Tate positive as Royal Ascot gamble on Hunt Cup hope New Graduate gathers pace

New Graduate was on Thursday cut into as short as 5-1 for the Royal Hunt Cup and trainer James Tate did nothing to dent confidence in the Royal Ascot gamble with his assessment that he could have a Group horse on his hands.

Momentum has gathered behind the son of New Approach, owned by Tate's main supporter Saeed Manana, and last week he could be backed at 10-1 for the feature handicap over a mile on day two of Royal Ascot.

Tate, who spent Thursday morning in the company of Manana, said: "After he won at Ripon we all looked around and said, 'Hunt Cup – we'll go straight there'. This has been the plan. Is he good enough to win the Hunt Cup off a mark of 105? We hope so, but we'll find out on Wednesday.

"I've always thought of him as a straight-mile or mile-and-a-quarter-around-a-bend horse. I don't think he's a seven-furlong horse."

The Newmarket trainer, who said leading Diamond Jubilee fancy Invincible Army was in "seriously good order", added of New Graduate: "It's a stiff mile at Ascot, which should suit him, but there are so many unknowns about the horse and he's run only four times.

"He's never run over a straight mile, at Ascot or on a massive occasion, but on the other hand he does look like a Group horse in a handicap.

"He is a New Approach, so he is lively, but on the other hand he's very cocksure so hopefully will be all right with the atmosphere. I think his favourite ground is probably good. When he won at Ripon it was just on the easy side and when he won at Thirsk it was kind of good to soft, good.

"He's a big horse to be running on very fast ground, but he definitely didn't like that heavy ground at Haydock in October, although I don't think he was right then as he had an injury.

"He came back and I thought a novice race would be a bit of a gimmie, but it turned into a slog on heavy ground. That was not him and you can scratch that and judge him on his first two and last runs."

Asked about the punt on his hope, Tate, who has booked PJ McDonald for the ride, replied: "I don't worry about things like that. A winner at Royal Ascot would be absolutely priceless – worth more than any bet."

Indeed (red silks) was second to Chatez in the Spring Cup in AprilCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Like Tate, Dominic Ffrench Davis is confident of a big run from his challenger Indeed, and is praying the promising four-year-old gets a run.

The Lambourn trainer was anxiously tracking confirmations for the prestigious mile handicap on Thursday morning and Indeed was 43rd on the list following the forfeit stage.

The Hunt Cup has a maximum field of 30, but that has not stopped bookmakers making Indeed a 16-1 shot – an assessment with which his camp does not disagree.

The son of Showcasing was a 50-1 second on his first start for the yard in Newbury's Spring Cup in April, and Ffrench Davis said: "He's been marvellous since Newbury and is in great order. He'll love the ground if it's easy, but we're just hoping he'll get in.

"I'm going to make an entry at Chelmsford on the same day and if he doesn't get in the Hunt Cup he can go there instead. He hasn't run since Newbury because of the ground, but it was a hell of an effort and I think he'll take all the beating if he does get in."

Ffrench Davis, who trains the French import for Marchwood Aggregates, moved yards in the spring and on the prospect of a winner at Royal Ascot, he said: "It wouldn't do any harm!

"I'm not 100 per cent sure about a jockey. Callum Shepherd rode him last time and the horse is not a difficult ride, but the owner loves Liam Keniry and I imagine he'll get first shout – he rides all of the owner's horses if he can."

Expert view

New Graduate is many respected judges' idea of the banker of the week at Royal Ascot and, in form terms, that is fully understandable.

He won with ears pricked at Ripon, looking every inch the sort of long-striding sort that will be even better on Ascot's stiff straight course, and those behind him have been improving left, right and centre – the second, third and fourth have all won since.

Even from a 15lb higher mark in such a competitive race, he deserves to be viewed as the likeliest winner. The issue is how the draw might treat him. Handicaps on the straight course at Ascot often come with significant biases which are nonetheless notoriously difficult to pin down before racing begins.

Those who backed Bankable into 13-8 for the same race 11 years ago have probably still not forgotten how his pre-race antics and, as it turned out, disadvantageous draw got him beat.

It could end up that 6-1 is an outstanding price about New Graduate, but it would be preferable to back him at a little shorter, if the pay-off is learning more about how Ascot's straight course is riding next week.
Keith Melrose

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