Queen%Anne%Stakes!(Group!1)! ! !
BEAT%THE%BANK% 4!b!g!Paco!Boy!2!Tiana! ! Andrew!Balding! King!Power!Racing!Co!Ltd! ! Beat!The!Bank!improved!rapidly!throughout!the!2017!season!with! victories!at!Group!3!and!Group!2!level.!He’s!been!very!disappointing!upped! to!Group!1!company!since!but!he’s!previous!exploits!gives!him!hope!he!can! land!blow!in!a!race!of!this!nature.!My!concern!would!be!that!he’s!been!to! Ascot!twice!and!disappointed!on!both!occasions.% % % %
BENBATL%
4!b!c!Dubawi!2!Nahrain% % Saeed!bin!Suroor! Godolphin! ! Benbatl!has!a!few!potential!targets!at!this!meeting!with!this!race!and!the! Prince!Of!Wales!Stakes!both!potential!targets.!This!son!of!Dubawi!has! shown!improved!form!this!year!with!three!wins!in!Dubai!including!the! Dubai!Turf!over!1m1f.!I!think!a!strong!run!mile!on!decent!ground!could! suit!this!horse!well!and!I!think!he’s!a!live!player!if!turning!up!in!this!race! for!connections.! ! ! !
DEAUVILLE% 5!b!h!Galileo!2!Walklikeanegyptian! % A!P!O’Brien! Mrs!F!Hay/M!Tabor/Mrs!J!Magnier/D!Smith! % Deauville!possibly!lacks!the!class!of!a!few!of!these!but!he!did!run!a!very! good!race!when!third!behind!Ribchester!in!this!race!last!season.!I!think!he! was!well!suited!by!the!way!the!race!was!run!that!day!and!possibly! flattered!by!his!finishing!position.!He!hasn’t!quite!been!in!the!same!form! since!but!he!did!run!a!nice!race!in!fifth!behind!Rhododendron!at!Newbury! last!time.!
%
LIGHTNING%SPEAR!
7!ch!h!Pivotal!–!Atlantic!Destiny! % David!Simcock% Qatar!Racing!Limited! ! Lightning!Spear!has!been!a!brilliant!horse!for!connections!over!the!years! and!there’s!only!one!thing!missing!of!his!CV,!a!Group!1.!He!came! agonisingly!close!last!time!on!his!return!behind!Rhododendron!in!the! Lockinge!and!that!might!be!the!one!that!got!away.!He!goes!well!over!this! C&D!and!should!remain!competitive.!He’s!very!versatile!when!it!comes!to! ground!conditions.!!! ! ! ! LORD%GLITTERS! 5!gr!g!Whipper!–!Lady!Glitters! ! David!O’Meara! Geoff!&!Sandra!Turnbull! ! Lord!Glitters!was!a!brilliant!winner!of!the!Balmoral!Handicap!over!this! C&D!on!Qipco!British!Champions!Day!last!season!before!being!narrowly! denied!at!Listed!level!at!Newmarket.!He!was!unfortunate!to!give!8lb!to! subsequent!Group!3!winner!Addeybb!in!the!Lincoln!at!the!start!of!the! season!and!when!you!consider!he!was!beaten!just!over!2!lengths!that!was! a!very!good!run!after!a!lay2off.!This!contest!will!require!more! improvement!and!he!also!has!the!option!of!running!in!the!Royal!Hunt!Cup! and!that!contest!could!be!more!realistic.!
! ! ! RECOLETOS!
4!b!c!Whipper!–!Highphar! ! C!Laffon2Parias! Sarl!Darpat!France! ! Recoletos!had!a!decent!three2year2old!season!last!year!with!victory!in!the! Group!2!Prix!Greffulhe!at!Saint2Cloud!before!running!a!good!race!when! third!in!the!Prix!du!Jockey!Club!(French!Derby).!He’s!taken!another!step! forward!this!year!dropped!slightly!in!trip!and!gained!a!deserved!Group!1! victory!over!1m1f!last!time.!I!think!a!stiff!1m!could!really!suit!this!colt!but! my!only!concern!would!be!if!the!ground!were!petty!quick.!! !
RHODODENDRON%
4!b!f!Galileo!–!Halfway!To!Heaven! ! A!P!O’Brien! Mrs!John!Magnier,!Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith! ! High2class!filly;!Rhododendron!has!won!Group!1’s!at!the!age!of!two,!three! and!now!four!after!her!game!display!in!the!Lockinge!Stakes!at!Newbury! last!time.!That!race!is!often!a!decent!pointer!for!the!Queen!Anne!Stakes! with!the!form!more!often!than!not!confirmed!at!the!Royal!Meeting.!!She! could!be!a!tough!nut!to!crack!here.! ! ! !
Verdict! %
I!don’t!think!we’ll!be!looking!back!at!this!race!in!years!to!come!calling!it!a! vintage!renewal!but!it!does!look!a!competitive!contest!on!paper!and!will! kick!off!the!Royal!meeting!nicely.!Lightning!Spear!has!been!a!terrific!horse! for!his!connections!over!the!year’s!and!he’s!ran!some!brilliant!races!in! defeat!in!Group!1!company!without!getting!his!head!in!front.!He’s!pretty! versatile!regards!ground!conditions!these!days!but!his!ability!to!handle! soft!ground!conditions!needs!to!be!taken!into!consideration!here!and!if! Ascot!gets!rain!in!the!lead!up!to!the!Royal!meeting!his!claims!would!be! enhanced.!Lancaster!Bomber!finally!tasted!Group!1!success!last!time!when! landing!the!Tattersalls!Gold!Cup!over!1m2f.!I!think!he’s!likely!to!go!for!the! Prince!of!Wales!Stakes!over!that!trip!here!and!Good!to!Firm!ground!is!vital! to!his!chances.!I!find!the!French!raider!Recoletos!a!fascinating!runner!here.! There’s!no!doubt!the!Group!1!he!won!recently!wouldn’t!be!the!most! competitive!races!you’ll!see!but!I!just!think!this!C&D!could!suit!him!down! to!the!ground!and!if!the!ground!came!up!soft!he!could!difficult!to!beat!here.! Similar!comments!can!be!applied!to!rapid!improver!Addeybb,!who’s!run!in! the!Lockinge!last!time!was!too!bad!to!be!true.!He!never!really!got!the!rub! of!the!green!that!day!and!he’ll!be!an!interesting!runner!if!the!rain!fell.! BENBATL%is!another!in!the!field!that!should!be!well!suited!to!this!stiff! mile.!He!had!a!good!winter!in!Dubai!that!concluded!with!a!win!in!the! Group!1!Dubai!Turf.!He’s!clearly!still!improving!and!I’m!hoping!there’s! plenty!more!to!come!here.!There’s!no!doubt!Rhododendron!could!be!a! tough!nut!to!crack!here!for!Ballydoyle!and!if!she!can!build!on!her!Lockinge! Stakes!win!she!could!be!very!tough!to!beat.!I!don’t!think!she!needed!to! improve!to!win!that!race!but!I!do!feel!further!improvement!is!needed!to! land!this!but!she!deserves!her!place!at!the!top!of!the!market.!
