Newmarket handler James Tate has his string in sparkling form and he doesn’t waste bullets by sending horses to Royal Ascot unless they have a chance of winning.

Tate has enjoyed six winners from 19 runners over the past fortnight for a winning strike rate of 32 per cent. His only runner so far this week at Royal Ascot, Blue Rc, was second in the Royal Hunt Cup at 28-1 to a well-handicapped horse in Rogue Diplomat.

Tate doesn’t waste bullets by sending horses to Royal Ascot unless they have a chance of winning

Tate doesn’t waste bullets by sending horses to Royal Ascot unless they have a chance of winning

I think his horse, DARN HOT GALLOP has a big chance today of winning the Sandringham Stakes (5 p.m.). She is three wins from four races, her only defeat coming when she was outclassed in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket in early May.

This three-year-old filly can race today off an official mark of 86 and the form of her penultimate run, when first on her handicap debut at Newmarket, could hardly have worked out better with the second, third and sixth going on to win handicaps. Darn Hot Gallop races today off a mark of just 3 lbs higher than for that Newmarket win which leaves her dangerously well handicapped.

My major concern, however, is her draw in stall 4 when high numbers have generally had a significant advantage on the straight course this week. In the Britannia Stakes over the straight mile yesterday, the first 12 horses home were drawn 15 or higher. Furthermore, most of the market leaders in the Sandringham have high draws too suggesting that is where the pace could be.

However, I am going to take a chance that Darn Hot Gallop can still run a big race despite her low draw. Back her 1 point each way at 16-1 with William Hill, paying six places Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG). She might well drift in the betting because of the draw bias in which case the BOG offer is a bonus.

Burnham wins Makerfield by a........

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