12th Jul 2014 | Horse Racing
July Cup Tips: Astaire
Better than the bare form at Royal Ascot when his race was compromised by a protracted pace duel. Handles soft ground.
The Diamond Jubilee has a strong bearing on this afternoon’s July Cup (3.50 Newmarket) which explains why Slade Power is favourite.
Less obvious are the claims of Astaire.
The 3-year-old was beaten by 6.25 lengths at Royal Ascot but his performance was better than the bare result.
As usual, sectional timings give more colour to the performance and thanks to Simon Rowlands at Timeform, we can see that Astaire slowed dramatically in the final 2f, with a finishing speed of 93.7%.
The 3-year-old fell victim to a protected pace duel with Gordon Lord Byron and lost several places in the final furlong. It’s unlikely he would have beaten Slade Power but he was probably the second best horse on the day.
His confirmed the ability advertised earlier in the season when runner-up in the Duke of York Stakes on soft ground.
He will handle conditions better than most and if Slade Power has an off day he could collect at 22/1 (BetVictor).
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Odds correct at time of publishing: 08:16 12th Jul, 2014 but subject to change