% Selection:%BENBATL%(6/1)%
%
Coventry%Stakes!(Group!2)! ! % ADVERTISE%
2!b!c!Showcasing!–!Furbelow! ! Martyn!Meade! Manton!Estate!Racing! ! This!son!of!Showcasing!was!extremely!well!backed!before!his!debut!t! Newbury!last!month!and!duly!lived!up!to!the!market!expectations!with!an! eye2catching!performance.!He!settled!well!towards!the!rear!before!staying! on!well!to!win!an!above!average!contest!rather!cosily.!The!form!of!that! race!has!worked!out!well!with!the!third!Burj!winning!easily!since!and!the! fourth!Alfie!Solomons!also!winning!since.!This!colt!clearly!knows!his!job! and!could!surprise!a!few.!! ! ! ! ! ! CALYX! 2!b!c!Kingman!–!Helleborine! ! John!Gosden! K!Abdullah! ! I!was!very!impressed!with!this!son!of!Kingman!on!debut!and!I!don’t!think!a! first!time!out!juvenile!winner!has!blown!me!away!since!his!sire!won!on! debut!on!the!July!course!at!Newmarket.!Calyx!travelled!extremely!well! throughout!before!quickening!clear!in!the!style!of!a!very!smart!colt!in!the! making.!I’m!not!sure!how!strong!that!form!is!but!the!second!had!won! beforehand!and!the!third!is!extremely!well!bred!and!seemingly!held!in! high!regard!by!Charlie!Hills.!It!hasn’t!been!decided!whether!this!colt!will! run!at!Ascot!yet!but!he!clearly!would!be!a!leading!player!if!turning!up.!! ! ! ! !
! ! % % %
COSMIC%LAW!
2!b!c!No!Nay!Never!–!Dhamma! ! Richard!Fahey! John!Dance! ! Cosmic!Law!has!made!a!promising!start!to!his!racing!with!two!wins!from! three!career!starts!to!date.!He!relished!the!step!up!to!6f!last!time!when! running!away!with!the!Woodcote!at!Epsom!by!6!lengths.!That!win!came!on! soft!ground!but!being!by!first!season!sire!No!Nay!Never!you’d!be!hopeful! he!could!be!even!better!on!a!sounder!surface.!He!looks!another!promising! horse!in!the!making!for!his!owner!John!Dance!and!needs!serious!respect.! ! ! ! DUBAI%LEGACY! 2!b!c!Discreet!Cat!–!Afsana! ! Saeed!bin!Suroor! Godolphin! ! Well!bred;!Dubai!Legacy!created!a!very!good!impression!when!winning!on! debut!at!Doncaster!on!ground!possibly!a!lot!softer!than!ideal.!I!think!that! was!a!good!contest!with!the!second!(Eagle!Hunter)!held!in!very!high! regard!by!Hugo!Palmer!and!should!be!a!winner!next!time!out.!This!son!of! Discreet!Cat!would!have!learnt!plenty!from!his!debut!win!and!I!think!he’s!a! dark!horse!amongst!the!possible!line2up!and!should!appreciate!a!sounder! surface.!! ! ! ! GETCHAGETCHAGETCHA! 2!b!c!Champs!Elysees!–!Paella! ! Clive!Cox! Paul!&!Clare!Rooney! ! When!you!look!at!this!colts!breeding!you!wouldn’t!think!he’d!be!winning! over!5f!as!a!two2year2old!but!that!exactly!what!he!did!and!he!done!it!pretty! well!despite!only!winning!by!a!small!margin.!He!had!subsequent!easy! Newbury!winner!The!Irish!Rover!in!behind!that!day!and!you’d!have!to! think!there’s!plenty!more!to!come!from!him.!The!step!up!to!6f!should!bring! out!further!improvement!in!this!son!of!Champs!Elysees!and!he!could!run!a! bold!race.! !
KONCHEK!
2!bl!c!Lethal!Force!–!Soar! ! Clive!Cox! AlMohamediya!Racing! ! Konchek!made!a!pleasing!start!to!his!career!with!a!good!victory!at! Newmarket!despite!hanging!badly!right!throughout.!He!ran!a!good!race!in! the!Listed!National!Stakes!at!Sandown!to!finish!third.!I!thought!Konchek! was!unlucky!not!to!win!that!day!and!definitely!shaped!with!promise.!He! also!has!an!option!over!5f!at!Royal!Ascot!but!I!think!the!step!up!to!6f!could! unlock!further!improvement!in!this!son!of!Lethal!Force.! ! ! ! SERGEI%PROKOFIEV! 2!b!c!Scat!Daddy!–!Orchard!Beach! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! % Sergei!Prokofiev!comes!into!the!Coventry!Stakes!a!pretty!red2hot!favourite! and!many!are!describing!him!as!the!banker!of!the!meeting.!There’s!no! doubt!he’s!looked!very!good!in!his!two!victories!this!year!including!his! recent!very!easy!Listed!success!at!Naas.!He’s!yet!to!race!beyond!5f!but!I! can’t!see!the!extra!furlong!being!an!issue!for!this!son!of!Scat!Daddy!and! might!bring!out!further!improvement.! ! ! !
THE%IRISH%ROVER%
2!b!c!No!Nay!Never!–!Shelley!Beach! ! A!P!O’Brien! Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier% ! Beautifully!bred!son!of!Norfolk!Stakes!and!Prix!Morny!winner!No!Nay! Never!that!has!looked!very!progressive!this!season!in!three!career!starts.! He!finished!third!on!debut!behind!Sergei!Prokofiev!before!finishing!fourth! when!1/7F!at!Ascot!on!his!next!outing.!He!reared!badly!leaving!the!stalls! and!lost!about!5!lengths!before!staying!on!nicely!on!ground!probably! softer!than!ideal.!He!showed!the!benefit!of!that!experience!on!his!next! outing!in!a!competitive!Conditions!Stakes!at!Newbury!to!run!out!a!very! easy!winner.!He!seemed!to!relish!the!step!up!to!6f!and!Good!to!Firm! ground!that!day!and!left!the!impression!there’s!more!to!come.!
THE%PADDOCKS!
