Hampton Court Stakes Betting Preview

There's a number of potentially smart colts on show in the Listed Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot on Ladies' Day, but none make more appeal than the Geoff Wragg-trained Ivy Creek, who is strongly fancied to capture this contest at 9/4 with Blue Square. The son of Gulch is unlucky not to be unbeaten. Following to victories over a mile at Warwick and Sandown respectively, he was stepped up to ten furlongs for the Dee Stakes at Chester last month when, after being impeded twice in the home straight, he finished with a flourish to run Art Deco to a diminishing neck, with a yawning gap back to the third. The Moller Racing-owned colt will be encountering good to firm going for the first time here, but he is expected to be even better suited it than the easier surfaces which he has tackled thus far. Improvement is very much on the cards with Ivy Creek, as he's had just three career starts to date, and is in the care of a trainer adept at cultivating such a prospect. Art deco didn't let the Dee Stakes form down when a close-up fourth in the French Derby subsequently and, all in all, Ivy Creek looks potentially much better than Listed class, so he's readily expected to land this contest. Petrovich, who holds entries in a number of Group 1 races between a mile and twelve furlongs, impressed when cosily landing a division of the Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket's Craven meeting, and he merits plenty of respect. On bare form, the son of Giant's Causeway has a good deal to find - and I don't expect him to be the equal to Ivy Creek here - but I reckon he will be in the shake-up, and it certainly looks significant that Kieren Fallon partners him instead of Purple Moon, who is also owned by those connected with Ballydoyle. The last-named pulled too hard for his own good in the Listed Newmarket Stakes on the Rowley Mile at the Guineas meeting, finishing two and a half lengths second to Mulaqat, whom he meets on 5lb better terms here. That was just the second start of the Galileo colt's career, so it was to be expected that he would still be green and, with that experience to call upon, he looks sure to make a good fist of it in this heat, and he'll certainly finish in front of Mulaqat this time, that's for sure. Leningrad was well beaten in the Dante at York last month but that was a tough assignment for such an inexperienced horse, while the testing conditions on the Knavesmire might not have been ideal. He is one with each-way claims here, a remark which also applies to Hazeymm, Invention and Mashaahed. verdict - 2pts Ivy Creek @ 9/4 (Blue Square)