Wokingham Handicap Royal Ascot 2017

Bit of deja vu here as after last years Victoria Cup I thought Outback Traveller was one to look for in the Wokingham and so it proved - only I didnt back it!

Have to say that whilst there were a number of eyecatchers in this years renewal I do think Outback Traveller did so just as much as he did last year and whilst he is a few pounds higher you could argue thats not so prohibitive given the subsequent exploits of 2nd placed Brando. Therefore at 25-1 Im not letting it go unbacked.

That said, the one Im really keen on at this stage is William Haggas' Squats, especially at the generous looking 33-1. Granted, he was disappointing in the Victoria Cup but he was friendless on his reappearance, was trapped widest of all for a hold-up, cover-up horse and ran just as badly in the race last year. He went on to run some really good races in big field 7f events at Ascot, not least when leading the field at the 1f marker in the International handicap last July before being gathered in by Librisa Breeze who hardly disgraced the form by demolishing a top class field of a mark of 108 later that season, with Squats back in 3rd.

He has crept up to a mark of 104 from 98 without winning but as mentioned last year, you have to be rated 100+ to get into this race and he is hardly without a turn of foot given he came from last to first in a 5f nursery at Ascot as a 2yo to nab the now 116 rated Profitable. Indeed, it could be notable that not only is Squats entered in the Wokingham, he also holds an entry in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee, suggesting that 6f is going to be his distance this year, hardly surprising given he is by top class sprinter Dandy Man.

The down side is his strike rate of 3 from 17 and he hasnt won since that nursery victory back in Sept 2014. I do feel, however, that there is more to come and am willing to risk my hard-earned on him.

Of the others Projection has apparently been aimed at this for a long time (owned by some Ascot mob) and by Charltons admission would have need it at Newmarket. He was, however, due to run next at Goodwood this week but was never entered and showed signs of temperament going down to the start at Newmarket, ala Hunstmans Close and at this stage is of no interest.