An intriguing contest made more challenging by rain and draw considerations but I always think the starting point is to consider every horse on it's merits before you get blinkered by Draw or Going.

 

I don't think the rain will have a massive impact, other than a couple of my selections will like rather than need it and overall no excuses on that front. The best way to play the Draw here is always in my opinion to have options High and Low, or low and high as the case may be. That's served me exceptionally well down the years with some big priced winners.

 

Having ignored the draw in the initial analysis which threw up a short list of 6 of the 29, the bias turned out to be 4 of my picks were single figure draws (far side) and 2 of my picks were drawn 20 of higher (near side) so I'm happy with that spread anyway.

 

Of the 6; I will narrowly discount the favourite ALDAARY, a 3 year old, drawn 21, progressive as you'd imagine but not I think that much ahead of it's mark to dominate here and at the price I can let it go. It probably needs softer than it's likely to be and if the rains came I think it would be a ridiculously low price.

 

The other one I'll discard at this point is Bedouins Story, drawn 2, Saeed Bin Suroor and Frankie, always dangerous to ignore. I'd have been all over it if it had seen action here prior to the meeting after wintering in Meydan and I'll just take my chance that it may just need this race.

 

The one I like most drawn high is PERSUASION, drawn 28 for Charles Hills and James Doyle. It's solid form, looks to have some progress to make off it's mark and easily the best on my analysis of those drawn on the high side and if more in the centre gravitate the far side could get a lot less traffic to contend with than may have been imagined yesterday.  

 

My favoured one drawn low is BLUE MIST a Course and Distance winner drawn in Stall 7. Course win came off a mark of 95, is off a mark of 98 today, that win was in a race dominated by those drawn high, today it may have ended up with a plum draw low and should give us a great run for our money for Roger Charlton and the miserable one!

 

I will have a Tracker bet on SYMBOLIZE for Andrew Balding, also drawn low and one whose chances would improve with every drop of rain. Has decent form at last 2 Royal Meetings on softer Going, 4th in 2019, 3rd in 2020 and I like horses that have proven form at the Fixture and that indicates this race is part of "a plan". 

 

I can't resist a small stake on DOCUMENTING drawn in Stall 1, a Course and Distance winner off 101, Kevin Frost may be a much less well known and smaller operation than most Trainers here but knows the time of day and this one could easily outrun Odds IF low is the place to be off a mark of 104.

 

 

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