One bet on the card at Cagnes this afternoon, with a confident selection in the 1m2.5f maiden (1.25pm).
Jean-Claude Rouget has been on blistering form here in recent weeks and has his representative Grand Balcon is favourite on the back of a promising debut behind stablemate Tyrolo (a winner again since) here last month.
However, I’m not convinced he has the scope to improve as much as Kingdom, who has looked a work in progress in four starts to date and is ready to strike. He was too keen on his reappearance over 1m2f here on the AW in January, but still finished off his race nicely behind smart prospect Muntjac, who lost little in defeat in a class 1 next time.
Switched to turf, he was anchored in rear here last time, made up his ground widest of all on the long turn for home, and finished off really well to claim second (in front of another of today’s rivals, Ilonas Dinosaur). The winner has franked the form with a nice second in class 2 company since.
His dam took six starts to get off the mark for this yard, but went on to win three on the bounce and added a Listed success in Germany at four. The Prix du Jockey Club entry suggests Pantall holds him in high regard (his only other entry in the race is the unbeaten Anthorus) and hopefully he can prove too good for today’s rivals.
1.25pm Cagnes – 2pts win Kingdom @ 7/4 (Paddy Power, Betfair, Bet365, 13/8 elsewhere)
