Our columnist returns with five horses on his Royal Ascot radar for next week.
RAYEVKA bids to become the first French trained winner since Chineur (won the same Group 3 at Longchamp beforehand) in 2005 and the first four year old filly since Habibti in 1984. A homebred daughter of Blue Point, she is rated 110 having won 3 of her 12 races. While she has come up short in her previous attempts in Group 1 events (63766), all five of those races came over six or six and a half furlongs. Three parts of a length third in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup (6f : Good/Firm) last summer, she was five and a half lengths sixth in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint (6f : Good) in October.
Following two respectable runs in Meydan, including in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in March, she successfully dropped back to the minimum trip in a Group 3 at Longchamp (Soft) last time. Mickael Barzalona’s mount showed a blistering turn of speed to come from the rear to win going away by a length and three quarters. Unexposed over the trip (21), she will enjoy the frenetic early gallop and ought to be finishing strongly.