3:00 Ascot
The John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes is a Group 3 sprint over six furlongs at Ascot on good to firm ground, featuring a competitive field of 12 smart and useful performers. KTB's Fit scores are tightly bunched at the top, with Division heading the list on 65, followed closely by Prince of India on 64 and Elmonjed on 63, suggesting a race where small margins and the strong pace shape could prove decisive. The class and quality are high throughout, with several course winners and horses proven at the trip adding depth to the contest.
How the race shapes up
A strong pace is anticipated given two or more habitual front-runners in the line-up and high confidence in the assessment. Division is likely to take them along from an early stage while Fitzella is another who tends to race prominently, setting a searching gallop that could cause the leaders to fold late on. This shape strongly favours the hold-up horses, several of whom are among the principals, and the key question is which of the patient runners can time their effort best to pick up the pieces when the front end collapses.
The KTB Fit ranking
-
1Division KTB Selection65/100
Division is a smart performer who has been a model of consistency this year with five placed efforts from six starts. He has been placed twice at this track without winning and now drops back to a trip he has won over three times from ten attempts. William Haggas has a solid 13% strike rate at Ascot from a huge sample of 876 runs while Daniel Tudhope is operating close to expectations with an 8% record from 308 rides. The colt tends to make the running or race on the pace and is competitive on good to firm having been placed on three of four starts. His official rating of 117 places him at the top of the weights yet he arrives in form with recent figures of -32352.
-
2Prince of India64/100
Prince of India is a smart performer who has won over course and distance. He has three wins from seven starts on good to firm ground and a solid recent record that includes a win last time out. First-time headgear is now applied and remains the main unknown. Marco Botti has a strong 13% strike rate at Ascot from 184 runs while Pat Dobbs sits on a more modest 7% from 390 rides. Usually held up and producing his effort late, the four-year-old carries an official rating of 112 and has recent form figures of 024621.
-
3Elmonjed63/100
Elmonjed is a smart performer who has won seven of his 16 starts at this trip and handles good to firm ground well with three wins from seven attempts. He arrives in decent nick after a win and a fourth on his last two starts yet makes his first visit to Ascot from stall 10. William Haggas has a solid 13 percent strike rate here from 876 runs while Harry Davies is operating at 8 percent from 93 rides. Usually held up and producing his effort late, the five-year-old has an official rating of 114 and recent form figures of 21-914.
-
4Jasour53/100
Jasour is a useful performer who has won once from five runs at Ascot and also has two wins from 14 starts at this trip. Recent form has been patchy with a string of modest efforts including a last-place finish on his most recent 5f run. Clive Cox has a solid 10% strike rate from 520 runs at the track while P. J. McDonald operates at 6% from 89 rides here. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he is stepping up in class with an official rating of 101 and recent form figures of 266050.
-
5Diligent Harry52/100
Diligent Harry is a smart performer who has won seven times at this trip and arrives in decent form off the back of a solid fourth last time. He has been below par in three previous runs at Ascot though and has never won on good to firm ground despite placing twice. Clive Cox has a solid 10% strike rate here from 520 runs while Callum Shepherd is operating at 6% from 118 rides. Usually held up and producing his effort late, the eight-year-old has an official rating of 108 and recent form figures of 114483.
-
6James's Delight52/100
James's Delight is a smart performer who has won six times at this trip and arrives in reasonable form having placed twice from his last four starts. He has twice been well held at this track though and his record on good to firm is modest with no win or place from two starts. The trainer has a solid 10% strike rate at Ascot from a big sample while the jockey is operating at 6%.
-
7Stratusnine50/100
Stratusnine is a useful performer who has run creditably at this track without winning. He has shown his best form at this trip with three wins from 14 attempts and acts on good to firm ground. Trainer and jockey both have modest strike rates here while the wide draw adds another negative.
-
8Sayidah Dariyan50/100
Sayidah Dariyan is a smart performer who has run well at this track without winning, finishing fourth here last time. She drops back to 6f having won three times at the trip previously though the first-time headgear adds an unknown. Trainer's modest record at Ascot tempers expectations despite the jockey's solid strike rate here.
-
9Fitzella48/100
Fitzella is a useful performer who has already won over this trip and at this track. She has shown little spark in six runs this year though and her recent form figures of 565050 tell their own story. The yard and jockey both have modest strike rates here.
-
10Hidden Force47/100
Hidden Force is a useful performer who showed smart form when winning on debut before finishing a solid third in a strong Group 3 at Newmarket last time. He drops back from a mile to an untried 6f today which asks a fresh question. Trainer holds a 15% strike rate at Ascot from 396 runs while jockey is operating at 10% from 140 rides here.
-
11Completely Random46/100
Completely Random is a useful performer who has shown up well at this track on occasions, finishing second here once and fifth on his latest visit. He drops back to a trip he has won at four times from 19 attempts though he was only fifth of six last time he tried 6f. Trainer and jockey both have modest records at Ascot and he has yet to win on good to firm ground.
-
12Into The Sky46/100
Into The Sky is a smart performer who showed useful form as a juvenile but has been well below that level in two starts this year. He has winning form at today's trip yet finished a disappointing 14th on his only previous visit to Ascot. Trainer's modest record here adds another negative.
KTB verdict
Division is the KTB Selection and brings the strongest combination of consistency, trip suitability and trainer form to the table. A model of placed efforts this season and proven at six furlongs, he is expected to set a strong pace from draw two that could play into the hands of the hold-up brigade if it collapses late. His main dangers are Prince of India, who won over course and distance and now tries first-time headgear, and Elmonjed, who brings a strong recent record and excellent record at the trip though he is unproven at Ascot. The race looks likely to be decided by which of the patient runners can capitalise on the anticipated strong pace.
KTB Selection Division
This is the narrative read of the 3:00 Ascot. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Ascot racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Ascot results & records page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is likely to set the pace in the Bengough Stakes?
Division tends to make the running or race on the pace while Fitzella is another who tends to race prominently.
How does the pace shape influence the race?
A strong pace is likely with two or more habitual front-runners and could collapse late, which would favour hold-up horses.
Which horses are making their first appearance at Ascot?
Elmonjed makes his first visit to Ascot from stall 10 while Hidden Force has no course form on record.
Who are the course winners in the field?
Prince of India has won here, Jasour has won here from five runs, and Fitzella has won here from four runs.
Which runners are trying headgear for the first time?
Prince of India and Sayidah Dariyan are both wearing first-time headgear.
18+. Analysis and entertainment only — no guarantee of profit. KTB race previews are published for interest and are not betting advice. Only ever stake what you can comfortably afford to lose, and set your own limits. Free, confidential help: the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (GamCare.org.uk); in Ireland, the GamblingCare.ie helpline on 1800 936 725. Self-exclude at any time via GAMSTOP.
More from Kickthebookies