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Tabletalk looks tasty at Ascot

October 2024

Tabletalk can back up his victory at York last time out when stepping back up in class for the BetMGM Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot on Friday.

Tom Clover's three-year-old created a few headlines in the spring when he was supplemented for the Derby despite being a rank outsider.

However, he was not disgraced there, finishing 10th of 16 behind City Of Troy, and he was then given a bit of a break to get over that.

He returned at Ascot in July in a competitive handicap and finished a very fair third from a mark of 94, with Burdett Road finishing in behind and franking the form since.

A month later Tabletalk ran in the prestigious Melrose Handicap at York, where he was given a fine ride by Rossa Ryan to run out a comfortable winner.

Confidence would be higher in Tabletalk had the ground not been so testing but he is by Camelot and there is plenty in the form book by that sire who have found soft ground no hindrance.

Ralph Beckett has had another terrific season and with Bluestocking heading for the Arc on Sunday, Hutchence can send him to France with a spring in his step by winning the Colliers Handicap.

The 310,000 guineas purchase is by Frankel, so we know testing ground is no barrier to his success.

Stepping up in trip has seen him improve no end, winning twice over 2400m at Salisbury and Newbury before he finished third over an extra 400m at Haydock in a valuable affair.

He was doing his best work at the finish there so another step up in trip should not unduly worry him.

One horse who absolutely loved very soft ground was Cracksman and one of his daughters, Russian Crescendo, should take all the beating in the BetMGM Novice Stakes.

Trained by William Haggas, she was beaten a long way by impressive winner Rouge Sellier on her debut but really stepped up on that to win comfortably at Kempton two months later.

Sir Michael Stoute's Never So Brave had plenty of options this weekend so the hint should be taken that he runs in the BetMGM Handicap.

Most of his other entries, like the Challenge Cup and a Redcar Listed race, were over 1400m but with the ground so soft he is running over 1200m instead.

Time may prove Archie Watson's Del Ray faced a very stiff task trying to give a penalty to Elwateen last time out.

Del Ray had won on debut, but was then struck into when running in a Sandown Listed race. Saeed bin Suroor's Elwateen is heading for the Fillies' Mile so going down by under four lengths, conceding 7lb, was a good effort. The second has also come out and won.

The Download The Quinnbet App Nursery Handicap at Newcastle looks easier.

Reach For The Moon was favourite for the Derby when winning the Solario Stakes in 2021 and he would have been a popular winner given he was owned by the Queen in her jubilee year.

However, things did not quite pan out as anticipated and he is now hurdling with Jamie Snowden.

Still part-owned by royalty, he opened his account at Worcester and that may have rebuilt his confidence ahead of the BetGoodwin Best UK Betting Site Novices' Hurdle at Fontwell.

Dan Skelton's Beat Box is making the long journey to Hexham in search of a five-timer in the Martin Bowler Memorial Novices' Handicap Chase and he should still have enough in hand to oblige. - Press Association

TAB is betting on 4 UK meetings on Friday. Here are the tips.

FONTWELL: Race 1: 15.00 Sublime Heights, Race 2: 15.35 Reach For The Moon, Race 3: 16.10 Rogue King, Race 4: 16.45 Enthused, Race 5: 17.20 Jupiter Du Gite, Race 6: 17.55 Ted's Friend, Race 7: 18.30 Kalif d'Airy.

ASCOT: Race 1: 15.12 Dakota Power, Race 2: 15.47 Hutchence, Race 3: 16.22 Russian Crescendo, Race 4: 16.57 TABLETALK (NAP), Race 5: 17.30 Never So Brave, Race 6: 18.05 Thunder Roar.

HEXHAM: Race 1: 15.20 Santa Clarita, Race 2: 15.55 Kingston James, Race 3: 16.30 Beat Box, Race 4: 17.05 Lady Mendoza, Race 5: 17.40 Florida Dreams, Race 6: 18.15 Coniston Clouds, Race 7: 18.50 You Some Girl.

NEWCASTLE: Race 1: 17.15 Something, Race 2: 17.50 Del Ray, Race 3: 18.25 King Of Lightning, Race 4: 19.00 Theme Park, Race 5: 19.30 Drakeholes, Race 6: 20.00 Sacree Fleur, Race 7: 20.30 Turbo Command, Race 8: 21.00 Kyber Crystal, Race 9: 21.30 One Of Our Own.

ALL TO COME: Tabletalk (Ascot, Race 4) and Del Ray (Newcastle, Race 2).

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