Fran Berry with 20/1 bet for Ascot on Saturday

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1pt e.w Keats in Balmoral Handicap at 20/1

Keats looks too big to go unbacked at 20/1 in Saturday’s Balmoral Handicap at Ascot.

Aidan O’Brien’s charge beat Free Solo in a Listed race at Cork last time, picking up a 6lb penalty to get into this.

A son of Galileo and Airwave, he’d chased home Lady Wannabee at Listowel the time before and that rival went on to win the Group Three Darley Stakes at Newmarket at the weekend.

He found the track too sharp there and was doing his best work at the finish and it pays to forget his previous run in a big handicap at the Curragh where everything went wrong for him.

I really think Saturday’s race will suit him with a big field and strong gallop to aim at and it wouldn’t surprise me to see connections stick a pair of cheekpieces on him.

The one unknown is the ground but hopefully it won’t get too testing for him on the straight track at Ascot. I think he might half his current price by the weekend.

Preview posted 1710 BST on 12/10/2020