Skewiff Could Show Staying Power At Ascot

Lydia’s Joy drifted to as big as 40/1 at one stage during the day, but when the stalls opened he was a 12/1 shot. Somebody clearly fancied the son of Holy Roman Emperor to run a big race, but unfortunately things didn’t go his way. He broke a lot better than last time, and he wasn’t that far away as they turned for home.

He looked to be travelling okay on the inner, but Andrew Slattery charted an extremely wide course and it cost Lydia’s Joy any chance of getting into the race. The market support suggests he has shown plenty at home, but with a rating of just 38 he needs to show more on the track, and soon.

Evan Williams has a decent record at Ascot.

I thought the step up in trip would suit Lydia’s Joy at Dundalk, and I fancy Skewiff at Ascot this afternoon for the same reason. This unexposed 6yo daughter of Doyen was last seen finishing well beaten at Chepstow, but the heavy ground and 19f trip were against her and I think it makes sense to put a line through that run.

Her Welsh trainer Evan Williams doesn’t travel to Ascot all that often, but when he does he usually means business. Williams has a fine record at the track, sending out 11 winners and 37 top 4 finishers from 102 runners. That is a near 50% frame hitting strike rate, and she is one of two runners there for Williams on Saturday (Court Minstrel is the other).

It was Skewiff’s first run for almost 3 months last time, so she may well have needed it fitness wise. The drop back in trip was an interesting move too as she ran a lovely race on her previous start when a fast finishing 3rd over 21f at Ludlow on good ground. After watching that race back a couple of times it looked like she needed further to me, and moving back to 19f surprised me.

She was outpaced before staying on strongly close home when winning her bumper (16f gd/sft), and she needed every inch of the 2 mile trip when winning on her hurdling debut at Ffos Las. Her full brother Valdez is a Grade 2 16f winner and has won on soft ground, and a couple of her half siblings won at 13f, 14f and 16f on the level, so her pedigree suggests this trip could suit.

As for her rating of 115, I think it could be workable. This is just her second start in handicap company and the form of her run at Ludlow has worked out pretty well. Majestic Moll was just over a length ahead of her in 2nd and she hacked up in a novice next time. The 4th home has also won a novice since, while the winner fell when cruising in a handicap hurdle off 122. 

That effort at Ludlow over the longest trip she has tackled to date suggests to me that this mare is a stayer and physically she looks like one too. Adam Wedge is 2/3 on Skewiff and he takes over in the plate. Wth no rain forecast the course at Ascot could dry out and the more it does, the better it is for Skewiff. At odds of 25/1 she is the each way selection for small stakes.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: 16.10 ASCOT-SKEWIFF E/W @ 25/1 (4 PLACES POWERS)