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Ross Millar: Monday fancies after a 20/1 Sunday winner
By Ross Millar
Last Updated: Sun 12 May 2024
Read what our man made of the weekend action and see who he likes for the start of the new week after tipping 20/1 Kerry National winner Brideswell Lad. Watch the case he made for that one below
Take Note Of This Recent Eye-Catcher
This weekend really felt like the Flat kicked into gear with plenty of interesting action in the UK on Saturday and then Ireland and France on Sunday. For me, the star of the show on Saturday was Ambiente Friendly in the Lingfield Derby Trial.
It might not have looked the deepest race on paper - I would imagine Illinois and The Euphrates are some way down the pecking order in Ballydoyle - but visually his performance was exceptional.
He was only a moderate fourth in the Feilden Stakes on his reappearance but he left that form well behind.
Despite pulling hard in the first few furlongs he powered clear under an attacking ride from Callum Shepherd as they approached the three-furlong pole, and it quickly became apparent that he had the race well under control, with Shepherd having the luxury of coasting him home in the final half-furlong.
Ambiente Friendly’s pedigree wouldn’t automatically make you think of a stamina-laden performance yet there were no such issues here.
With City Of Troy flopping in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, the Betfred Derby lacks a standout contender.
I’ve long been a fan of Ancient Wisdom but after Saturday I’m beginning to have a rethink. The one negative I’d be keen to flag regarding Ambiente Friendly would be that he did give himself a hard race by virtue of those over-eager early furlongs and three weeks would be a quicker enough turn-around.
I was a big fan of Henry Longfellow last season and was looking forward to seeing him return in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp, where I was hopeful he would deliver a performance that would mark him out as the leading three-year old colt for the season. But it was not tobe as he trailed home well beaten.
Post-race comments from his trainer suggest he will step forward for the run and on the evidence we saw from Longchamp he is going to need to.
Ryan Moore elected to ride a patient race from stall six, which contrived to mean he found plenty of trouble in running, but I’m not sure he quite had the horse to take him to the gaps when they belatedly appeared.
I won’t give up on him yet as I liked how he’d done physically over the winter (not a sentiment I share about City Of Troy) and it will be interesting to see where they head with him next. I suspect that will depend on how City Of Troy fares in the Derby.
On Monday the Racing TV cameras are at Catterick, Roscommon and Killarney in Ireland. I have three selections:
1.47 Catterick: Redrosezorro
Ross Millar
Finished: 4thSP: 16/1
Ross Millar: This One Is On The Right Course
I like following horses with course form at Catterick, both over jumps and on the Flat. One that stands out on that front here is Redrosezorro for Chris Kellett, with eight of his ten career wins coming at this track.
If ever the term “course-specialist” was apt it’s for him at this track. Now a ten-year old it appeared that a mark in the mid 60s was proving a bit beyond him since his last win in May 2023.
More recently the handicapper has relented and last time out, his second start after a break, he ran a highly creditable race over course and distance, finishing second.
A 2lb rise for that effort keeps him comfortably below his last winning mark and he’ll get excellent assistance from impressive apprentice Mia Nicholls, who looks good value for her 3lb claim.
The forecast good ground will suit Redrosezorro well and despite his advancing years he can land yet another course win.
4.40 Killarney: Innatendue
Ross Millar: This Trip Can Unlock More
On the face of it Innatendue looked to be a shade disappointing last time at Ayr when a short-priced beaten favourite.
She looked a bit short of pace over that two-mile trip and although the winner, Lily Du Berlais, has since gone on to boost the form by winning off a mark of 120 on her next start in a competitive mares’ handicap.
This step up in trip to 2m6f is a positive move for Innatendue as she looks to me like a dour galloper who simply lacks a turn of foot.
The form of the yard is a minor worry with John McConnell only registering one winner from his last 30 runners, but that winner came in the last week so hopefully that’s a reason to be optimistic.
Unlike her main rival, Kudasheva, she has already shown plenty of good form on a sound surface and this, coupled with her greater experience can give her the edge.
6.40 Killarney: French Dynamite
French Dynamite can click at Killarnet (Healy Racing)
Ross Millar
Finished: 2ndSP: 11/4
What a cracking race for a Monday night. Gentleman De Mee arrives here with a mark of 162, which is by some way the highest in the field, but it was disappointing to see him unseat at Punchestown last time and a very belated return to 2m 4f is a worry for this free-going sort.
French Dynamite is the forgotten horse in the line-up. It was just over a year ago that he was a close-up fifth in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival he’s been largely consistent since then. He ran badly last time but was found to have bled.
A return to better ground over his optimum trip is key as it was these conditions that saw him finish a close second to Fakir D’oudairies at Thurles just over a year ago, he also arrives here fresh having not run since that below par performance at Thurles in January.
With huge stamina concerns over the favourite, who must concede 10lb, he looks overpriced at around 9/2.
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