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Flat season: Four horses to follow

We’ve had the first two Classics of the 2022 Flat season, and we can now settle down to some top-class action over the coming months, including the Derby, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, and the St Leger.

And we’ve picked our four horses that could shine over the summer.

So read on to see our Flat horses to follow for 2022.

 

Cash – David Simcock

Cash won on debut at Newmarket at the start of October, travelling well throughout under Jamie Spencer before taking it up in the final furlong to win decisively.

He then ran a cracker in the Classic Trial at Sandown in April – flying home and failing to just reel in the winner Westover.

Out of Shamardal, he looks an exciting stayer in the making, and there was a lot to like about his Sandown run.

He may ultimately be short of top-level, but it would be no shock to see him pick up a nice pot such as the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood or the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot later in the season.

 

 

El Bodegon – James Ferguson

El Bodegon was kept busy last year, running on five occasions and picking up three victories.

His debut run was at Windsor over an inadequate 6f, and he was quickly stepped up in trip to 7f on soft ground at Sandown, where he stayed on well to record an impressive victory.

Longchamp was next on the agenda in September, where on quicker ground, he could only manage 3rd, but he made amends later that month in the Group 3 contest Prix De Conde over 1m 1f.

And another step up in distance paid dividends in October when he landed the Group 1 the Criterium De Saint-Cloud over 1m 2f.

Connections have always said that the Epsom Derby is the aim this season, and El Bodegon is entered in the Dante Stakes at York this week.

Success there would see him head to Epsom with a live chance if connections choose to stick to the Derby route.

 

Al Waqidi – Charlie Appleby

 

Al Waqidi is a horse that needs to be handled with kid gloves, but there’s no doubting his raw ability from what he’s shown on the racecourse so far.

He’s only raced once as a two-year-old and once as a three-year-old, and Godolphin will be hoping for a big season on the back of a gelding operation.

Al Waqidi’s debut run was at Wolverhampton, where although green and meeting some trouble in running, he put the race to bed with a smart turn of foot.

He returned in April of last year, where he defeated Scope at Newmarket – Scope is now a Group 1 winner rated 115, indicating the potential that Al Waqidi could possess.

With a rating of 95, he could be targeted at some of the big handicaps in the coming weeks before stepping up in class and possibly trip.

 

Bay Bridge – Sir Michael Stoute

 

Bay Bridge has improved with every run of his career so far, landing a four-timer as a three-year-old, and he looks an exciting horse to follow over the coming months.

All four successes came over the 1m 2f trip, and having started the season tired 90, he ended it rated 112, despite missing several months due to injury.

He was last seen landing a Listed contest at Newmarket at the end of October, and he currently holds an entry in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Hardwicke Stakes is also another possible at Royal Ascot, run over 1m 4f – a race which Sir Michael Stoute has won 11 times.

Sir Michael Stoute likes to allow his horses to develop over time, and it would be no shock to see Bay Bridge take his form to another level this season.

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