Ascot Preview & Best Bets – Saturday 27 January

Our form expert provides Ascot tips for today’s horse racing at Ascot Racecourse and gives his best bets.    

Ascot Tips 27/01/2024 

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 8 No. 8 GEMMA’S SON – ($12)

There’s a real sense of timing about David Harrison handover of training GEMMA’S SON to Embroja-Lee Altieri to be her first ever runner. There are no standouts in the Listed Scenic Blast Stakes at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday. We were with Real Danger as an each-way selection when she and Gemma’s Son filled the placings in the Miss Andretti at Pinjarra last start. That mare has drawn out and may well find herself out on a limb throughout. Gemma’s Son has drawn out his past two runs since resuming. The horse finished off strongly enough to just claim second placing in front of Real Danger on the line. Regular stable rider Joseph Azzopardi gets back on with Gemma’s Son finally drawing a gate this prep.

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 3 No. 8 FILTHY HABITS – ($7.50)

Brandon and Lucy Fiore landed the first leg of a training and riding double as FILTHY HABITS scored second-up over the mile at Ascot. Lucy settled just off the leader as the field hummed along at a good tempo. She sent her mount out after Nero King on straightening to open a winning break on the others. There wasn’t a lot in the margins all day with the race won by Filthy Habits being no exception. The field also got home with a quick last 600 metres to run one of the fastest relative times of the day. Drawn a bit sticky on Saturday; however, strips fitter third-up and Filthy Habits will be hard to beat if Fiore can get in somewhere with cover.

BEST VALUE 💰   

Race 5 No. 1 I LOVE YOUR SMILE – ($8)

Lucy and Brandon Fiore landed a city double when I LOVE YOUR SMILE won over 2200m here two starts ago. Lucy put I Love Your Smile into the race on turning before opening a winning break into the straight. I Love Your Smile did have to fend off the late challenge of Captain Pluto who was well-supported to beat her last start. Those two had matched strides earlier in the prep with I Love Your Smile doing enough to hold Captain Pluto in the race behind San Fabrizio. We backed I Love Your Smile with the gap in the market between the two only to watch her finish a distinct last. The stable backs her up seven days later following that below-par run, and we’ll stick for another as our roughie selection on Saturday.