Moonfall Can Shine in the Challenge Cup
The BetMGM Challenge Cup (Heritage Handicap) is scheduled to take place today at Ascot.
This race is held during the Ascot Autumn Racing Weekend at Ascot Racecourse, a Class 2 flat turf race contested over a distance of 7 furlongs.
With a total prize fund of £180,000 (£92,772 awarded to the winner), it stands as the richest seven-furlong handicap in the UK.
The race features a highly competitive field of 18 declared runners.
Let's get into today's preview and tips.
Moonfall – Britannia Winner Drops to Seven Furlongs
A maximum field of eighteen runners line up for the Challenge Cup Heritage Handicap at Ascot.
Moonfall has enjoyed a fruitful three-year-old season thus far. The highlight was his win at Royal Ascot in the Britannia Stakes over a mile on fast ground. He hit the front two furlongs out that day travelling the best and toughed it out to win. He looked like a horse that had not recovered from Ascot when finishing fourth at the Newmarket July meeting.
George Boughey freshened him up and ran him twice in September. He finished second here over a mile when run down late by course specialist Hickory. Last time out at Doncaster he was held up for longer and just didn’t get a clean run. The drop down to this stiff seven furlongs in a strongly run race looks his ideal conditions. Billy Loughnane is at Ascot and rides which is another positive.
Two Tribes loves it at Ascot and is best over seven furlongs. You could say he is on a high mark of 103 which is fair as he finished third over course and distance off that mark in the Schweppes Handicap last month. Richard Spencer has booked Toby Moore who claims seven pounds and that makes Two Tribes interesting.
I think he can turn the tables on Thunder Call, who beat him three lengths in the Schweppes Handicap in a slowly run race. Two Tribes meets Thunder Call on 18lbs better terms if counting Toby’s claim. He finished second in the International Handicap in July off a mark of 102 so loves heritage handicaps over seven furlongs at Ascot.
Challenge Cup Tips – Ascot 3:35
0.5 point each way Moonfall 4/1 generally, 5 places.
0.5 point each way Two Tribes 18/1 Bet365 else 16/1 generally, 5 places.
Big Saturday Race Preview & Tips
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Best of Luck, Nicky.
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