2!b!c!Charm!Spirit!–!Miss!Plimsoll! ! Richard!Hannon! Merribelle!Ltd,!Sullivan!Bloodstock!Ltd! ! Richard!Hannon!doesn’t!have!many!first!time!out!two2year2old!winners! these!days!but!when!he!does!it!often!suggests!they’re!above!average.!This! son!of!first!season!sire!Charm!Spirit!created!quite!a!good!impression!on!his! racecourse!debut!at!Newbury!last!month!and!the!form!of!that!contest!has! worked!out!nicely!with!the!second!winning!well!since.!Whether!this!colt!is! up!to!this!level!on!his!second!career!start!is!up!for!debate!but!he!shapes! like!there’s!plenty!more!to!come.! ! ! !
Verdict%% !
I’ve!always!been!a!fan!of!the!Coventry!Stakes!and!it’s!often!a!great!platform! for!future!success!and!has!an!illustrious!roll!of!honour.!There’s!no!doubt! Sergei!Prokofiev!sets!a!very!high!standard!for!these!juveniles!to!aim!at!and! the!son!of!Scat!Daddy!has!been!very!impressive!to!date.!He!won!in!very! good!fashion!last!time!at!Naas!and!left!the!impression!we!haven’t! scratched!the!surface!with!him!yet.!Both!his!wins!have!come!over!5f!to! date!but!I!can’t!see!the!step!up!to!6f!being!an!issue!from!him.!He!comes! into!this!contest!with!an!almost!identical!profile!to!2016!winner! Caravaggio!and!he!needs!serious!respect!but!at!the!prices!I’ll!take!him!on! at!present.!Ballydoyle!also!have!the!rather!progressive!The!Irish!Rover! entered!for!this!contest.!He!relished!the!step!up!to!6f!on!Good!to!Firm! ground!last!time!at!Newbury!and!despite!looking!connections!second! string!on!paper!he!looks!a!live!player.!It!was!pretty!hard!not!to!be! impressed!with!Cosmic!Law!last!time!at!Epsom!and!seemed!to!relish!the! step!up!to!6f!for!the!first!time.!He’s!quite!a!similar!type!to!the!other!son!of! No!Nay!Never!in!the!line2up!and!should!continue!to!improve!with!racing! experience.!I!was!blown!away!with!the!debut!of!CALYX%at!Newmarket! recently!and!if!he!turns!up!here!he’d!be!the!one!for!me.!He!travelled!and! quickened!like!a!very!smart!colt!and!I!don’t!think!I’ve!seen!a!nicer!colt!than! him!this!season.!Obviously,!there’s!every!chance!he!won’t!turn!up!here!but! if!he!does!that!would!be!a!tip!in!itself.!!As!a!value!alternative,!I!think! DUBAI%LEGACY!could!go!well.!Saeed!bin!Suroor!usually!leaves!a!bit!to! work!out!for!their!debuts!and!I!thought!this!colt!left!the!firm!impression!he! had!plenty!more!to!come.!He!should!relish!this!C&D!and!I!think!Good!to! Firm!could!bring!out!further!improvement.!! ! !
Selection:!CALYX!(5/1)!&!DUBAI%LEGACY!(20/1)!
King%Stand%Stakes!(Group!1)! ! %
% BATTAASH!
4!b!g!Dark!Angel!–!Anna!Law! ! Charles!Hills! Hamdan!Al!Maktoum! ! Battaash!was!one!of!the!most!improved!horses!in!training!last!season!and! quickly!developed!into!the!best!5f!sprinter!around.!His!stunning!4!length! victory!over!previous!Group!1!winners!Marsha!and!Profitable!in!the!Prix! de!l’Abbaye!remains!fresh!in!the!memory!as!it!really!was!one!of!the!best! sprinting!performances!in!recent!times.!I!thought!he!got!the!job!done!well! enough!on!his!return!last!time!and!I!thought!he!showed!a!very!good! attitude.!Class!act.! ! ! ! BLUE%POINT! 4!b!c!Shamardal!–!Scarlett!Rose! ! Charlie!Appleby! Godolphin! ! Blue!Point!has!clearly!got!a!lot!of!natural!ability!and!he!showed!that!when! beating!Harry!Angel!on!his!return!last!season.!He!was!campaigned!over!6f! last!year!by!his!connections!but!I’ve!always!thought!dropping!to!a!strongly! run!5f!would!suit!him.!Blue!Point!will!need!to!bounce!back!from!a!poor! effort!in!Hong!Kong!last!time!and!has!questions!to!answer!at!present.! ! ! ! KACHY! 5!b!h!Kyllachy!–!Dubai!Bounty! ! Tom!Dascombe! David!Lowe! ! Kachy!probably!lacks!the!class!of!a!few!of!these!but!he’s!been!a!brilliant! horse!for!his!connections!over!the!years!and!has!developed!into!a!pretty! consistent!sprinter!over!the!years.!He!ran!a!brave!race!last!time!in!the! Group!2!Temple!Stakes!behind!Battaash!but!he!might!find!it!hard!to! reverse!that!form!here!especially!5lb!worse!off!at!the!weights.!!
LADY%AURELIA!
4!b!f!Scat!Daddy!–!D’Wildcat!Speed! ! Wesley!A!Ward! Stonestreet!Stables!LLC!&!Peter!Leidel! ! Lady!Aurelia!is!one!of!the!best!5f!sprinters!in!the!world!alongside!Battaash! and!has!already!tasted!Royal!Ascot!success!twice!over!this!distance.!She! was!brilliant!when!landing!this!race!last!season!under!John!Valazquez! before!missing!out!on!Nunthorpe!glory!by!a!nose!on!her!next!outing.!She’s! returned!a!beaten!favourite!on!her!next!two!starts!but!I!wouldn’t!read!into! that!too!much.!I’m!sure!Wesley!Ward!will!have!her!in!top!condition!in!bid! to!make!it!three!wins!in!three!years!at!Royal!Ascot!for!this!brilliant!filly.! ! ! !
MABS%CROSS!
4!b!f!Dutch!Art!–!Miss!Meggy! ! Michael!Dods! David!W!Armstrong! ! Mabs!Cross!is!a!filly!improving!rapidly!and!looked!very!good!when!landing! the!Group!3!Palace!House!Stakes!at!Newmarket!on!her!penultimate!start.! She!built!on!that!win!to!finish!a!decent!fourth!behind!Battaash!in!the! Temple!Stakes!last!time!and!probably!wasn’t!seen!to!best!effect.!I!think! this!filly!could!be!the!dark!horse!in!the!field!and!there!should!be!more! improvement!on!faster!ground!with!a!stronger!pace!to!aim!at.! ! ! !
WASHINGTON%DC!
