Horsebetting.com give their Valiant Stakes betting tips from Ascot. Beshaayir was an impressive course winner last time out on the straight mile, so is taken to do so again in the Listed contest on the round track. Di Fede looks the main danger, while Unforgettable Filly is an each-way punt in this fillies and mares only race. Read all about it in our 2018 Valiant Stakes betting tips preview for the feature in Berkshire on Friday, 27 July.Beshaayir a great bet to go in Valiant again at AscotBeshaayir could hardly have been more impressive when winning over the straight mile at Ascot last time out, so is well worth a wager to do the business over the same trip on the round course in the Listed females only feature Valiant Stakes at the Berkshire venue on Friday (15:35).
Trained by the bang in-form William Haggas, this three-year-old filly is on a 50 per cent career strike rate having landing the spoils in three of her six starts. She had just two runs as a juvenile, scoring on the second occasion in a 6f Newbury maiden before also winning on reappearance and her all-weather debut at Wolverhampton in April.
Beshaayir was shaken up to challenge and quickly lead by James Doyle a furlong out, running on well under a hands and heels ride from her jockey for a comfortable 1 3/4 lengths victory over Rasima. This was a taking display and connections pitched her straight into Listed company off the back of it.
Nothing much went right at Musselburgh when she fly leapt out of the stalls and raced too keenly to find herself weakening inside the final furlong after being sent off favourite. Beshaayir was then dropped back in trip to 6f for a wide-open York sprint handicap in which she was soon beaten by pacier types.
When stepping up to tackle a mile for the first time, however, the improvement was marked. On this occasion, the hold up tactics worked like a charm as Beshaayir made smooth progress over two out to take it up before the furlong marker and be ridden out as a well on top 3 1/4 lengths victor.
This was a very impressive performance from this daughter of Iffraaj that has earned her an official mark of 97. A 9lb rise for victory over a trip that looks tailor made for Beshaayir may still be underestimating her, while another plus is she’s in receipt of 8lb from the older fillies and mares and Racing Post ratings have her 2lb clear of the field.
If she can build upon her straight mile success on this other Ascot course, then Beshaayir is definitely the one to beat with her yard producing plenty of recent winners. We just had to put her up as our main selection among 2018 Valiant Stakes betting tips.Di Fede a dangerRalph Beckett’s Di Fede has narrow placed form behind a subsequent Group 1 winner, so that commands respect and means she could well be the main danger to Beshaayir here. This daughter of Shamardal has competed in some hot handicaps this season and ran respectably at this level last time out.
Her neck third behind Urban Fox, who has since come out and landed the Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh, on reappearance at Ascot was a brave front-running attempt to make all. Di Fede was just touched off in the final strides and, given how close she was to the winner and what that rival has achieved since, the form sets a clear standard.
Even the runner-up of that Ascot handicap, Tribute Act, has run well since when second again at the royal meeting in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes. She finished just a nose ahead of Di Fede, who then ran on well to lead near the finish and score by three-quarters of a length in a class 3 conditions stakes at Leicester next time up.
That form in turn is interesting as the re-opposing Unforgettable Filly was a further neck behind in third. Although they now meet on 2lb better terms for the older horse, she was well-beaten at Royal Ascot in the Duke Of Cambridge and far behind both Tribute Act and Urban Fox.
On form lines through those two, there is no reason why Di Fede cannot confirm her Leicester form having been a far from disgraced seventh in the 23-runner in the Sandringham Handicap and then a 2 3/4 lengths fourth in the Coral Distaff at Sandown.
There is half-a-length to find on the re-opposing Preening, but James Fanshawe’s stable is in no form at all. The one who may give Beshaayir most to think about here, then, is Di Fede in a race where you can get three places on the each-way betting.Unforgettable Filly cannot be overlooked each-wayThe aforementioned Unforgettable Filly is a Group 2 winner having landed the German 1000 Guineas for trainer Hugo Palmer last season, but has not lived up to those heights since. She is still respected on that pick of her form, however, and is worth considering each-way if bouncing back to her best.
After winning one of her four juvenile starts, the four-year-old finally took a step forward when landing a Listed affair at Musselburgh last season after finishing runner-up in the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on reappearance and then an 11 lengths sixth to winter in the 2017 1000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile.
Those runs put her spot on for that career best effort at Dusseldorf, but she has failed to fire in all four outings since. When returning to action at Leicester this season in that conditions race, Unforgettable Filly held every chance a furlong from home but was beaten a length.
Although 2lb better off at the weights with Di Fede, she simply didn’t take a step forward from that run when looking well but beaten 25 lengths in the Duke Of Cambridge. That Royal Ascot race is over the straight mile and this is on the turn, but with just two victories in her last 12, Unforgettable Filly is not sufficiently reliable to be put as a winner.
She cannot be entirely discounted because of her Classic form, however. If running up to her current mark of 100 (she has won off 105), then Unforgettable Filly ought to be making her present felt and hit the frame as she’s the highest rated of the nine strong field.Your Next Bet
