Paul Kealy's play of the day at Ascot
Granger Bay
In the closing 7f handicap Granger Bay is another who could go well for Billy Loughnane, who teams up with Jane Chapple-Hyam for whom he rode a decent winner at Newmarket's July meeting (one ride since, finished fourth).
It is fair to say Granger Bay has so far failed to live up to his pedigree as he's a brother to the yard's dual Group 1-winning mare Saffron Beach and is rated only 77, but he has been a bit of a slow learner and this is the first time he has managed to string three relatively quick runs together.
Having run a fair third to Apotheosis in novice company at Lingfield in early August, he turned that form around comfortably next time on his handicap debut on soft ground at Newmarket, but was no match for winner Run Boy Run, who seemed more battle-hardened.
Granger Bay, who traded at 1-2 in running, did not help his cause by hanging to his left after briefly taking it up, but it was a step in the right direction all the same and it is the second time in four outings he has run really well on soft ground, the first coming when he was second on debut under Loughnane to a now 94-rated rival at Yarmouth last year.
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