Ocean Wind and Nayef Road clash again in Ascot Gold Cup warm-up

6.50 Sandown
Coral Henry II Stakes (Group 3) | 2m | 4yo+ | RTV

If these runners were judged on the form they achieved last season then there would be only one winner because Nayef Road was head and shoulders better than his four rivals in 2020.

The five-year-old chased home Stradivarius in the Gold Cup at Ascot, and the Goodwood Cup, but couldn’t take advantage of his absence when only third in the Lonsdale Cup at York.

It has all been downhill since for Nayef Road, too, and he wasn’t even the bridesmaid behind Stradivarius at Ascot on his return last month when he was beaten for second by Ocean Wind.

Ocean Wind matched Nayef Road’s highest career Racing Post Rating of 116 for that Sagaro second and appears on a steeper upward trajectory than Nayef Road, who hasn’t recorded 116 since last July and ran a stinker when last of five in the Yorkshire Cup a couple of weeks ago.

Since starting out on a Flat career after a successful stint in bumpers, Ocean Wind’s RPRs have improved with each start and read: 79, 84, 103, 107, 109, 112 and 116. Judged on the median, he averages an improvement of 4lb per run and, if he can repeat that sort of rapid progress on just his second start in Group company, he should come home an easy winner.

That’s all on paper, though, and when it came to racing on course Ocean Wind was beaten by Rainbow Dreamer. That was when the pair met in an All-Weather Championships qualifier at Kempton in February and Rainbow Dreamer made all to beat Ocean Wind by half a length.

They have gone in opposite directions since and Rainbow Dreamer was only fourth in the final of that series at Lingfield on Good Friday behind Ranch Hand, who also runs here.

Ranch Hand and Rainbow Dreamer went on to finish fourth and fifth of five on turf at Newbury last time, though, and both would prefer if this were run on an artificial surface.

Ranch Hand is unbeaten in four all-weather starts and Rainbow Dreamer is a six-time winner on sand. The pair have won only four races between them on grass, which tells its own story.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Mitchell positive on Ocean Wind's chances

The in-form Jack Mitchell is looking to nail his first Group win since 2019 with Ocean Wind, who arguably could have got closer to Stradivarius granted a clearer passage in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot last time.

Mitchell, who registered a career-best 103 winners in 2020 despite a chunk of the season being lost to lockdown, is already on 45 for the year, mainly due to his association with Roger Varian and the efforts of his agent Steven Croft.

Jack Mitchell: rides Ocean Wind for trainer Roger Teal in the Henry II Stakes

On the chances of Roger Teal’s runner, Mitchell said: “At Ascot, Stradivarius and Frankie came alongside me under hands and heels, but I felt I would have finished closer at the line if I hadn’t had to switch around him at the last minute.”

He added: “I went down and sat on Ocean Wind at Roger’s last week and he seems to have come on for that. He’ll enjoy the trip, although he’ll be better over further and hopefully he can then go to the Ascot Gold Cup.”

What they say

Philip Robinson, racing manager to Mohamed Obaida, owner of Nayef Road
He ran no sort of race in the Yorkshire Cup last time and we don’t know why. Hopefully it was just an off day. There was an outsider in the race who made the running which may not have suited him but he ran too bad to be true. He came back fine and we hope he can bounce back.

Roger Teal, trainer of Ocean Wind
He looks so well and he's bucking and kicking at home, so we thought we would have a go. He ran an absolute cracker behind Stradivarius and he does deserve to get his head in front. He likes variety, while he isn’t really ground dependant as he has run on all types of ground. We're happy with him and he seems in a happy place.

Hollie Doyle, rider of Rainbow Dreamer
He’s been running well on the all-weather mainly and we’ll see how he gets on at this level. Hopefully he can handle the soft ground and run a nice race.

Oisin Murphy, rider of Ranch Hand
He’s in great form at home and should be suited by going back up to this trip. It looks competitive but he won’t mind the soft ground.
Reporting by David Milnes

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