Alex Hammond: Profitable punt?

Sky Sports News HQ racing expert Alex Hammond answers the big racing questions and offers her thoughts on this weekend’s action at Haydock and the Curragh.

What did you make of Wings Of Desire’s victory in the Dante Stakes and do you think he has what it takes to win the Derby?

Well, it was hard not to be impressed with the horse and the enthusiasm of his connections. He’s a fast-improving colt and in the hands of John Gosden anything is possible.

What a shocker though that he was taken out of the Derby and will have to be supplemented back in to the race at a cost of £75,000. Mind you he won £90,736 at York so let’s not feel too sorry for the owners just yet!

We will know a little more next week when the colt gets a feel of the Epsom cambers at the traditional Breakfast With The Stars morning, although generally classic hopefuls aren’t asked a really serious test there. It will give Frankie Dettori a good indication of his ability to handle the unusual configuration of the course though.

As you know, I fancied Midterm for the Dante and he ran a disappointing race. It has transpired that he has tweaked a hamstring and Sir Michael Stoute is in a race to get him ready for Epsom now. I backed him before the Dante for Epsom, so hope he gets there in rude health.

At this stage you can’t rule many out in an open year for the Derby and whilst the Coolmore crew have a strong hand numbers wise, they don’t really have a standout performer. Their impressive French 2000 Guineas winner The Gurkha is now Sky Bet’s clear 7/2 favourite, but of their possible runners I like Port Douglas each-way at 14s after his excellent placed effort in the Chester Vase.

Cloth Of Stars is another that comes into the mix for Andre Fabre and Godolphin. This colt has taken the same route as Fabre’s former Derby winner Pour Moi and isn’t without his supporters. He’s now a 10/1 shot.

Belardo has ‘masses of talent’ according to Roger Varian but do you think he can back up his Newbury win in the top mile races this season and did we learn anything else from the Lockinge?

His Lockinge performance looked smart, but it was an open race and it didn’t look like a vintage year. Having said that with Solow out of action the mile division is wide open and given the right underfoot conditions he should play a hand in the top mile races this season.

I wouldn’t be rushing to back him for the Queen Anne just yet though as he is very ground dependant and the good ground (dried out from very soft) was as quick as he wants it. If the ground came up quick at Royal Ascot, Limato would still be of interest after his fourth place even though it was inconclusive regarding his ability to stay the mile at the highest level.

Unlike Belardo, he was having his first run of the season and that should have helped him for future races. He was over racing in the early part of the Newbury contest and you would like to see him settle better next time. It will be interesting to see what route Henry Candy takes with him. It could be likely that seven furlongs is his optimum trip.

There are plenty of Royal Ascot quotes flying about at the moment, has any one performance caught your eye with that meeting in mind?

The Gurkha’s performance at Deauville stands out and he looks capable of mixing it at the highest level over trips from a mile to a mile and a half and he would go to Royal Ascot with a great chance in the St James’s Palace Stakes for which he is now 5/2 second favourite with Sky Bet.

He may step up to 12 …

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