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Scott Embry provides his best bets for the Thoroughbred meeting at Ascot on Saturday, 4th May 2024. Brought to you by the TABtouch Blog.

 RACE 1 

LEXINGTON CITY looks the only speed in the quartet of runners. Expect he will bounce straight on the lead and from there Chris Parnham will be able to dictate terms to them and turn it into a sit and sprint to suit himself. He drops 4.5kg on a brave second to highly talented filly The Boss Lady over 1100m and he should nearly pinch this. PREMIUM CHOICE is a previous 28 day winner, has Paul Harvey jumping on and is a dynamite Ascot 1000m sprinter. Danger. THOMAS MAGNUM arguably has the best point to point acceleration in the race. BEADS next best.

Numbers: 5 – 1 – 4 – 2

Suggested Bet – LEXINGTON CITY WIN

 RACE 2 

PROFIT POCKET is going from strength to strength and if you're not a registered member of the Tony Triscari Fan Club then you must hate fun and money. Last 180 days: 13 winners from 27 starters at 48% strike rate and a phenomenal 110% POT (profit on turnover). Statistically he is the country's leading trainer and his horses just keep winning. This mare is gunning for four in a line and she'll park up over the speed and get every chance. PLAY WITH DESIRE will keep improving into the campaign as they step him out over further and further. MYSTERY MOMENT was an excellent return to racing and gets every chance. BAYHARA brings Midwest form but is improving lengths at every run.

Numbers: 3 – 1 – 7 – 6

Suggested Bet – PROFIT POCKET WIN

 RACE 3 

OLY'S CHOICE finally had some luck go his way last start and he produced the victory that punters had been waiting for all preparation. He's a m77 rater now but realistically if he had had any luck throughout the preparation, he probably would have won another two or three races – so there's still plenty of room for him to continue to make his way through the grades. DESENNEA has a set of shades added, backs up off 7 days and drops 2.5kg. Michael Poy returns from suspension and gets the best out of him. SISU WARRIOR should be able to roll to the top and control. KNOT SECRET has been going well all campaign.

Numbers: 5 – 3 – 1 – 6

Suggested Bet – OLY'S CHOICE WIN

 RACE 4 

KISSES FROM KELLY trialled super recently over 1450m and attacks this race first-up. Is drawn barrier 11 of 11 but apart from Mack Mack (who isn't stepping) and El Patron (who is usually happy to take a trail) there doesn't look to be that much exposed speed in the race. If Brad Parnham gets across without burning too much fuel he's right in this. LOVA SESSION was able to zap Lost City in the concluding stages of a sharp 950m Lark Hill trial recently and looks like she's settled in very well for the new stable. Soft run along the fence and well placed into a Westspeed Platinum. Hard to hold out. TENACIOUS REWARD can't draw a barrier but is going undeniably well. FORTUNE'S LUCK will appreciate a bit of rain around during the week.

Numbers: 7 – 8 – 5 – 6

Suggested Bet – KISSES FROM KELLY EACHWAY

 RACE 5 

TWAINS ANGEL vs THE BOSS LADY with a cameo from BRAVE SPIRIT and this is a sensational 3 year old 62+. TWAIN'S ANGEL is undefeated and with the early withdrawal of Playing Games to race on Thursday it looks like she can roll to the top and control the tempo. All three runs have been from outside lead so if Miss Flirtacious or Olivia'smemumma want the top expect that Madi Derrick will let them go – but if not then Twain's Angel is in front and is awfully hard to beat. THE BOSS LADY is a winner and those types seem to find a way. She beat the 3 year olds first-up, she beat the older horses second-up and she can hold a spot from a good draw. BRAVE SPIRIT was excellent last start. MISS FLIRTACIOUS faces her toughest test.

Numbers: 3 – 1 – 5 – 7

Suggested Bet – TWAIN'S ANGEL WIN

 RACE 6 

CAPRE OMNIA looks ready to win one in WA. Ran well down the 1000m straight when drawn the 'wrong' side two starts back and then split Barney's World and Generosity last start in an identical race to this (60+ 1000) when meeting with good support in betting. That looks arguably a deeper race than what he meets here and should get every chance from the draw. TREASURED QUEEN has toyed with rivals on the Goldfields since joining Peter Fernie. Has previously finished 1L off Scenic Eclipse, Triply Jay and Ruler Rocket in a 60+ Graduation. She'll measure up. LITTLE STRAWBERRY is better suited at 1000 and is drawn well. DEEP ENVY didn't come up last preparation but prior to that did win a 3 year old 62+.

Numbers: 1 – 9 – 2 – 6

Suggested Bet – CAPRE OMNIA WIN

 RACE 7 

BUSTLING could jump ridiculously short. Opened $1.45 and predict he jumps closer to $1.20 which may seem ludicrous but the speed figures he has produced so far suggest that all the 'big players' in the marketplace will want him and him alone. In 2023 stablemate Super Smink completed the Karrakatta Plate – Sires Produce Stakes double and you would be brave to suggest that he won't be doing the same. Will this be the last we see of him in Australia? GOLDEN KATHLEEN has a turn of foot and from barrier 1 can sneak up along the fence. BLUE ROCKET was 4.25L off Bustling at 60-1 last start and 1400 could test. BIG SHOTS wasn't too bad from a long way back in the Karrakatta and is only second-up.

Numbers: 1 – 9 – 8 – 2

Suggested Bet – BUSTLING WIN

Same Race Multi – Bustling (Win) + Golden Kathleen (Top 3)

Bustling was simply breathtaking in the Karrakatta Plate when dropping a gear on straightening to win by an extending 4.2L margin. Whispers are that he will be sold to Hong Kong for massive money so it could be the last time we see him strut his stuff in WA. Golden Kathleen can sit midfield along the fence and has a sharp turn of acceleration to get herself out of a traffic jam on straightening.

 RACE 8    _{Best Bet} 

FLOWER IN THE WIND is the form ratings stayer of the last few months. Amazingly she's having her 11th run of the preparation and seems to be getting better and better deeper into the preparation. In her last two wins Steven Parnham hasn't even needed to pull the whip – she's just done it under her own steam. Previous winner with 60kg, 2x winner in this grade and going from strength to strength. BEATS OF WAR has had an interrupted preparation at times but if he reproduces his second to What A Prince from the Geraldton Cup he would be going very close. FAT ROY SLIM and TALLANGATTA are both last start winners in easier grade who get big weight relief and weight pull off the favourite.

Numbers: 1 – 4 – 5 – 10

Suggested Bet – FLOWER IN THE WIND WIN

GENERSOITY was all the rage first-up off the back of a seriously good trial. She got a mile out of her ground over 1000 and had to reel off remarkable closing sections to get within 1.5L of the winner. Better suited out to 1200m. Can redeem herself. ROPE THEM IN drops 2.5kg on his first-up run and you could easily make the case this is a thinner line-up considering there's no Twain's Angel. SONOFTHEBOSS traded 1000-1 in live betting (true fact) half way up the straight last start when somehow nabbing Becalotti on the post. Showed versatility and looks to be still learning. ANTIQUE MISS was DQ'd from two races last preparation but proved she's more than capable at this level.

Numbers: 5 – 4 – 2 – 8

Suggested Bet – GENEROSITY WIN

Quaddie (Race 6 – 9)

1,2,6,9

1

1,4,5

2,4,5

Click here for Saturday's TABtouch Ascot Markets.

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