Pique Sous

21st-Jun-2014

It is a little frustrating that Pricewise have put Pique Sous up, he was a 6/1 shot yesterday evening and he might have even drifted a little this morning, as he appeared to be well under the radar.

The withdrawal of Whiplash Willie has resulted in the shortening of Pique Sous’ price further, but Whiplash Willie was a danger in my book, so I am happy to back Willie Mullins’ horse at 9/2. I think there is still significant value in that, I can see him going off closer to 3/1.

He has a huge amount in his favour. Third in a Cheltenham Bumper behind stable companion Champagne Fever, he has won three of his six bumpers and two of his five races over hurdles. Rated 137 over hurdles, he may be an even better horse on the flat than he is over hurdles.

Winner of his maiden over two miles at Dundalk in February 2013 – and we know that form on Polytrack can often be a positive pointer to Ascot – he was impressive in winning a handicap at Leopardstown last September on his favoured good ground.

Put away for the winter after that, probably to avoid the deep winter ground, he ran a really nice race on his comeback run to finish fifth behind Thomas Edison in a decent one-and-a-half-mile handicap at The Curragh on Guineas weekend on unsuitably soft ground. He travelled really well into that race on the outside, but he just couldn’t go on with his effort from the two-furlong pole, the combination of soft ground and lack of a recent run probably taking its toll.

That run should have put him spot on for today. It is probable that Willie Mullins has had this race in mind for him for a while, given that he won it with Simenon in 2012. Ryan Moore rode Simenon to win this race then – after he had ridden him to win the Ascot Stakes on the Tuesday – and it is significant that Mullins has gone to the trouble of booking him again. Pique Sous should stay the distance, he is bred to stay, and he should run a big race.

Tiger Cliff is a big danger, but I would have had them the other way around in the betting. I think that Pique Sous is the more likely winner.

PIQUE SOUS WON (ADV 9/2 [R4], SP 11/4)

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