Desirous looks ahead of her mark and the one to be on at the 9/1 available with BetVictor in the Sandringham Stakes for three-year-old fillies run over the straight mile on Friday’s card at Royal Ascot (17:00).
This Ralph Beckett trained daughter of Classic winner Kingman had some smart form to her name as a juvenile when winning one of her four starts.
She ran well when runner-up to Dandhu at Kempton on her second outing. The winner has gone on to land a Group 3 and finish 10th of 19 to Hermosa in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket off an official rating of 108.
Desirous backed that up with a cracking head second at Newmarket when getting chinned by subsequent 1000 Guineas third Qabala, who is now rated 109, in the dying strides.
This likeable type then got off the mark with a game head success at Kempton and could not have been more impressive on handicap debut when making a winning return to action at Goodwood last month.
Bred to be smart
After travelling powerfully on the heels of the leaders, Desirous showed a smart turn of foot to shoot clear a furlong from home when shaken-up by Harry Bentley.
She then ran on strongly under a hands and heels ride to easily beat Clara Peeters by 1 1/4 lengths. Desirous won in the manner of a handicapper to keep firmly onside and a 6lb rise in the weights looks more than fair.
A revised rating of 88 still looks very exploitable, especially on her aforementioned efforts behind Dandhu and Qabala.
Desirous is bred to be much better than it and is an unexposed and progressive sort who should have plenty more to offer.
With the yard in form and operating at a strike rate of just under 23 per cent in the last 14 days at the time of writing, and Bentley once again in the saddle, Desirous looks to have lots going for her in this ultra-competitive handicap.
Nonchalance feared most
There are a whole host of dangers in a typically wide-open renewal in which a field of 28 are set to go to post, but Nonchalance is feared most given powerful connections.
This Sheikha Al Jalila Racing owned daughter of Dubawi hails from the in-form yard of John Gosden who is bidding to win the race for a third time.
She has a similar profile to Persuasive who landed the spoils 12 months ago for the Newmarket handler.
Since finishing a promising fourth on debut at Wolverhampton at the beginning of last month, Nonchalance has won her two subsequent starts in good style.
After forging clear to beat Infuse by three lengths at Haydock, she only had to be pushed out to score by a cosy 1 1/2 lengths from previous winner Dubrava at Newmarket.
The pair pulled four lengths clear of the third home, so that gives the form a solid look.
Nonchalance has the look of a pattern performer in the making, so an opening handicap mark of 91 could well be on the lenient side.
The fact that she has achieved so much in three quicks runs to get a mark is also impressive, and Gosden has clearly had this race firmly in mind right from the outset.
Everything points to a big run and Nonchalance can be backed at 7/1 with Betfred to complete the hat-trick.
Class-dropping Coral Beach appeals each-way
Coral Beach appeals each-way at the 16/1 on offer with Coral, who are paying a fifth of outright odds for five places, now dropped significantly in grade.
This daughter of Zoffany hails from the all-conquering yard to Irish handler Aiadan O’Brien who is the leading trainer at the royal meeting at the time of writing.
She had a very busy campaign as a juvenile when running an incredible 13 times and winning twice.
It was therefore to her credit that Coral Beach rounded off a gruelling campaign with a career-best effort when landing a Group 3 at Leopardstown by a length from Guaranteed.
She only had to be driven out to account for Jim Bolger’s charge, who went on to land a Group 2 at the same venue next time up and was successful in a Listed contest at The Curragh last time out off an official rating of 101.
That gives the form a strong look in relation to this and suggest Coral Beach should be very competitive off her current mark of 100.
Although she has failed to trouble the judge in two runs this season, they have both come in Classic contests – the French and English 1000 Guineas.
This represents a huge drop in class and return to much calmer waters. It’s also very interesting that the tongue-tie is now refitted as Coral Beach is two from three when sporting it.
So, from a good high draw in stall 23, she looks to have far more going for her than the odds on offer would suggest.
