Ante Post selection

It has been a frustrating few days for the Top 40 Prospects in Ahead On The Flat and that trend continued on Sunday. Erdenali was unbeaten in three starts, including a Listed event at Deauville last month, and should have made it four out of four in the Group 3 Prix Messidor at Chantilly. Returning to a mile in the seven runner contest, Mickael Barzalona's mount was drawn in stall one on the rail and he elected to track the leaders. Still on the bridle and yet to be asked for his effort, the Caravaggio gelding was full of running but had no room to manoeuvre. By the time Francis Graffard's runner saw daylight it was too late with him finishing well in third. Beaten half a length, he ought to have won comfortably. We are still very much in the dark as to how good the three year old is and it is worth noting he has been entered in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin at Longchamp (6th September). It might not be unrealistic to think Erdenali could line up in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on champions day (17th October).

Regular readers will be aware that I am a big fan of sprint handicaps - the Wokingham Handicap is one of my favourite races at the Royal meeting and the Ayr Gold Cup is another terrific event which is high on the list. Andrew Balding won the Stewards Cup at Goodwood (1st August) with the Jeff Smith owned Dancing Star ten years ago. Her half-sister Dance In The Storm is an intended runner in the six furlongs cavalry charge early next month for the same connections. Yet to tackle six furlongs, the Night of Thunder filly has raced exclusively over seven furlongs and has won three of her eleven races. Unfortunate not to win a valuable handicap at the same meeting twelve months ago, she defied stall eleevn to win over seven furlongs at Chester in May off a mark of 90. Rated five pounds higher now, she raced too keenly on her next start at Epsom before being poorly drawn in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot last time. Given a break of 44 days, the four year old goes well fresh and her trainer is keen to try her over sprint trips. Effective on good to soft and good to firm ground, she is currently number 43 on the list - the maximum field is 28 - and I would be hopeful she will make the cut. Available at 16/1 (Bet365) and 14/1 (Unibet), I would suggest getting involved ante-post.