Hannon handicapper looks set to run a big race at Royal Ascot - and 12-1 is top value
Nick Watts delves into the ante-post markets, while our experts flag the runners who caught their eye this week
More Thunder is strongly fancied by many for Tuesday’s Royal Ascot opener, the Queen Anne Stakes, and I wonder if his trainer, William Haggas, has found another More Thunder in Saturday’s York winner Extremely Zain.
The three-year-old produced the performance of the day on Saturday when winning a 7f handicap in the manner of a very smart horse. Sent off the 2-1 favourite, he was hindered a few times through the race but it didn't matter at all as he swept to the front inside the final furlong and won going away.
More Thunder won last year’s Bunbury Cup for Haggas before progressing into a genuine Group 1 horse. Extremely Zain was briefly promoted to favouritism for that Newmarket handicap before bookmakers realised he wasn’t qualified, having had just two runs by the time the weights were framed, but it is a sign that a big handicap will surely be in his sights before he potentially goes up in class.
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Published on inThe Last Word
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