5!b!h!Zoffany!–!How’s!She!Cuttin’! ! A!P!O’Brien! Mrs!John!Maginer!&!Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith! ! Washington!DC!looks!pretty!expose!at!Group!1!level!but!he’s!always! shaped!like!he’s!got!a!big!performance!in!him!and!he!ran!a!nice!race!when! we!last!seen!him!behind!Battaash!at!Haydock.!He!stayed!on!strongly!that! day!and!you’d!have!to!think!if!he!was!ridden!closer!to!the!pace!he!might! have!won!that!day.!He’ll!find!life!tough!trying!to!reverse!that!form!here!but! he!could!surprise!a!few!at!a!big!price.!! ! ! !
Verdict% !
The!seasons!King!Stand!Stakes!might!lack!some!strength!in!depth!but!it! does!give!us!the!mouth2watering!clash!between!Battaash!and!Lady!Aurelia.! Battaash!is!clearly!very!good!and!very!fast.!He!had!an!excellent!season!in! 2017!and!showed!major!improvement!that!concluded!with!Group!1!glory! in!France.!A!repeat!of!that!performance!would!see!be!him!very!difficult!to! beat!in!this!race!but!he’s!only!ran!at!Ascot!once!and!that!was!the!worst!run! of!his!career,!which!with!small!margins!taken!into!consideration!would!be! enough!to!put!me!off!him.!I!have!to!go!for!the!Queen!of!Royal!Ascot!LADY% AURELIA,!who!seems!to!come!alive!this!time!of!the!year.!I!don’t!think! we’ll!be!forgetting!her!2016!Queen!Mary!Stakes!performance!in!a!hurry! and!it!truly!was!one!of!the!best!Royal!Ascot!victories!we’ve!seen!from!a! juvenile.!She!came!back!last!season!to!land!this!race!in!very!good!style;! making!solid!Group!1!sprinters!look!very!ordinary!in!the!process.!She!went! down!on!her!sword!in!the!Nunthorpe!Stakes!at!York!but!that!was!still!a! very!good!effort!considering!the!early!fractions!she!set.!She!hasn’t!quite! repeated!the!same!level!of!form!in!two!outing!since!in!the!US!but!that! wouldn’t!concern!me!at!all.!This!filly!seems!to!relish!this!C&D!and!certainly! saves!her!best!form!for!this!time!of!the!year.!Blue!Point!could!be! interesting!dropped!back!to!a!stiff!5f!with!a!potentially!strong!pace!to!aim! at.!He!needs!to!bounce!back!from!a!poor!effort!last!time!but!he!could!easily! grab!a!place!here.!Similar!comments!apply!to!Mabs!Cross,!who!landed!the! Palace!House!Stakes!on!her!penultimate!start.!She’s!very!highly!regarded! by!her!connections!and!I!think!she’s!crying!out!for!a!fast!pace!to!aim!at.! !
! Selection:!LADY%AURELIA!(3/1)! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
% % % % % % %
St%James%Palace%Stakes!(Group!1)! ! ! GABR%
3!ch!c!Intello!–!Spacious! ! Sir!Michael!Stoute! Hamdan!Al!Maktoum!
%
Gabr!showed!useful!form!last!season!as!a!juvenile!that!ended!with!a!good! effort!in!the!Group!1!Racing!Post!Trophy!behind!subsequent!2,000!Guineas! winner!Saxon!Warrior.!He!ran!a!nice!ran!on!his!return!from!a!2082day! break!last!time!at!Sandown!when!second!behind!Without!Parole.!He’s!bred! to!excel!as!a!three2year2old!and!he!should!build!on!that!reappearance! effort.! ! ! ! GUTAV%KLIMT! 3!b!c!Galileo!–!Massarra! ! A!P!O’Brien! Mrs!J!Magnier!&!Derrick!Smith!&!Michael!Tabor! ! Good!juvenile!last!season!but!hasn’t!lived!up!the!potential!he’d!shown!this! season!when!beating!in!both!the!English!and!Irish!Guineas.!A!few!of!his! relatives!didn’t!train!on!as!expected!from!two!to!three!and!this!son!of! Galileo!is!threatening!the!head!down!the!same!road.!He!has!questions!to! answer!at!present!and!doesn’t!look!one!to!put!faith!in.! ! ! ! HEY%GAMAN! 3!b!c!New!Approach!–!Arsaadi! ! James!Tate! Sultan!Ali! ! Hey!Gaman!built!on!his!promising!return!in!the!Greenham!Stakes!behind! James!Garfield!to!run!a!very!game!second!in!the!Poule!d’Essai!des!Poulains! (French!2,000!Guineas)!behind!Olmedo.!This!son!of!New!Approach!ran! better!than!his!finishing!position!in!the!Prix!du!Jockey!Club!(French!Derby)! last!time!and!shaped!as!if!a!return!to!1m!would!be!appreciated.!He!could! be!a!lively!outsider!in!this!race!and!looks!versatile!regards!ground! conditions.!!
OLMEDO%
3!b!c!Declaration!Of!War!–!Super!Pie! ! J2C!Rouget! A!Caro/G!Augustin2Normand! ! Olmedo!was!a!useful!juvenile!last!season!with!Group!3!victory!to!his!name! before!running!a!good!race!when!second!in!the!Prix!Jean2Luc!Lagadere! with!subsequent!Derby!winner!Masar!back!in!third.!He!built!on!his! juvenile!promise!this!season!to!win!French!2,000!Guineas!at!Lonchamp!in! game!fashion.!I!thought!he!shaped!better!than!his!finishing!position!last! time!in!the!French!Derby!and!I!think!he!ran!like!a!horse!that!will!be!a!lot! better!over!a!strongly!run!mile.!! ! ! ! ROMANISED! 3!b!c!Holy!Roman!Emperor!–!Romantic!Venture! ! K!J!Condon! Robert!Ng! ! Romanised!was!a!shock!winner!of!the!Irish!2,000!Guineas!when!we!last! seen!him!and!it’s!safe!to!say!that!was!a!fair!level!of!improvement!from!his! seasonal!return!at!Naas!where!he!finished!a!slightly!disappointing!sixth.! He!clearly!relished!the!step!up!to!a!mile!and!better!ground!at!the!Curragh! but!he!needs!to!build!on!that!effort!here!and!prove!it!wasn’t!a!fluke!but!he! might.! ! ! !
TIP%TWO%WIN%
3!gr!c!Dark!Angel!–!Freddie’s!Girl! ! Roger!Teal! Mrs!Anne!Cowley! ! Tip!Two!Win!has!been!a!star!to!his!connections!already!and!has!yet!to!be! out!of!the!first!three!in!eight!career!starts.!He!ran!a!brilliant!race!to!be! second!in!the!Qipco!2,000!Guineas!last!time!and!I!don’t!think!there!was! any!fluke!about!that!run.!The!form!of!that!race!has!sent!out!mixed!signals! in!recent!weeks!but!as!many!say,!the!best!trial!for!the!Derby!is!the!2,000! Guineas!and!that!was!confirmed!again!this!season!with!Masar!(third)!and! Roaring!Lion!(fifth)!taking!first!and!second!in!the!Epsom!classic.!He!looks! to!have!a!big!shout!of!going!one!better!here!and!shouldn’t!be! underestimated.!!
