English Oak returns to Ascot in search of another win © Photo Healy Racing
Ed Walker 's English Oak returns to the scene of his finest victory and is bidding to regain the winning thread in Ascot’s John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes on Saturday.
The smart four-year-old won the Buckingham Palace Stakes in the summer, while his only other appearance at the Berkshire venue saw him narrowly denied by Rohaan in handicap company on this very card 12 months ago.
That came over six furlongs – the distance he reverts to here after testing his mettle in stakes company since his triumph at the Royal meeting.
Richard Brown on English Oak
The highest rated of the nine facing the starter, connections are confident he can continue his Ascot love affair in this end-of-season Group Three.
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“He’s coming back to six furlongs and I thought he didn’t 100 per cent get home at Newbury last time. He’s showing plenty of speed, so we just wanted to try the stiff six at Ascot with him,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.
“He ran very well on his last start last year over the course and distance and we are looking forward to seeing him go back to Ascot.
“I think there is no doubt Ascot is quite a specialist track and he has run there twice and won the Buckingham Palace very impressively and ran a big race behind Rohaan. I’m hoping we can see a similar performance now he’s back there.”
Another course specialist is Owen Burrows’ Jarraaf who bids for a course-and-distance hat-trick stepping out of handicap company following some commanding victories of late, while Charlie Fellowes’ Vadream won this event in 2021 before going close after trouble in running 12 months ago.
A top-level operator on testing ground, her handler has been encouraged by the rainfall earlier in the week and is eager to draw a line through her most recent effort down at the minimum trip in the Flying Five Stakes.
“She won the race a couple of years ago and ran a cracker in it last year, she loves Ascot and hopefully she can run a big race,” said Fellowes.
Vadream wins the Howden Palace House Stakes Group 3 Newmarket© Photo Healy Racing
“The run at the Curragh last time, it just wasn’t soft enough. They had a bit of rain beforehand, but it just wasn’t anywhere near soft enough over five furlongs and she just never got into it. This will be much more up her street.
“I don’t mind conditions over six furlongs and when she ran well in the Haydock Sprint Cup it was only good to soft – it is over five furlongs where she could do with it bottomless.”
Andrew Balding ’s Purosangue was a neck second to Stuart Williams’ Quinault at York when last seen and is another to perform favourably at this venue, while Karl Burke’s consistent Korker was just behind Purosangue on the Knavesmire before also placing in the Spigot Lodge handler’s Ayr Gold Cup domination last month. Adaay In Devon has been kept very busy by Rod Millman this term and has some smart form figures to her name, while useful handicappers Wiltshire (William Haggas), Apollo One (Peter Charalambous and James Clutterbuck) and Russet Gold (Roger Varian) complete the line-up.
