David Jennings backs new £2 million Amo recruit to prove 'a class above' his Ascot rivals - but the in-form Tom Segal fancies a bigger-priced alternative

Amo Racing have hit the crossbar a couple of times this week at Royal Ascot, but Kia Joorabchian was able to land a blow before the royal meeting on Monday when buying Ghostwriter for £2 million and David Jennings believes the four-year-old will make a winning start for his new connections.

The Clive Cox-trained son of Invincible Spirit ran ten times in the colours of Jeff Smith before changing hands at the Goffs London Sale and drops to Group 2 company in Saturday's Hardwicke Stakes (3.05) for the first time since winning the 2023 Royal Lodge at Newmarket.

Speaking on the Racing Post's Good Morning Royal Ascot show, Jennings said: "I’m really keen on Ghostwriter. You’re taking a chance that he’s going to stay but I just think the races he’s been running in, the Juddmonte International behind City Of Troy, the Irish Champion Stakes behind Economics — it’s a better level than he’s running at here.

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"I thought he ran really well at the Curragh last time. At various stages, he just got his run cut off, I didn’t think he got to properly gallop out up the straight."

Ghostwriter will be the 15th runner solely owned in Amo's name at Ascot this week and Joorabchian will be hoping his new recruit can go one better than Arizona Blaze, who was beaten a neck in Friday's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, and Flowerhead, who outran odds of 100-1 to be second in the Queen Mary.

Ghostwriter: high in the betting for the Coral-Eclipse

Ghostwriter: has made the frame in Group 1 company on five of his last seven startsCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Jennings added: “He’s always strong towards the end of his races and I think he’s a class above these. I think he’ll win.”

However, after tipping 22-1, 10-1 and 7-1 winners on Friday, Tom Segal went for a bigger-priced alternative to Ghostwriter in the £250,000 event. “I don’t like the top of the market at all," said Segal. "I think there are reasons to take them all on.

22-1, 10-1 and 7-1 winners for Pricewise

Tom Segal is enjoying a sensational Royal Ascot and on Friday tipped Albany winner Venetian Sun at 7-1, Adrestia 22-1 Sandringham winner Never Let Go.

Get exclusive access to his tips by signing up to Racing Post+ - and get our tipping package for £10 for your first month by using the code SEGAL10.

Tom Segal is in stunning form after 22-1, 10-1 and 7-1 winners on Friday - he has five strong fancies for the last day of Royal Ascot

"I don’t like the ground for Rebel’s Romance, Al Riffa with the blinkers on or Ghostwriter stepping up in trip. I was going to take a shot at my old pal Candleford for William Haggas because he cannot have it fast enough. All his best form is first time out."

Segal added of the 2022 Duke of Edinburgh Stakes winner: "When he won the handicap here by six lengths, it was as impressive a performance as there was that week.

"He ran in this race last year and was fourth, but he was only a length and three-quarters behind Goliath, who went on to win the King George. He wasn’t fresh and he was ridden really prominently, which isn’t his style."

Candleford is a best-priced 14-1 for the Hardwicke Stakes with BetVictor.

More key insight from Good Morning Royal Ascot

He looked very good at Newmarket but the form is shocking. The second horse was beaten at Lingfield on Wednesday and all the ones that ran behind him have finished last basically. The time wasn’t very good. 6-5 is not for me, especially with Charlie Appleby’s form, it’s three years since he had a winner here. That’s quite a long time and he’s had lots of runners like this.
Segal does not believe Treanmor, favourite for the opening Chesham Stakes (2.30), will provide Charlie Appleby with a first Royal Ascot winner since Naval Crown's Jubilee Stakes success in 2022.

I just loved Topgear at Newmarket last year. It was one of the most impressive performances by any horse all season last year when he won the Challenge Stakes. It was only a Group 2 and it wasn’t a brilliant race, but he could have won by 25 lengths if he’d wanted and that’s hard to do.
Segal on a French-trained fancy in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (3.40).

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