Lord Ascot set to break through
Friday's Singapore best bet
At the rate he is improving, Lord Ascot should lord them over in the final of 10 events at Kranji tonight.
His form suggests that he could be too good for his 11 Class 4 Non Premier rivals over the Polytrack 1,200m.
After two unplaced outings under jockeys William Pike and Craig Grylls, the Stephen Gray-trained four-year-old came right to finish third and then second at his last two starts when ridden by jockey Vlad Duric. The reigning champion should now know his mount inside out.
His two placings, both over the Poly 1,200m, were full of merit, considering that he lost to two good horses, Curvature and Zac Kasa.
On March 11, Lord Ascot came from last to be involved in a three-way finish. At the line, he was beaten by only two necks by Curvature, who has gone on to score two more consecutive victories in better grade races. This certainly augurs well for Lord Ascot.
Then, on April 8, Lord Ascot raced handier, travelling in midfield and he again put in good work at the finish but found Zac Kasa in top galloping mood, going down by three lengths.
Trainer Cliff Brown has labelled Zac Kasa, who went on to finish a creditable sixth in the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic last Sunday, as a very good horse, while Rodd called the grey a "massive talent" after they combined for an earlier victory on March 4.
The assessment by the two top horsemen on Zac Kasa also put Lord Ascot in a good light.
Looking at tonight's card, there are no Curvatures or Zac Kasas around, so Lord Ascot should have plentyof admirers.
But don't expect to get rich. He'll probably start as an odds-on favourite.
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