WITHOUT%PAROLE!
3!b!c!Frankel!–!Without!You!Babe! ! John!Gosden! John!Gunther!&!Tanya!Gunther! ! I’m!a!big!fan!of!this!son!of!Frankel!and!I!think!he!has!a!lot!of!untapped! potential!in!his!locker.!He!was!brilliant!on!his!debut!at!Newcastle!when! posting!some!very!impressive!sectionals!before!effortlessly!landing!a! Yarmouth!Novice!Stakes!under!a!7lb!penalty!on!his!seasonal!return.!He!got! the!job!done!nicely!enough!in!the!Listed!Free!Heron!Stakes!at!Sandown! despite!possibly!not!enjoying!the!ground.!I!think!he!has!the!class!to!take! this!step!up!in!grade!in!his!stride!and!could!prove!very!difficult!to!beat! here.! ! ! !
Verdict! %
I!think!it’s!fair!to!say!a!three2year2old!colt!hasn’t!stamped!their!authority! on!the!one2mile!division!yet!but!that!could!easily!change!after!this!contest.! The!Roger!Teal!trained!Tip!Two!Win!out!ran!his!big!odds!in!the!2,000! Guineas!to!finish!a!brilliant!second!behind!Saxon!Warrior.!He’s!been!a!very! consistent!horse!for!connections!and!I’m!sure!he’ll!give!it!his!best!shot! again!but!might!come!up!short!again.!Romanised!put!in!a!career!best!last! time!to!land!the!Irish!2,000!Guineas!in!fine!style!and!clearly!relished!the! return!to!a!sound!surface.!I!don’t!think!that!was!a!fluke!but!there’s!no! doubt!the!race!went!perfectly!for!him!and!he!needs!to!back!that!run!up.! Hey!Gaman!has!been!running!well!this!season!for!James!Tate!and!was! possibly!unlucky!not!to!win!the!French!2,000!Guineas.!He!ran!another! courageous!race!last!time!in!the!French!Derby!but!failed!to!see!out!the! extra!two!furlongs!on!the!ground!but!was!still!only!beaten!3!lengths.!I!can’t! get!away!from!WITHOUT%PAROLE%here!and!I’ve!been!a!big!fan!of!his! since!he!bolted!in!on!his!debut!at!Newcastle!over!the!winter.!He!backed! that!effort!up!with!a!smooth!success!under!a!penalty!at!Yarmouth!beating! a!pretty!useful!subsequent!winner!by!6!lengths.!I!thought!he!won!well!last! time!at!Sandown!despite!clearly!being!unsuited!by!the!rain!that!fell! beforehand!and!will!clearly!be!much!better!on!Good!to!Firm!ground.!I! think!if!there’s!a!future!star!in!the!line2up!here!it’s!him!and!he’s!the!one! horse!I!can’t!wait!to!see!at!the!meeting.!Gabr!chased!home!the!selection! last!time!returning!from!a!lay2off!but!I!think!he!was!flattered!by!the! proximity!to!the!winner!on!that!occasion.!He’s!a!very!well!bred!could!that! should!excel!as!a!three2year2old!but!I!fancy!Without!Parole!to!confirm!the! Sandown!form!here.! ! Selection:!WITHOUT%PAROLE!(7/2)!
Queen’s%Vase!(Group!2)! ! DEE%EX%BEE%
3!b!c!Farhh!–!Dubai!Sunrise! ! Mark!Johnston! Sheikh!Hamdan!bin!Mohammed!Al!Maktoum!
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Dee!Ex!Been!has!proved!to!be!a!very!consistent!performer!that!seems!to!be! improving!with!each!run.!He!ran!a!fine!race!behind!Young!Rascal!in!the! Chester!Vase!on!his!subsequent!start!before!running!a!brilliant!race!in!the! Epsom!Derby!last!time!behind!Masar.!He!shaped!as!if!a!step!up!in!trip! would!suit!that!day!and!whether!connections!will!opt!for!this!contest!so! soon!after!would!be!doubtful!but!he’d!be!a!big!player!if!he!does.! ! ! ! DOWNDRAFT! 3!b!c!Camelot!–!Cinnamon!Rose! ! Joseph!Patrick!O’Brien! O!T!I!Racing! ! Downdraft!hails!from!a!yard!that!won!the!Melbourne!Cup!last!season!and! is!owned!by!an!organisation!that!lives!and!dies!by!“the!race!that!stops!a! nation”.!This!son!of!Camelot!has!a!long!way!to!go!if!he’s!going!to!head!for! that!race!in!the!future!but!he!has!looked!rather!progressive!this!season! and!could!easily!improve!for!this!step!up!to!1m6f!in!a!race!off!this!nature! but!he!still!looks!potentially!well2treated!off!his!current!handicap!mark! and!could!be!one!to!look!out!for!in!the!handicaps.! ! ! !
COMMUNIQUE%
3!ch!c!Casamento!–!Midnight!Line! ! Mark!Johnston! Sheikh!Hamdan!bin!Mohammed!Al!Maktoum! ! This!colt!is!yet!to!race!beyond!1m2f!but!he!shapes!like!a!horse!that!will! relish!a!step!up!in!trip.!He!a!built!on!a!handful!of!good!efforts!to!land!the! prestigious!London!Gold!Cup!at!Newbury!last!time,!again!shaping!like!a! step!up!in!distance!would!suit.!He!hails!from!a!yard!that!has!won!this!race! seven!times!in!the!past!and!is!worth!considering!if!showing!up!here!but!he! could!be!one!for!the!King!George!V!Stakes!(1m4f!Handicap).!!
LATROBE!
3!br!c!Camelot!–!Question!Times! ! Joseph!Patrick!O’Brien! Lloyd!J!Williams! ! This!son!of!Derby!winner!Camelot!represents!the!connections!of!2017! Melbourne!Cup!winner!Rekindling!and!looks!a!work!in!progress!for!his! connections.!He!comes!into!this!race!on!the!back!of!a!very!easy!maiden! victory!at!the!Curragh!recently!and!seems!to!be!progressing!at!the!right! time.!He!looks!a!dark!horse!amongst!the!entries!and!could!easily!take!a!big! step!forward!here!and!become!a!live!player.! ! ! ! MILDENBERGER! 3!b!c!Teofilo!–!Belle!Josephine! ! Mark!Johnston! Sheikh!Hamdan!bin!Mohammed!Al!Maktoum! ! Very!smart!juvenile!last!season!that!proved!he’s!trained!on!with!a!good! victory!in!the!Listed!Fielden!Stakes!at!Newmarket!on!seasonal!return! before!running!a!good!race!in!second!behind!subsequent!Epsom!Derby! second!Roaring!Lion!in!the!Dante!Stakes.!Mildenberger!should!appreciate! a!step!up!in!trip!and!hails!from!a!yard!with!an!excellent!record!in!this!race.! Respected.! ! ! !
