Take Jack Hobbs to help Gosden open his Royal Ascot account
GOSDEN LOOKS THE THREAT TO AIDEN O'BRIEN'S EIGHTH TRAINERS' CROWN ʂ Usherette, Mori, Harry Angel and Masar tipped as daily best bets.
John Gosden, who never had a runner on Day One of Royal Ascot, holds the second-best hand of equine cards at racing’s biggest poker table and still looks the main threat to Aidan O’Brien’s attempt for an eighth trainer’s crown this week.
Gosden, who has only drawn a blank once since Chicarica gave him the first of 41 winners here in 1990, is poised to play catchup today with JACK HOBBS in the £750,000 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (5.20pm), the richest race of Europe’s most prestigious meeting.
Jack Hobbs already has an Irish Derby and a Sheema Classic on his CV, and, though both were over 2400m, Gosden reckons the first-time blinkers woke him up at Meydan, where he showed that fifth gear that had been missing since he returned last year from a fractured pelvis.
Highland Reel was 12 lengths behind Jack Hobbs on rainsoftened ground in Dubai, and, though the Coolmore globetrotter, who has won Group 1s on three continents, bounced back to land the Coronation Cup on drier conditions at Epsom, his trailblazing tactics might make him a sitting duck for the Gosden horse.
Remember, while Jack Hobbs enjoyed the ground at Meydan, he has also shown he can handle a faster terrain, both at The Curragh, where he was explosive, and when chasing home his brilliant stablemate Golden Horn in the Derby at Epsom.
There has been plenty of money for Ulysses, who could be a typical late-developing improver of Sir Michael Stoute’s, but he was left gasping for air by Highland Reel in last year’s Breeders Cup Turf in California.
Jack Hobbs is owned by Godolphin, and ‘Blue is the Colour’, the anthem of Premiership champions Chelsea FC, could be the punters’ favourite song around racing’s most famous amphitheatre on Day Two as Sheikh Mohammed’s team launch a strong twinassault in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes, with USHERETTE preferred to Laugh Aloud.
No horse has won back-to-back runnings of this race, but Usherette was so impressive 12 months ago, albeit on soft ground, I’m convinced she can pull it off.
Usherette, who has no Group penalty this year, ran a pleasing prep in the Prix d’Ispahan and, with hat-trick seeking Laugh Aloud jumping up two grades from that impressive Derby Day stroll at Epsom, more danger may come from fellow French challenger Qemah.
Arguably, both the Gallic raiders would have preferred the ground not to be lightning fast as it clearly is - but Usherette won the Dahlia at Newmarket last year on going that was on top and there was certainly no mud about at Chantilly last time either.
The French are crowing loudly – when don’t they? – about kicking off today with a winner, courtesy of Le Brivido, who was just touched off in the French 2000 Guineas, but the European classic colts seem inferior to the fillies this season, besides which he will find contrasting ground conditions to those which he encountered at Deauville.
Gosden’s Daban, third in the English 1000 Guineas, will be better suited by this 1400m, but she prefers a bit of cut and also has to take on the boys at level weights, so instead I’m throwing in a surprise-packet in stablemate CHESSMAN, who made up a phenomenal amount of ground on the slower side of the track when unlucky at Newbury. He’s taking a big hike in class, but he could be anything.
American trainer Wes Ward is always worth following here and HAPPY LIKE A FOOL (Queen Mary Stakes) is the best filly in his 50-strong barn, so say no more, though have a saver on Clive Cox’s Heartache, who looks well above average.
Only one favourite has won the Royal Hunt Cup in 20 years so the 30-runner cavalry charge up the straight 1600m ought to carry a public health warning. However, as Sheikh Mohammed says “the biggest risk is not taking risks”.
Best to choose one on each side and one in the middle, so my three against the field are YUFTEN, ABE LINCOLN and FASTNET TEMPEST.
Gosden admits his confidence in GYMNASTE for the closing Sandringham Handicap is drying up as fast as the ground, but the trainer is one of life’s pessimists and the stable’s Persuasive did us a turn in this race last year.
I simply cannot see past Coolmore’s ORDER OF ST GEORGE in tomorrow’s Gold Cup – Big Orange will merely provide the favourite the strong gallop he needs – but him apart this looks a trappy day, though MORI is a big whisper for the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and, being a daughter of Oaks heroine Midday, she will relish this step up in trip.
However, if you are brave enough to tip your toes in the water for the two handicaps that close Day Three, I can suggest SON OF THE STARS for the Britannia and SOFIA’S ROCK for the King George V.
Irish trainer Jessie Harrington has her strongest Flat team yet, and ALPHA CENTAURI (Albany) can make it 3-3 in the Albany Stakes on Friday, when the speedy HARRY ANGEL can surprise Caravaggio in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup.
Gosden might have a couple of surprise-packets lined up for Day Four, MASTER SINGER in the King Edward VII – he won the race for the same owner with Eagle Top – and STRADIVARIUS in the Queen’s Vase, and also don’t miss fast ground specialist TOP TUG in the closing Duke of Edinburgh Handicap.
Coolmore won’t hear of defeat for dual Guineas winner WINTER in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, though the odds will be skinny, and it seems that LIMATO, for whom it seems to rain every time he is entered, will finally get his ground in Saturday’s feature, the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee.
Whatever you do make sure you pack your betting boots for Day Five as William Buick rates Godolphin’s MASAR, who overcame traffic problems to win on his Goodwood debut, his best ride of the week in the opening Chesham Stakes on Saturday.
There won’t be anyone in the crowd who would begrudge The Queen another Royal winner and in Dartmouth she has a big chance in the Hardwicke Stakes, though Godolphin might well prove to be the party-poopers with FRONTIERSMAN, who produced a career-best when chasing home Highland Reel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
My Special Branch: Usherette (today), Mori (tomorrow), Harry Angel (Friday) and Masar (Saturday).