Make Me King finished one place behind today’s favourite Gipsy Chief on debut at Deauville last month, but Andre Fabre’s colt can reverse the form today (2.25pm).
He has the physical scope to make up into a very smart performer, backed up by an excellent pedigree, as one would imagine with this yard. Fabre’s juveniles have been improving markedly for a run this year, with five of his six winning two year olds scoring at the second time of asking.
The Group 3 entry back here at the end of the month (which was made two days ago) suggests he has come on nicely for that first run, and the son of Dark Angel, out of a Listed-winning half-sister to The Wow Signal, is taken to get off the mark today.
2.25pm Saint-Cloud – 1pt win Make Me King @ 3-1 (all firms)
The opening claimer (12.05pm) is fairly competitive, but I think Hank Moody is overpriced at 16-1.
I claimed one out of Vaclav Luka’s earlier in the summer, when the yard was really struggling for form. Since then, he has had 4 winners and 4 places from 14 runners, so it’s fair to say the team are now in considerably better form.
Hank Moody won twice on the All-Weather at around this trip last November/December, and though not at that level since, his three starts back in the spring were in highly-competitive handicaps (two of them in Quintes). He does handle turf and the fact Saint-Cloud has missed most of the rain that was expected is definitely a plus.
His recent return to action came in an amateur riders’ contest, but it was a much deeper race than this. Now dropped to a claimer and with Theo Bachelot booked (731122 for the yard this term), he is worth chancing at a big price.
12.05pm Saint-Cloud – 1pt win, 0.5pt place Hank Moody @ 16-1 (most firms)