NELSON%
3!b!c!Frankel!–!Moonstone! ! A!P!O’Brien! Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith!! ! Well2bred!colt;!Being!by!Frankel!out!of!Irish!Oaks!winner!Moonstone.! Nelson!showed!some!useful!form!that!included!success!at!Group!3!level! before!running!a!nice!race!behind!Epsom!Derby!second!Roaring!Lion.!He’s! bred!to!do!well!as!a!three2year2old!this!season!and!showed!that!when! landing!the!Group!3!Ballysax!Stakes!at!Leopardstown!but!he!failed!to!build! on!that!promise!when!disappointing!in!the!Derrinstown!Derby!Trial!on!his! next!outing.!Nelson!hasn’t!been!seen!since!that!effort!but!is!an!interesting! name!amongst!the!entries!with!a!strong!test!of!stamina!likely!to!suit.!
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RAA%ATOLL%
3!b!c!Sea!The!Stars!–!Meetyouthere! ! John!Gosden! China!Horse!Club!International!Limited! ! I!quite!like!this!colt!and!he!impressed!me!with!his!attitude!and! performance!under!a!penalty!at!Leicester!last!time.!He!travelled!through! the!race!like!the!best!horse!before!staying!on!nicely!to!defeat!the!pretty! useful!Photographer!by!2!lengths.!This!well2bred!son!of!Sea!The!Stars!has!a! couple!of!options!at!Royal!Ascot!and!needs!serious!respect!wherever!he! shows!up.! ! ! !
SOUTHERN%FRANCE% 3!b!c!Galileo!–!Alta!Anna! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! ! Southern!France!comes!into!this!race!a!clear!market!leader!after!showing! good!progress!this!year!after!starting!the!campaign!as!a!maiden.!He! shaped!like!he!relished!the!step!up!to!1m5f!last!time!when!landing!the! Listed!Yeats!Stakes!at!Navan!and!with!that!only!being!his!third!racecourse! experience!I!expect!further!improvement.!This!colt!represents!a!powerful! stable!with!a!good!recent!record!in!this!race!and!he’s!entitled!to!serious! respect.!! ! ! ! STREAM%OF%STARS! 3!b!g!Sea!The!Stars!–!Precious!Gem! ! John!Gosden! Lady!Bamford!
% Stream!Of!Stars!is!a!full2brother!to!useful!stayer!Flymetothestars,!who! came!agonisingly!close!to!landing!the!Ebor!last!season.!This!already!gelded! son!of!Sea!The!Stars!built!on!his!encouraging!racecourse!debut!at! Newmarket!to!get!off!the!mark!at!the!second!time!of!asking!last!time!at! Ascot.!The!form!of!that!race!wouldn’t!get!you!excited!but!he!done!it! convincingly!and!should!relish!this!step!up!in!distance.!He’s!totally! unexposed!and!should!have!further!improvement!in!his!locker.!!
% %
Verdict% ! The!Queen’s!Vase!wouldn’t!be!the!most!exciting!race!of!the!week!but!it! does!offer!a!unique!test!for!a!three2year2old!and!should!give!us!a!few! pointers!for!the!St!Leger!later!in!the!campaign.!Dee!Ex!Bee!ran!a!fine!race! in!the!Epsom!Derby!last!time!behind!Masar!and!looks!certain!to!appreciate! this!step!up!in!distance.!The!Derby!wasn’t!too!long!ago!and!it’s!possibly! unlucky!he’ll!show!up!here!but!that!said,!he’s!trained!by!Mark!Johnston! and!if!he!feels!he’s!come!out!of!the!race!well,!he’ll!run.!Connections!also! have!Dante!Stakes!second!Mildenberger!entered,!who!would!have!to!be! feared!if!running.!He!looks!a!likely!runner!in!the!King!Edward!VII!Stakes! on!the!Friday!over!1m4f.!Similar!comments!apply!to!the!progressive!Raa! Atoll,!who!has!won!his!last!two!outing!in!good!style.!He!also!has!the!option! of!the!1m4f!race!but!would!need!a!second!look!if!turning!up!here!with!a! likeable!profile!for!this!race.!John!Gosden!also!has!Ascot!maiden!winner! STREAM%THE%STARS%entered!and!I!find!him!a!fascinating!runner!here.!I! was!pretty!impressed!with!his!victory!last!time!and!he!strikes!me!as!the! type!that!will!appreciate!this!step!up!in!distance.!I!wouldn’t!be!sure!if!he’s! an!intended!runner!here!but!if!he!shows!up!I!see!him!as!a!live!outsider.! Ballydoyle!dominate!the!entries!for!this!contest!and!it’s!pretty!difficult!to! ignore!SOUTHERN%FRANCE,!who!has!the!perfect!profile!for!this!race!and! a!very!similar!one!to!connections!2013!winner!Leading!Light,!who!went!on! to!land!the!St!Leger.!He’s!progressing!nicely!with!each!outing!and!he! should!put!up!a!bold!show!here.!Nelson!was!a!good!winner!of!the!Ballysax! on!his!penultimate!start!but!failed!to!build!on!that!last!time!in!the! Derrinstown!at!Leopardstown.!He’s!another!amongst!the!potential!line2up! that!should!appreciate!this!step!up!in!distance.! ! !
Selection:!SOUTHERN%FRANCE!(5/1)!&!STREAM%THE%STARS!(12/1)! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
% % % %
Duke%Of%Cambridge!(Group!2)! ! !
AJAZZI% 5!b!m!Shamardal!–!Nouriya! ! Marco!Botti! Saleh!Al!Homaizi!&!Imad!Al!Sagar! ! Aljazzi!is!a!very!talented!filly!she!gets!her!conditions!and!showed!that!last! season!when!finishing!second!in!this!race!behind!Qemah!before!bolting!up! in!a!Sandown!Group!3!on!her!next!start.!I!thought!she!ran!a!nice!race! behind!rapid!improver!Addeybb!on!her!return!despite!clearly!enjoying!a! sounder!surface.!She!looks!to!have!every!chance!of!going!one!place!better! in!the!2018!renewal!of!this!race.! ! ! ! ARABIAN%HOPE! 4!b!f!Disorted!Humour!–!Achieving! ! Saeed!bin!Suroor! Godolphin!
