ASCOT PREVIEW
Expert guide to the Royal meeting’s big races
TUESDAY
QUEEN ANNE STAKES
You always try to get a short-priced favourite beaten but PALACE PIER surely only needs to turn up in one piece to take the Queen Anne.
He took the St James’s Palace Stakes at last year’s Royal meeting and had just one blip in the QEII Stakes in October when the testing ground blunted his speed. His effort in taking the Lockinge at Newbury last time was excellent and there was a fair amount left up his sleeve.
Alpine Star could go for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes over 1m2f instead but showed her best form when winning last year’s Coronation Stakes at this trip and would have strong place claims again if not scared off by the jolly.
The Revenant beat Palace Pier in that QEII and looks a big price at around 201 if venturing across the Channel again.
Order Of Australia is talented and showed his quality when taking the Breeders’ Cup Mile before a fair effort in Hong Kong before Christmas. He doesn’t have any other fancy entries so presumably will come straight here which would be some training feat, even for the great Aidan O’Brien.
KING’S STAND STAKES
The main question for the King’s Stand is can the brilliant Battaash deliver another superb performance at the age of seven. He showed no sign of decline last season as this notoriously skittish type enjoyed the lack of crowds to win this race and the Qatar Stakes at Glorious Goodwood before finishing in style by taking another Nunthorpe at York. His best form would be good enough and he has relatively few miles on the clock for his age.
Glass Slippers is as honest as they come and did superbly to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint after going close to taking a second L’Abbaye at Longchamp where the draw did for her. Her worst run of the past two seasons came in this race 12 months ago which is the concern.
Oxted has been a bit flat on both his runs this season at Newmarket and York. Six furlongs suits him better as it does rising Starman.
At a bigger price LIBERTY BEACH has to be considered. She ran a cracker to finish third in this as a three-year-old last season and signed off the campaign with a close third in the L’Abbaye. She wouldn’t want it too firm but should be capable of better in her four-year-old campaign.
ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES
ST MARK’S BASILICA landed his second Group 1 success in a row when taking the French 2,000 Guineas in good style at Longchamp. He may have the French Derby as his target rather than this race if Aidan O’Brien wants to up him in trip. But it could be wise to stay at the mile because he showed more than enough pace to strike again.
The only doubt would be the ground as he’s not raced on anything quicker than good to soft.
Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare looked ready for a longer distance when running on strongly at Longchamp after not getting the clearest of runs. He would be respected if turning up here but I’d try him over
1m2f now.
Lucky Vega ran a cracker in the opening Newmarket Classic when a neck away in third. He was gaining with every stride and rates a clear second choice with much more improvement to come.
At an each-way price, Chindit didn’t get the breaks on the Rowley Mile and is another who came home with more to give. He won a Listed race here last season so Ascot may suit better.
WEDNESDAY
DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES Lady Bowthorpe flew to the head of
the betting for this mile contest after chasing home Palace Pier in the Lockinge at Newbury. That was after her gutsy effort in winning the Dahlia ahead of Queen Power who is also in the mix for this. William Jarvis’s mare sees out this mile strongly and has winning form at Ascot so will be hard to beat.
But she’s plenty short enough and you have to give an each-way chance to BOUNCE THE BLUES who is a Listed winner over seven furlongs. She clocked a personal best at Lingfield last time when beaten in a tight finish for the Chartwell Stakes. Soft ground would help and offers of 20-1 seem more than fair.
Champers Elysees won a Group 1 at Leopardstown over this trip last season and wasn’t asked too many questions when fourth on comeback at The Curragh on May 3. Her best form would give her every chance.
PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES
Last year’s winner Lord North sets a high standard for Team Gosden and Frankie Dettori. He had almost four lengths in hand when taking this. He didn’t strike again last season but went close at the Breeders’ Cup. He took a Dubai Group 1 in late March so should be fit enough and will be right there again.
LOVE just gets the nod with her 3lb fillies’ weight allowance coming in handy. It hardly seems fair given how impressive she was in winning three Group 1s in an unbeaten 2020. She excels at a mile and 1m4f so this in between distance should be fine. She goes on any ground and has more to offer as a four-year-old.
Addeybb was second in this last season and would have to be taken very seriously again. He went on to take the Champion Stakes over course and distance before venturing to Australia where he landed the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Soft ground would really bring him into the reckoning.
At a bigger price, Audarya won at the Breeders’ Cup for James Fanshawe and handles any ground. She could easily run into the places.
