DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
SUNDAY OCTOBER 5
1.50 LONGCHAMP
History dictates a low draw is vital in the last big Group 1 five-furlong contest of the season and MONTEILLE (best price 5-1), having been handed the ideal pitch in stall one, has the right credentials to take advantage of the ballot.
Arriving here following a success over today’s C&D, the same race used by Glass Slippers in 2019, the four-year-old filly took advantage of being housed in stall one that day and considering it was on the back of an 89-day break, connections must have been delighted with the outcome.
Only beaten two lengths in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot previously, the daughter of Cable Bay would have found the conditions far from ideal at the Berkshire venue and a return to a more favourable underfoot surface is a welcome addition to her chances.
Moreover, she has the luxury of being housed next to the two likely trailblazers, Ponntos (stall 2) and Frost At Dawn (stall 4) and providing she gets the gaps at the right time towards the business end, she has decent prospects of finally keeping the prize on home soil.
MONTEILLE – 1-point each-way@5-1 (four places)
2.59 KILLARNEY
WHOTELOTOFBUSINESS (best price 5-2) proved no match for impressive winner, I’ll Sort That, at Listowel last time out but he did keep on well to come out of the race with a reasonable amount of respectability and if the time figure is a good guide, he should go close to going one place better.
His conqueror 11 days ago is extremely highly regarded, and it is worth noting that the time of the race was not only six seconds quicker than the one posted by current Supreme Novice Hurdle joint favourite (which is a bit of a joke), Davy Crockett, the final circuit was also 1.6 seconds better than Willie Mullins’ well touted inmate.
Under those circumstances, the son of Arctic Cosmos clearly did extremely well to finish within hailing distance of a horse rattling along at those strong fractions and his own data, in isolation, suggested that he had easily run a career high in defeat.
Prior to that commendable effort, he had been narrowly beaten by stable mate Fast Felix, over today’s C&D, but as he got slam dunked against the far rail at a crucial point in the race, the tables can easily be overturned under more suitable conditions on his part.
Runner-up on his only other start over today’s C&D, he clearly acts well around the track and hailing from a stable that had an amazing six winner at the harvest festival, the six-year-old is fancied to keep up the good work.
WHOLELOTOFBUSINESS – 1-point win@5-2
3.05 LONGCHAMP
A viciously competitive renewal of the Arc and KALPANA (best price 10-1) has strong claims to put the icing on the cake to Andrew Balding’s tremendous season.
Many would have been disappointed by her odds-on loss at Kempton last time out but in fairness to her, she was up against a horse often underestimated by punters and bookmakers alike and there was certainly no shame in getting beat in what effectively was just a trial for today’s race.
Runner-up to the top-class filly Whirl, over an inadequate trip at York earlier in the season, her effort when filling out the same position behind Calandagan in the King George at Ascot reads well and they are performances to suggest she is in just as good form as she was last season.
Looking at her best display from last term, it was noticeable it came towards the backend on soft ground and with a nice middle draw to provide Colin Keane options where to race on the track, the daughter of Study Of Man can continue the recent theme of horses from the fairer sex winning this race.
Of the rest, SOSIE (best price 9-1) comes across as another solid option for those seeking some each-way value and Andre Fabre’s colt has every chance of improving on his fourth in this race last year.
His effort in the Prix Foy, the best trial of the three based on the data a month ago, was a perfectly acceptable one on ground considered to be on the lively side and with conditions very much turning back in his favour, his track record that reads 1114112 looks likely to be enhanced from his nice low draw.
KALPANA – ½ point each-way@10-1(four places)
SOSIE – ½ point each-way@9-1 (four places)