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Arabian!Hope!improved!nicely!throughout!her!2017!from!a!handicap!win! to!finishing!an!excellent!third!in!the!a!Group!1.!Her!form!faded!away!at!the! backend!of!the!campaign!but!she!shapes!like!a!filly!that!could!take!another! step!forward!this!season.!Arabian!Hope!hasn’t!been!seen!in!2018!but! needs!serious!respect!if!turning!up!here!from!a!stable!that!can!get!one! ready!first!time!out.! ! ! ! GOLDRUSH! 4!b!f!Frankel!–!Alexander!Goldrun! ! J!S!Bolger! China!Horse!Club!International!Limited! ! Daughter!of!Frankel!out!of!multiple!Group!1!winner!Alexander!Goldrun.! She!didn’t!make!her!debut!until!September!2017!but!quickly!developed! into!a!smart!filly!in!her!own!right,!landing!two!Listed!contest!at!Dundalk! latterly!under!a!penalty.!I!thought!she!shaped!better!than!her!finishing! position!at!the!Curragh!last!time!and!should!improve!for!that!outing.!She’s! still!totally!unexposed!and!could!take!another!step!forward!here.!
HYDRANGEA!
3!b!f!Galileo!–!Beauty!Is!Truth! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! ! Smart!filly;!Hydrangea!sets!a!clear!standard!to!aim!at!her!based!on!her! exploits!in!2017!that!concluded!with!2!Group!1!victories!over!1m!and! 1m4f.!She!seems!very!versatile!when!it!comes!to!ground!and!trip!but!is! clearly!a!very!good!filly!on!her!day.!She!should!improve!for!her!seasonal! reappearance!last!time!and!could!be!tough!to!beat!under!a!5lb!penalty!is! showing!up!here.! ! ! ! TISBUTADREAM! 4!ch!f!Dream!Ahead!–!Choose!Me! ! David!Elsworth! King!Power!Racing!Co!Ltd! ! Many!will!know!I’ve!always!been!a!big!fan!of!this!filly!and!there’s!no!doubt! she!was!one!of!the!most!improved!horses!in!training!last!season.!She! started!the!campaign!off!67!before!quickly!developing!into!a!black2type! performer!and!tasting!Listed!success!at!Sandown.!She!ran!too!badly!to!be! true!on!her!return!last!time!at!Newmarket!behind!the!subsequently!retired! Wuheida.!She!shaped!badly!in!need!of!the!run!and!I’m!sure!better!can!be! expected!with!that!run!under!her!belt.!She’s!a!C&D!winner!that!will!need! serious!consideration!here!and!she!can’t!be!discounted!lightly.! ! ! ! TOMYRIS! 4!b!f!Invincible!Spirit!–!Totally!Devoted! ! Roger!Varian! Nurian!Bizakov! ! Tomyris!took!advantage!of!a!good2looking!opportunity!to!land!a!Lingfield! Group!3!last!time!under!Frankie!Dettori.!She!seems!much!happier!over!7f! on!decent!ground!and!despite!winning!a!Listed!race!at!York!over!1m!I! think!7f!is!her!trip.!This!C&D!she!will!encounter!in!this!race!takes!some! getting!and!despite!holding!decent!enough!form!claims!she!could!prove! vulnerable!in!a!race!of!this!nature.!! ! !
UNFORGETTABLE%FILLY%
4!b!f!Sepoy!–!Beautiful!Filly! ! Hugo!Palmer! Dr!Ali!Ridha! ! Unforgettable!Filly!had!a!good!2017!with!success!at!Listed!level!at! Musselburgh!before!landing!the!Group!2!German!1,000!Guineas!at! Dusseldorf.!Her!form!seemed!to!decline!towards!the!end!of!the!campaign! but!I!think!those!two!efforts!can!be!easily!ignored!with!the!ground!not! suitable!at!Doncaster!under!a!penalty!before!clearly!not!being!suited!by! the!experience!in!a!Keeneland!Group!1.!I!thought!she!ran!a!decent!enough! race!on!her!return!at!Leicester!against!younger/fitter!rivals.!She!should! improve!from!that!and!will!relish!some!Good!to!Firm!ground.! ! ! ! URBAN%FOX! 4!b!f!Foxwedge!–!Lomapamar! ! William!Haggas! Barnane!Stud!Ltd! ! Urban!Fox!was!pretty!highly!tried!last!season!when!in!training!with!James! Tate!but!steadily!her!mark!tumbled!after!a!few!OK!runs!in!Listed!company.! She!made!good!use!of!that!tumbling!mark!on!her!seasonal/stable!debut! last!month!when!winning!nicely!in!a!C&D!handicap.!The!form!of!that!race! looks!decent!with!the!third!and!fourth!both!winning!well!since.!Urban!Fox! also!has!the!option!of!the!Royal!Hunt!Cup!but!I’m!sure!connections!will!opt! for!this!Group!2!instead.! ! ! ! WILAMINA! 5!b!m!Zoffany!–!Tropical!Lake! ! Martyn!Meade! The!Snailwell!stud! ! Wilamina!built!on!her!promising!return!at!Newmarket!behind!Group!1! winner!Wuheida!to!land!a!competitive!Group!3!at!Epsom!last!time!fairly! easily.!I!think!this!race!looks!a!logical!next!step!for!here!and!she!shouldn’t! be!underestimated!and!is!clearly!a!filly!on!an!upward!curve!at!present.!She! clearly!handles!Good!to!Firm!ground!but!if!the!ground!turned!soft!her! claims!would!be!enhanced.!
