The LORD GRAY Bonanza Stakes,Nine furlongs firm turf Ascot.

Ascot ,one of my two home beat tracks and its great to be back. Race ten on Saturdays card is Ascots feature race, The LORD GRAY Bonanza Stakes, to be ran over nine furlongs on the firm turf for all horses 3 yo + . A field of eight will compete for a purse of $95000. We have an open looking race that may require a little studying in order to find the first three. Here are the runners and riders in race card order.

5 yo horse

Gulch x Danzig x Lyphard

39 runs 10 wins 7 seconds 7 thirds $411194

This guy won his first stakes race after his seventh run back in his 3 yo days and now with 39 runs on the board guess what, he is in the form of his career having just won his first ever graded race lto in the Grade 3 Premium Jockey Guild stakes in Italy over nine furlongs where he came from way off the pace to finish with a rare rattle and get up by one and a half lengths at the line. His speed of 108 was a career high and was proof that his previous run, in a nine furlongs stakes in North Dakota where he finished second with a 107 was no one off. He has gotta have a great chance in his present form and may take some stopping.

3 yo colt

Rock of Gibralter x Rainbow Quest x Sadler`s Wells

15 runs 4 wins 6 seconds 2 thirds $106435

Extremely good claim four races back and for only $13500, as a trainer that also likes a dabble in the claiming market I doff my (baseball) cap in respect at such an astute piece of business. Since the horse has moved yards to his present surroundings he has gone from strength to strength, finishing second in his first run for his new yard in a nine furlong allowance before setting the track on fire with a quick fire win treble all in allowance company and all over eight and a half furlongs, culminating with run lto that saw him smash his lifetime best with a trap to wire victory in a $42500 allowance in South Africa smashing his lifetime best in the process with a huge 113. However just because he is the horse in the race I would most like to own does not mean he will win. In the past he has shown some vulnerability over nine furlongs, which seems to stretch his stamina to the absolute limit. Whilst he may get away with it in weaker company, there are some decent sorts here and the sound of thundering hoofs up that lung bursting final half a furlong may set alarm bells ringing.

3 yo colt

Arazi x Green Desert x Storm Cat

12 runs 6 wins 2 seconds 2 thirds $288680

Impressive stakes winning 3 yo. Had his run of five wins on the bounce disrupted by Ziggy last time out in the Grade 3 Premium Guild Jockey Stakes when, despite running a fine up with the pace race he could not hold off the late thrust of the winner and went down by one and a half lengths. His two runs previous to this were both class performances, winning an 3 yo unrestricted allowance ($64000) with a front running performance in Florida with a lifetime best 109 before going on to his biggest success yet in the nine furlong The Wooden Nijinsky Challenge Stakes in Kentucky, once again leading all the way before coasting to victory by three lengths with a speed of 107. Theological , with only twelve runs on the board could very easily have a bit of improvement left in him and that gives him some hope of turning the tables with Ziggy. Sure to be there or thereabouts, he will be aiming to steal a march on the field right from the gate.

5 yo horse

Bertrando x Carson City x General Meeting

28 runs 10 wins 7 seconds 2 thirds $209651

In fine form with himself at present, having hacked up in four nine furlong allowance races in a row by a combined distance of seventeen lengths and with his latest victory producing a lifetime best speed figure of 104. As impressive as it is I can assure people that he wont be hacking up by a big margin here, indeed a repeat of his lifetime best may not even get a place . Likable improver who deserves his shot in graded class, its a little unfortunate that he has found such a difficult race with such classy participants in what is his first ever crack at stakes glory.

6 yo horse

Rainbow Quest x Lear Fan x Danzig

26 runs 7 wins 8 seconds 3 thirds $502170

Despite being a late starter to the racing game, not seeing the racetrack until four years old, this horse has threatened to be a superstar from his third race onwards. Strangely he seems to have had more than his fair share of bad luck in big races, often running high speed figures in decent fields but being denied the win including a grade 1 second and a grade 2 third over a mile with a speed figure of 109, which is still his pb to this day. Then an unexplained loss of form must have left his trainer wondering if he was ever going to fulfill the potential he so often showed. Four runs back came the first signs of shoots of recovery, running second in a nine and a half furlongs stakes race in Japan and for the first time in seven starts breaking the one hundred barrier with a 104. He was then shipped off to California for a nine furlong stakes where once again he grabbed runners up spot and once again broke one hundred with a 103. Then onto Oregon where the good turf did slow him down a little, but not enough to deny him the win in a nine and a half furlongs stakes race. Lto he was most impressive in Vermont, coming from way off the pace to win the nine furlong Bounded Que Stakes in Vermont with a pleasing 109. He has got every chance here.

4 yo colt

Galileo x Blushing Groom x Majestic Light

14 runs 5 wins 3 seconds 1 third $124326

Having ran the best two races of his life when second in a nine and a half furlongs stakes in New Jersey , running a speed of 104 followed by second in a ten furlongs stakes in Virginia, where his speed that day of 108 is his lifetime best, he was the major disappointment in the Grade 3 Premium Jockey Guild stakes in Italy won by Ziggy with Theological in second, going off near the head of the market yet coming home stone cold last. A look back through his recent previous form will tell you that was his fourth race in six weeks, surely an excuse for such a poor run. Now if he were mine he would have had a longer break than the four weeks he has had off since that poor run, and it wouldnt be the biggest surprise in the world to see him not over his punishing schedule. For that reason I will overlook him here, even though he has the talent to do well in this.

3 yo colt

More then Ready x Danzig x Caerleon

20 runs 4 wins 7 seconds 2 thirds $113269

A $10000 claim four runs back, he smashed his lifetime best in his first run for his new stable when leading all the way until the final 200 yards in a $40500 nw4l allowance in New South Wales, finishing second with a 104. He has since went on to finish first in a $30400 nw4l allowance over eight and a half furlongs in China with a 98 before finishing second in a nine furlongs stakes in Victoria, just failing by 1/2 a length to pick up the leader with a speed of 101. Lto finished third in a ten furlongs stakes on the yielding turf in Portugal, beaten three lengths with a 94. Its gonna be a big ask for him in this race as it looks only the cream of the three year olds would be capable of challenging the decent older ones here, and he may be a rung just below that level of ability.

4 yo colt

Obligato x Miswaki x Majestic Light

30 runs 3 wins 9 seconds 4 thirds $71726

Claimed for $20000, his first run for his new yard was a fourth place in a nine furlong stakes in Longchamp, running on through beaten weakening horses but making no impression on the leaders beaten nine and three quarters lengths with a speed of 93. Whilst I hate to be the prophet of doom, that gives him a massive task here and one that is surely insurmountable. With his best efforts often producing speed figures in the nineties, it can perhaps be thought that he attempting to fly too high in stakes class.

That Dumber than a Rock is a fine stamp of a horse, but I just dont like him over 9 furlongs. There is little to split Ziggy, Theological and Ollies Quest, very little indeed and despite being held by Ziggy on his last run, Im a sucker for an improving youngster so will take Theological to improve and win this. Ollies Quest and Ziggy can have a dog fight all the way up the stretch to decide second place, with Ziggy just winning that battle.