THURSDAY
ASCOT GOLD CUP
STRADIVARIUS can land his fourth Ascot Gold Cup in an amazing career. He’s seven now and will be trained to the minute for this by John Gosden. That explains why he looked a way bit short of his peak when still winning over two miles here on comeback in late April.
He had to work hard but was always doing enough to take that Sagaro
Stakes. Don’t forget he was beaten before last year’s Gold Cup win and everything revolves around this race for connections.
Trueshan looks the main threat after signing off last season with a gutsy Long Distance Cup win over two miles here. He had the solid Search For A Song in second that day and Dermot Weld’s stayer can hit the places.
Trueshan would love some cut in the ground as he really acts on it and testing going would blunt his rivals. In that case, his current price of 9-1 is certain to be much shorter so keep an eye on the weather forecast.
Subjectivist and Sir Ron Priestley are a strong team for Mark Johnston. The latter blotted his copybook a little when beaten in the Yorkshire Cup and his front-running style will stretch his
stamina over this trip.
The former enjoyed two miles when winning the Dubai Gold Cup in March and was speedy enough to finish a close third in the King George V Stakes here last season. He needs to raise his game for a Gold Cup but has more to offer.
FRIDAY
COMMONWEALTH CUP
Keep an eye on the draw in the six-furlong contest. Since it was first run in 2015, ten is the highest stall to produce the winner and there have been three big fields.
American trainer Wesley Ward has enjoyed plenty of Royal Ascot success with his sprinters and CAMPANELLE heads the market. He didn’t stay a mile when beaten in the Breeders’ Cup having tasted Group 1 glory in the Morny at Deauville last August.
He has a Royal Ascot win on his CV thanks to a tight success in the Queen Mary Stakes over the minimum but he will have no issues getting home at this distance. That’s sharp form and he’ll take a lot of beating.
Supremacy was impressive in winning the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket but he was a well-backed flop on comeback in the Pavilion Stakes over course and distance in April.
Suesa boasts smart form in France where she has taken a couple of Group 3s at Chantilly. She has more to offer but is a fairly short price.
Looking down the entries, it’s hard to find anything that can keep up with the American raider if he’s on song. And Ward’s track record of producing horses for this meeting only boosts confidence.
CORONATION STAKES
This isn’t the easiest race to weigh up at this stage with many of the leading contenders likely to run between this issue going to press and the big day.
Mother Earth followed her 1,000 Guineas win at Newmarket with a good second in the French version when an outsider ran her down in the closing stages. It was a similar quality effort as on the Rowley Mile and she comes here with every chance.
She handles any ground and took her racing well last season so it’s a not a massive worry that she’ll probably run in the Irish 1,000 before heading here. That race takes place after we go to press and will be a guide to her chances here.
Pretty Gorgeous could make her seasonal return in that Curragh Classic and a lot will ride on how that clash goes to see if she heads here. Last season’s form was strong and she finished by winning the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket which is a good pointer to Classic glory.
It’s a case of hold your bets at this stage. Mehnah is another who is likely to line up at the Curragh and she showed real potential when second in the 1,000 trial at Leopardstown on just her second run.
Indigo Girl was only half a length behind in the Fillies’ Mile and has been given plenty of time by John Gosden. She wasn’t happy with the dip at Newmarket and this fairer track will be more suitable, as Doncaster was when she took the Group 2 May Hill there in September. She’s gone well on firm and soft ground.
Fev Rover ran a belter in the 1,000 Guineas when outrunning her long odds. That was just her sixth run and she was only just over a length away at the line.
She was fit to do herself justice but a repeat would see her challenge for a podium place.
SATURDAY
DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES
DREAM OF DREAMS has been beaten a head in this race for the past two seasons and can go close again.
He went on to land the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup in the soft and he’s probably at his very best with some dig in the ground. He’s seven now so there’s a worry about him showing his best but the opposition doesn’t look right out of the top drawer this season.
Another veteran — Glen Shiel — ended last season by winning the Champions Sprint over course and distance on soft ground. Being a son of Pivotal, some rain would really help his chances and he’s lightly raced for his age.
Starman lived up to his name when winning the Group 2 Duke Of York
Stakes last time from Nahaarr who is another who would have every chance if coming here. They are the young guard coming through and they have the potential to outpoint the older sprinters — certainly as the season wears on.
At hefty odds, Came From The Dark ran a cracker when beaten in a tight finish for the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket in May. He is probably better over the minimum but clocked a good time at HQ and can’t be dismissed for place purposes at least.