Horsebetting.com give their 2018 Bengough Stakes betting tips for the Group 3 6f sprint at Ascot on Saturday, 6 October. Limato is looking for a hat-trick after enjoying a real renaissance of late, so he’s fancied for that good form to continue. Projection is feared most for trainer Roger Charlton on his last two runs, meanwhile. Dream Of Dreams looks a solid-each way bet for Sir Michael Stoute now dropped back in distance. Our 2018 Bengough Stakes betting tips preview has further details of this supporting race on Challenge Cup day.Limato looks capable of landing hat-trick in BengoughLimato is enjoying a real renaissance at the tail end of this season and is still a force to be reckoned with, so looks well a worth to follow-up on back-to-back Listed successes by landing the hat-trick in the Group 3 Bengough Stakes over 6f at Ascot this Saturday (15:00).
Trained by Henry Candy, the six-year-old is a course and distance victor with a win and place ratio of 75 per cent at the Berkshire venue. Limato was rated 122 at his peak by the assessor, having landing the July Cup, then chased home Mecca’s Angel in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and won the Prix de la Foret on Arc de Triomphe day back in 2016.
They are some of the top sprint contests in Europe and, although unable to maintain that form during his five-year-old campaign last term, he still ran well when runner-up to Harry Angel trying to defend his July Cup crown. Limato later finished the season off with a comfortable victory in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes and showed he still had plenty to offer.
Connections still took aim at some big prizes with him this year, but he finished well down the field in the Lockinge at Newbury and Queen Anne here at the royal meeting when tackling a mile. If anyone thought Limato was finished when beaten eight lengths and 11th to U S Navy Flag in the July Cup, then they were wrong as a significant ease in grade saw his resume winning ways.
He has comfortably landed Listed events at Newmarket and York on his last two outings, beating re-opposing duo Projection and Gifted Master in the first of those. Although rated 1lb inferior to the latter, Limato has nothing to fear from him if repeating that form from headquarters.
So, with Harry Bentley once again aboard, and underfoot conditions holding no fears if the forecast rain changes the going, Limato looks sure to make a bold bid for a third consecutive win on the upgrade now he’s rediscovered his form. We had no hesitation in putting up as a value bet among our 2018 Bengough Stakes betting tips. Projection a respected rivalProjection has run a string of very solid races in defeat this season, including when third to Limato last time out, so is the one that may give him most to think about. Trained by Roger Charlton, this five-year-old gelding has been hitting the crossbar throughout the campaign and never beaten more than three lengths.
The son of Acclamation first caught the eye in pattern company when chasing home subsequent King’s Stand Stakes winner Blue Point in this race last year. Projection was only beaten half-a-length and also has some strong form in-behind other Group 1 performers this term.
He returned to action in a similar grade affair at Newmarket when beaten two lengths and third to Brando. Projection then placed the same behind subsequent Haydock Sprint Cup hero The Tin Man going down by three-quarters of a length in a Listed affair at Windsor.
Given that Brando chased home that one after also finishing second in the July Cup to the aforementioned U S Navy Flag, there’s no doubting this is rock solid form. The Tin Man was also a length ahead of Projection in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot when beaten 2 1/4 lengths into fifth by Merchant Navy.
Prior to being a 2 3/4 lengths third to Limato when running on the unfavoured stands’ side last time out, Projection was desperately unlucky in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury when holding every chance but just beaten a head by Yafta. He had the re-opposing Dream Of Dream a neck behind in third.
The hard luck story may continue, but Projection has proved he belongs in this company and the assessor has eased him a pound to a mark of 111 for this. There is probably less between him and Limato on the pick of his form, so he’s the clear danger if reproducing it here.Dream Of Dreams solid each-wayThis is one of the few events on the Flat that Sir Michael Stoute hasn’t won. He saddles the aforementioned four-year-old Dream Ahead colt Dream Of Dreams here in search of breaking that duck and he’s a solid each-way bet on that Hackwood form close up behind Projection.
A Listed winner at Doncaster over the trip on his final start of last season, Dream Of Dreams look a typical late-blooming type for his current yard, having been in the care of Kevin Ryan earlier in his career. He’s made progress throughout the campaign and looks to be building up to something.
Although seventh in the Abernant on reappearance, Dream Of Dreams was beaten less than five lengths. He was then fifth in two other Group 3s before that fine effort in the Hackwood, which would be his career best had he not then chased home Sir Dancealot in the 7f Group 2 Hungerford Stakes also at Newbury next time up.
Dream Of Dreams then found weight-for-age and a sex allowance just too much to give away when headed inside the last 100 yards and going down a fighting three-quarters of a length to three-year-old filly Anna Nerium in the Group 3 Supreme Stakes at Goodwood last time out. These runs show he, like Projection, has really been knocking on the door of late.
Racing off a mark of 110, Dream Of Dreams has so little to find on ratings or Newbury form with that one, so is thus an obvious each-way alternative at bigger odds among our 2018 Bengough Stakes betting tips. Your Next Bet
