Tuesday, 19th May 2026
In ATC today….
Moscow Power goes on to the Watch List….
…. the Victoria Cup served to re-highlight the perpetual problem facing punters in valuable big-field handicaps….
…. and you’d think Clive Cox can win a pot with this 5yo off a mark of just 81….
Oh…. and check out this weekend’s potential target races….
Read on….
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We’ve seen plenty of good-quality handicap racing over the last couple of weeks….
…. at Chester…. Ascot…. York…. and Newbury….
…. with not much breathing space in between times to study what we’ve seen….
…. or to establish which horses we might reasonably take forward on the Watch List….
A quieter week lies ahead….
…. with no midweek action to target….
…. and it seems like a good time to catch up on a few observations….
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Moscow Power ran a cracker over 6f at Ascot in the Ascot Hospitality Handicap (watch here) on May 8th….
…. drawn over towards the far side in stall 6 jockey George Wood knew what he wanted to do from the word go and headed straight over to the nearside rail as soon as the gates opened….
There were no half-measures – by the time the field had covered a furlong, the 3yo was closest to that rail….
Of course, the fastest route from A to B is a straight line….
…. he’d done anything but that and found himself toward the rear of the field….
…. and the next furlong – run in just 10.99 seconds – had plenty to do with eating into a bit of what he’d lost in the process….
That was the fastest sectional any of the 19 runners ran at any point in the race – but it wasn’t enough….
He never quite got into contention with the front two – drawn 12 and 13 – and was always playing catch-up….
It was a good effort nevertheless – and he’s rated to win on a mark of 78….
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The Victoria Cup – run at Ascot on 9th May (review here) – is worth mentioning….
…. not necessarily because anything stands out as one to follow going forward….
…. but more because it serves to highlight the perpetual dilemma punters face when weighing up what’s more important in a valuable big-field environment – potential or proven ability ….
Shafdar turned up having won a much lesser race at Epsom….
…. Khafiz having shown a bit in a smaller field….
If you choose to back relatively inexperienced horses like that in a big Festival handicap the hope is that they are able to go on again in tougher circumstances….
…. but for both horses – each having their eighth run under rules – the race proved a bridge too far at this stage of their respective careers and they finished down the field….
The principal players – on the other hand – The Wizard Of Eye, Great Acclaim, Tribal Chief, Golden Mind and Royal Zabeel are much more seasoned types having already posted decent or promising bits of form in similar races….
It doesn’t mean it will work out like that every time or that the likes of Shafdar or Khafiz won’t grow into such races as time goes on….
…. it just means that’s seasoning is a crucial consideration in proper big-field races – where the sheer numbers involved, the hustle and bustle, and the pace at which they go takes a bit of getting used to….
Mudbir – sent off favourite at 3s – is a slightly different case….
He’d already won a big race at Goodwood as a 3yo and he hadn’t had a clear run when going well at that same track the time after….
Perhaps the lack of a prep run found him out this time but – whatever – he was comprehensively beaten on what was just his seventh start….
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On the same day down at Lingfield in the William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Dragon Leader finished second behind Foreseen – view here….
The winner made all and wasn’t for catching in the closing stages – but going forward you can see Clive Cox finding something for his charge off a mark of just 81….
The 5yo won some chunk money as a 2yo and he went into his 3yo season rated 96 – at which point his form fell off a tall cliff….
He was gelded in the August before undergoing a wind procedure ahead of the 2025 campaign – when he only appeared the once….
He’s clearly had problems but this year – during which his mark has fallen from 85 to the current 81 – there have been signs that he can land a few quid for connections….
On the AW at Wolverhampton, he ran two good races – disadvantaged by interference in the first and a wide passage in the second….
…. before showing up at Newmarket in a bigger field where he finished a creditable fifth – beaten 5-lengths – having been inconvenienced by a rival struggling on the track’s undulations….
He’s been hitting the line well over the 7f trip and stuck on doggedly at Lingfield to finish second….
He’s been running in races for horses rated up to 90 and 95 – but qualifies for lesser contests….
…. and whilst he ain’t no world beater he is very much on a mark he can take advantage of at some point….
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That’s all for today….
…. check out this week’s potential target races….
Back tomorrow….
Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk
Stay tuned….
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