No looking past Sweet William for Sagaro success

Sweet William is expected to stamp his class on the Longines Sagaro Stakes on Royal Ascot Trials Day on Friday.

While John and Thady Gosden’s charge has more placed efforts to his name than wins, there is no doubting he is one of the country’s top stayers and he has just been unfortunate to bump into his illustrious stablemate Trawlerman on a few occasions.

He proved he has not forgotten how to win when successfully defending his Doncaster Cup crown in September and he was clear best of the rest behind Trawlerman on his most recent appearance on Champions Day at Ascot.

His biggest threat, Caballo De Mar, does have the benefit of a recent outing, but Sweet William is in receipt of 2lb despite being rated 3lb higher and the excellent spring form of the Gosden string suggests he will be ready enough to do himself justice on his seasonal bow.

Middle Park Stakes winner Wise Approach is similarly difficult to oppose in the Commonwealth Cup Trial.

The Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old carries a 4lb penalty for his Group One victory, but his overall juvenile form is by far and away the best on offer, with the Mehmas colt also going close in the Prix Morny as well as finishing second to Charles Darwin in the Norfolk Stakes at the Royal meeting.

He is a half-brother to Perfect Power, who also won the Middle Park before going on to lift the Commonwealth Cup the following season, and Wise Approach can cement his claims for the latter contest with a course and distance success at Group Three level.

Holloway Boy will not be winning out of turn if he can land the Memberships At Ascot Paradise Stakes.

Karl Burke’s gelding has found victories hard to come by since his shock debut triumph in the 2022 Chesham Stakes, but he is rarely out of the frame, enjoying podium finishes behind elite performers like Auguste Rodin, Romantic Warrior and Opera Ballo over the course of his career.

He arrives here fit from a spell in Dubai, where he was last seen finishing a close-up third in the Singspiel Stakes behind Quddwah, who did that form no harm by chasing home Ombudsman on World Cup night.

Dropping back down to Listed class on a track where he has performed well plenty of times in the past, Holloway Boy can enjoy a day in the sun.

The Group Two Betfred Jockey Club Stakes is the feature event on day one of the Guineas Festival at Newmarket and the vote goes to Lion’s Pride for the Gosdens.

A half-brother to a Gold Cup-winning former stablemate in Courage Mon Ami, this son of Roaring Lion has been a slow burner but it was impossible to be anything but impressed by his runaway victory in the Godolphin Stakes here last season.

Following a couple of slightly disappointing efforts in the Middle East over the winter, he made an encouraging return to Britain when not beaten far into fourth place by the exciting Convergent in the John Porter at Newbury a couple of weeks ago and is expected to be better again on the Rowley Mile.

On the penultimate day of the Punchestown Festival, it will be a huge surprise if the brilliant mare Lossiemouth does not round off another fine campaign with an 11th Grade One success in the Boodles Champion Hurdle. – Press Association

SELECTIONS:

ASCOT: Race 1 – 15.00 Dance A Jig, Race 2 – 15.35 SWEET WILLIAM (NAP), Race 3 – 16.10 Wise Approach, Race 4 – 16.45 Holloway Boy, Race 5 – 17.20 Pixie Diva, Race 6 – 17.55 So Regal, Race 7 – 18.30 Saytarr.

GOODWOOD: Race 1 – 15.05 Harry Knows, Race 2 – 15.40 Pacific Avenue, Race 3 – 16.15 Lexington Blitz, Race 4 – 16.50 Ryka, Race 5 – 17.25 Uncle Don, Race 6 – 18.00 Veritable, Race 7 – 18.35 Scarlet Moon.

NEWCASTLE: Race 1 – 17.45 Skirt Around, Race 2 – 18.20 Star Cast, Race 3 – 18.53 The Cursor, Race 4 – 19.30 Eklleem, Race 5 – 20.02 Dandy Breeze, Race 6 – 20.33 Recency Bias, Race 7 – 21.10 Speeding Bullet.

NEWMARKET: Race 1 – 14.45 Earth Shot, Race 2 – 15.20 Poseidon’s Warrior, Race 3 – 15.55 Lake Como, Race 4 – 16.30 Bay City Roller, Race 5 – 17.05 Elarak, Race 6 – 17.40 Cerro Blanco, Race 7 – 18.15 Anaisa.

PUNCHESTOWN: Race 1 – 16.40 Last Round, Race 2 – 17.15 Wonderwall, Race 3 – 17.50 Dinoblue, Race 4 – 18.25 I Am Lorenzo, Race 5 – 19.00 King Rasko Grey, Race 6 – 19.40 Lossiemouth, Race 7 – 20.10 Our Lucky Lady, Race 8 – 20.40 Heldam.

WARWICK: Race 1 – 17.30 Great Valley, Race 2 – 18.05 Mister Splash, Race 3 – 18.40 Mister Coffey, Race 4 – 19.15 Crawter, Race 5 – 19.50 All Loved Up, Race 6 – 20.25 Jeffery’s Cross, Race 7 – 21.00 Unexpected Party.