. John Flint’s four-year-old officially improved
by 20lb from June onwards, but remains unexposed over a mile under
testing conditions and is by no means impossibly handicapped on the
form of her Windsor win in October. On that occasion, she made all to
win, unchallenged, by 2 lengths and, although 5lb higher in the
weights in a better race, after an absence of 191 days, she may be
able to continue her progress.
Vale of Glamorgan trainer John Flint
has yet to trouble the judge with any of his four runners on the Flat
at Ascot, but Love And Be Loved has plenty of stamina in the bottom
of her pedigree, being out of a High Chaparral mare, so the testing
nature of the Berkshire course could also play to her strengths. The
daughter of Lawman likes to race on, or close to the pace, which
should also stand her in good stead at Ascot, where the sweeping turn
into the straight, and the relatively short straight, itself, can
make it difficult to reel in horses that are ridden prominently. Love
And Be Loved faces 19 rivals, so should be available at fairly
rewarding odds and has plenty going for her on her seasonal debut.
Selection: Ascot 4.45 Love
And Be Loved to win 10/1
