I was due a bit of good fortune, and got it: Almaty Star made all and held on, thankfully, in the tightest of photos to win at Chelmsford yesterday afternoon.

A 2 from 2 seemed on the cards when Brassavola kicked for home but she couldn’t quite sustain her effort and finished 2nd. A good day nonetheless, which I’m more than happy with, given there weren’t too many good days this year, so far.

That was close, but in the end it's Almaty Star who denies stablemate, Emperor Spirit to land the spoils in the Esprit Couture 1er Cru Handicap for trainer, Robert Cowell.@cowellracing pic.twitter.com/47nvZdfsl2

— Chelmsford City Racecourse (@ChelmsfordCRC) June 20, 2024

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5.40 Ascot: Group 2 – King Edward VII Stakes, 1m 4f

A hot renewal and the pace should be on. You have to stay the trip, but at the same you’ll need to travel and find a good position. I reckon anything from well off the pace won’t feature.

A prime candidate who possesses these capabilities is the Aiden O’Brien trained Agenda. He is a bit on the drift this morning in the betting and can be backed at even bigger prices than the 7’s I took – I remain cautiously confident that he’ll run a big race, nonetheless.

He caught the eye on his two runs this season. Seriously green and raw at Dundalk when he returned from a break, he travelled off the pace and wider than ideal after an awkward start. He showed a nice bit of acceleration mid-race to get to the front and kicked clear in the closing stages.

He deserved his spot in the Chester Vase and ran a huge race I felt. He went quickly to the front and winded up the tempo from 5 furlongs out, having many of his rivals in trouble not much alter. He kicked for home three furlongs out and was only beaten by a potentially brilliant winner.

Agenda didn’t quite look at home at the ever turning Chester, I thought. He also hit the rails, becoming unbalanced, about 1.5f out which didn’t help.

He’s lightly raced with plenty of upside, improved with each of his three runs and showed that he can travel and change gears. I’m surprised he goes here and not to the Irish Derby as that could have been an ideal race.

Saying that, Ascot will be an equally suitable track. His draw should allow him to get to a prominent position quickly, perhaps following his stable mate Chief Little Rock in #1.

Whether he truly stays the trip is a small question mark, given the speed on the dam side and the fact he couldn’t quite sustain his challenge at Chester. But then Galileo as a stamina influence will help and the decent ground should suit.

10pts win – Agenda @ 7/1