Saturday 5th October: Ascot Racing Tips

It’s the penultimate Saturday meeting of the year on the Flat at Ascot and it’s just a couple of weeks until the end of the season finale that is Champions Day. There are two Group races and two Listed events on the card at Ascot and it’s a superb afternoon with the ultra-competitive Challenge Cup also setting punters a poser.

There are six races in all at Ascot on Saturday and we have selected our best bets in all of them.

13:50 - Rous Stakes (Listed, 5f)

This opening sprint is a competitive one and it’s worth taking a chance on RUMSTAR, who comes into the race in good form and might be capable of making the breakthrough at Listed level. Rumstar has been running consistently well this season and was close to his best when beaten only half a length into fifth in the Portland at Doncaster three weeks ago. That form stacks up well, as does his second to recent Ayr Gold Cup winner Lethal Levi at Newbury in May, and there is every chance that this one might drop his way.

Selection: Rumstar @ 12/1

14:25 - Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Group 3, 1m4f)

This looks like a good opportunity for last season’s winner AL QAREEM to make it back-to-back victories in the race. The Karl Burke-trained gelding is one of the toughest horses in training and this stiff mile and a half suits him well as he is a strong stayer. He bounced back to form when landing a Listed race at Chester last time and is well capable of reversing the form with Al Aasy from his previous run at Newbury. He has two lengths to find with that rival on that effort, but it came on good to firm ground and Al Qareem is much better suited by these testing conditions.

Selection: Al Qareem @ 9/4

15:00 - John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes (Group 3, 6f)

This is another Group sprint and the key might be the Portland at Doncaster last month. That race was run in a good time and if the fifth from that race, Rumstar, wins the opener, then APOLLO ONE will be well worth a bet to land this one. He comes into the race having finished three places ahead of Rumstar when the pair met in that Portland at Doncaster and he has loads of other solid pieces of form this season, including a good second in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood. That was the second time in a row that he has taken the runner-up spot in that race and last year it was run on heavy ground, so these conditions hold no fears. He was also second in last season’s Wokingham at this course and he evidently likes the track.

Selection: Apollo One @ 9/1

15:35 - Challenge Cup (7f)

This is the big betting race of the day and the one to be on is the lightly raced three-year-old GERMANIC, who appears to be improving rapidly. The William Haggas-trained gelding won a novice by 11-lengths at Newcastle in June and nearly followed up under a penalty at Thirsk the following month on good to soft ground, losing out by just a short-head. He returned from a two-month absence at Doncaster 20 days ago and recorded another career-best effort when only three-quarters of a length behind winner Telemark in third in a hot three-year-old handicap. That form has already been franked by the fourth, who is a subsequent winner, and Germanic is entitled to improve for that return from a break on just his fifth outing.

Selection: Germanic @ 7/1

16:10 - McGee Group British EBF October Stakes (Listed, 7f)

A hot Listed contest for fillies and mares can go to the Andrew Balding-trained HOPEFUL. She has been off the track since finishing second to Doha in the Kensington Palace over a mile here at the Royal meeting and the winner has franked the form by running well in strong company since. The front two pulled four-and-a-quarter-lengths clear of the remainder of the field that day and Doha has twice been placed in Listed events subsequently. That strongly suggests that Hopeful will be up to running well at this level too and the drop back to 7f might also suit as she was collared only close home by Doha.

Selection: Hopeful @ SP

16:45 - Berkshire Healthcare Charity Handicap (5f)

Another competitive sprint to finish the card and the one to be on is VENTURE CAPITAL. He has been progressing rapidly and comes into this race having won two of his last three and finishing second on the other occasion. That runner-up spot came at this course, so we know he has no problem with the track, and he recorded a solid time when winning well after being dropped back to this 5f trip for the first time since his debut at Doncaster last month. There is more to come from Venture Capital at this distance and a 6lb rise might not stop him following up.

Selection: Venture Capital @ SP

Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation