GEORGE BOUGHEY: Weekend Preview & Best Chance

We have a busy couple of days coming up with eight runners across Friday and Saturday, writes GEORGE BOUGHEY.

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FRIDAY

ENCHANTED QUEEN – 5.25 Wolverhampton

Enchanted Queen was impressive on her stable debut, and that certainly wasn’t unexpected, as she had been showing plenty at home beforehand. Her work has remained at a decent level since and I think the extra furlong should suit her well. She looks a progressive filly and hopefully she can take another step forward.

HUNSTANTON – 6.15 Newcastle

Hunstanton was disappointing on debut and simply didn’t show what we had seen from him at home. I was keen to get him back on the track fairly quickly, both for the horse and his owners, who have been patient with him.

A straight six furlongs at Newcastle should give him every chance to show himself in a better light and hopefully we see much more of what he has been showing us at home.

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SATURDAY

LADY DORA MAE – 12.25 Newmarket

Lady Dora Mae probably felt the effects of a slightly busy campaign when disappointing at York, having previously been placed in Listed company in France.

We opted to give her a bit of a break with an autumn campaign in mind and this looks a nice entry point for her. The ground was much slower than ideal at York and, back on a slicker surface, I think we should see her in a much better light.

AWAKEN – 1.15 Ascot

Awaken probably did too much when stepping up to nine furlongs in France a couple of weeks ago. Off the back of a decent run before that, I was keen to get her back on some quick ground before conditions invariably start to change.

She looks great and has trained nicely. Dropping back to this intermediate trip of seven furlongs should suit and hopefully we can see her to better effect.

GREEN STAR – 1.42 Redcar

Green Star was pleasing on debut and that run wasn’t unexpected as he had been training nicely beforehand.

This looks a warm enough novice with a couple of fancied horses in there, but hopefully there is some natural progression to come from him. Seven furlongs looks his trip, and I’d like to think he can be in the shake-up and hopefully get a win next to his name.

MOONFALL – 3.35 Ascot

Moonfall has possibly been a little unlucky on his last couple of starts, getting collared late at Ascot before not quite getting there at Doncaster.

He has trained super since then and I was in two minds whether to put him away for the year or take advantage of what should be some decent ground this weekend. He is in terrific order. Seven furlongs is the shortest trip he has tackled for a while, but hopefully they go a good gallop and he can get involved in what is a very valuable prize.

TRYST – 3.50 Newmarket

I think Tryst is very interesting this weekend. We wanted to stretch her back up in trip last time after she had shown a liking for seven furlongs, but she cantered into the race at Ascot before finding very little in the final furlong up the hill.

She showed a liking for Newmarket’s July Course earlier in the summer and was also nearly a winner in a strong maiden there at the back end of last year. The quick ground should be right up her street and I think she goes there with a pretty decent chance.

CLASSIC ENCOUNTER – 4.35 Redcar

Classic Encounter returns to a track he clearly enjoys, with form figures of 112 at Redcar, and he is in great order.

This race has been the plan for a while. He seems to enjoy the easy, flat surface there and has been knocking on the door this season, so hopefully saving him for this can pay off.

I suspect his owner George Waud may have somewhere slightly more important to be this weekend, with Maltese Cross heading to Paris on Sunday!

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THE ARC

It would be fantastic to see Maltese Cross win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for George Waud on Sunday.

He has enjoyed a brilliant season for William Haggas, finishing second in the Derby before winning the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and then the Group 2 Great Voltigeur at York.

I think the three-year-old allowance is a big positive and it looks as though he should get suitable ground. People have suggested he doesn’t handle slower conditions, but he was second in the Derby on good-to-soft, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned on that front.

He goes there with a big chance and, with George also owning Classic Encounter, it would be some weekend if we could do our bit at Redcar before Maltese Cross takes his chance in Paris.

BEST CHANCE

Enchanted Queen looks our best chance of the weekend after an impressive stable debut, but at a bigger price I think Tryst is very interesting back on quick ground and over seven furlongs.

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STAR PROMOTIONS