%
Verdict% % This!wouldn’t!be!a!vintage!renewal!of!the!Duke!Of!Cambridge!Stakes!but!it! has!the!potential!to!be!a!good!competitive!race!on!paper.!Aljazzi!was!a! good!second!in!this!race!last!season!behind!Qemah!and!looks!to!have!solid! claims!of!going!one!better!this!year.!I!thought!she!ran!a!pleasing!race!on! her!return!on!ground!conditions!softer!than!ideal!and!that!run!should!put! her!spot!on!for!another!tilt!of!this!race!but!last!season!might!have!been!her! year.!Tomyris!was!a!good!winner!of!a!Listed!contest!last!time!over!7f!and! I’m!not!convinced!this!C&D!will!be!to!her!liking.!She’s!a!useful!filly!but! possibly!might!find!a!few!too!good!here!but!she’s!improving.!It’s!difficult!to! know!how!good!Goldrush!is!and!she’s!still!lightly!raced!for!a!four2year2old.! She’ll!need!to!up!her!game!to!land!a!real!blow!and!has!to!reverse!previous! form!with!a!few!of!these.!Arabian!Hope!finished!a!good!third!in!the!Group! 1!Falmouth!Stakes!last!season!but!hasn’t!been!seen!since!disappointing!in! the!Sun!Chariot!Stakes!in!October.!She’s!a!filly!that!has!gone!well!fresh!in! the!past!and!if!she!turns!up!here!she’s!worth!a!second!look.!This!wouldn’t! be!a!betting!race!for!me!at!present!and!I’ve!tried!to!get!HYDRANGEA!beat! but!I!just!think!if!she!brings!her!best!form!to!the!table!here,!she!wins.!She! won!a!red2hot!renewal!of!the!Group!1!Matron!Stakes!last!season!before! landing!a!Group!1!over!1m4f!on!Qipco!Champions!Day!at!Ascot!the! following!month.!She!ran!OK!on!her!return!from!a!break!last!time!but!I’m! confident!she’ll!leave!that!effort!behind!now.!She’s!a!very!talented!filly!on! the!best!of!her!form.!I’m!a!huge!fan!of!Tisbutadream!and!she!had!an! excellent!2017!with!five!victories.!I!still!think!there’s!further!improvement! to!come!from!her!and!I!wouldn’t!be!shocked!if!she!ran!into!the!money.! ! !
Selection:!HYDRANGEA%(4/1)! ! ! ! !
% % % % % % % %
Prince%Of%Wales%Stakes!(Group!1)! !
% CRACKSMAN% 3!b!c!Frankel!–!Rhadegunda! ! John!Gosden! A!E!Oppenheimer! ! Cracksman!had!a!brilliant!season!last!year!that!concluded!with!Group!1! glory!in!the!Champion!Stakes!at!Ascot..!He!didn’t!quite!built!on!his! excellent!reappearance!win!as!many!would!have!liked!last!time!in!the! Coronation!Cup!but!he!got!the!job!done!despite!clearly!not!enjoying!the! ground.!He’s!a!very!smart!colt!that!should!appreciate!the!return!to!a! sounder!surface.!! ! ! ! EMINENT! 4!b!c!Frankel!–!You’ll!Be!Mine! ! Martyn!Meade! Sir!Peter!Vela! ! Eminent!has!always!given!the!impression!that!he!has!a!Group!1!victory!in! his!locker!and!was!possibly!a!little!unlucky!not!to!achieve!that!in!2017! when!running!some!nice!races!at!the!top!level.!I!think!it’s!best!we!all!just! strike!a!line!through!his!last!race!at!Chester!when!being!found!to!be! suffering!from!a!fibrillating!heart!post!race.!Eminent!is!a!very!smart!horse! that!could!run!a!big!race!here.! ! ! ! HAWKBILL! 5!ch!h!Kitten’s!Joy!–!Trensa! ! Charlie!Appleby! Godolphin! ! Hawkbill!is!a!dual!Group!1!winner!but!I!can’t!help!but!think!he’s!not!quite! the!horse!many!thought!he!was/could!be.!He!had!a!good!campaign!in! Dubai!over!the!winter,!which!concluded!with!Group!1!glory!in!the!Dubai! Sheema!Classic.!He!was!never!really!at!the!races!last!time!in!the! Coronation!Cup!behind!Cracksman!and!possibly!didn’t!see!out!the!trip!on! the!ground.!He’s!a!very!strong!stayer!over!1m2f!but!might!need!some!juice! in!the!ground!to!be!at!his!best!over!this!trip.!
POET’S%WORD!
5!b!h!Poet’s!Voice!–!Whirly!Bird! ! Sir!Michael!Stoute! Seed!Suhail!
! Poet’s!Word!has!been!a!very!consistent!performer!for!Sir!Michael!Stoute! and!has!run!some!very!brave!races!in!defeat!at!Group!1!level,!notably! when!a!narrow!second!behind!Decorated!Knight!in!the!Irish!Champion! Stakes!at!Leopardstown.!He!looked!good!last!time!when!convincingly! winning!the!Brigadier!Gerard!Stakes!at!Sandown!and!should!be!able!to! build!on!that!effort!in!this!contest.!Poet’s!Word!has!to!reverse!recent!form! with!Cracksman!and!Hawkbill!but!he’s!still!relatively!unexposed!and!could! take!another!step!forward!here.! ! ! !
Verdict!
! I’ll!keep!this!one!as!short!as!possible.!This!race!is!going!to!cut!up!bad!with! a!large!percentage!of!the!field!having!other!targets!at!the!meeting.! Hawkbill!is!a!smart!horse!on!his!day!put!probably!needs!plenty!of!rain!to! be!at!his!best!over!this!C&D.!He’s!been!campaigned!over!1m4f!recently!and! that!possibly!where!his!future!is!at!present.!Eminent!came!short!at!this! level!last!season!but!he!came!agonisingly!close!on!a!few!occasions!that! included!a!good!third!in!the!Irish!Champion!Stakes.!He!suffered!a!heart! fibrillation!on!his!return!at!Chester,!which!obviously!isn’t!ideal!in!the!lead! up!to!this!race!but!if!he’s!none!the!worse!here!he!should!get!competitive.! Let’s!face!it,!it’s!pretty!hard!to!oppose!CRACKSMAN%here!and!even!if!he! doesn’t!bring!his!best!form!it!should!still!be!enough!to!land!this!prize.!He! wasn’t!seen!to!best!effect!last!time!in!the!Coronation!Cup!but!still!managed! to!find!a!way!to!win!and!I!think!that!shows!the!engine!he!has.!He’s!a!Group! 1!winner!over!this!C&D!and!it!will!be!a!shock!if!he!doesn’t!make!it!two.! Poet’s!Word!keeps!progressing!well!and!could!be!the!one!to!take! advantage!if!Cracksman!doesn’t!turn!up.!He!won!nicely!last!time!at! Sandown!but!has!to!reverse!previous!form!with!those!mentioned.! ! !
Selection:!CRACKSMAN!(11/10)! ! !
% % %
Royal%Hunt%Cup!(Heritage!Handicap)!! ! !
AFAAK!
4!b!c!Oasis!Dream!–!Ghanaati! ! Charles!Hills! Hamdan!Al!Maktoum! ! Afaak!is!a!very!well!bred!colt!being!a!son!of!Oasis!Dream!out!of! connections!brilliant!1,000!Guineas!winner!Ghanaati.!This!colt!hasn’t!quite! lived!up!to!the!achievements!of!his!parents!yet!but!he!does!have!an!overall! progressive!profile!that!suggests!he!has!plenty!more!to!come.!He!built!on! his!below!par!return!at!Newbury!to!land!a!valuable!handicap!last!time!at! York.!Up!6lb!for!that!success,!he!should!remain!competitive!here.!! ! ! ! BLESS%HIM! 4!b!c!Sea!The!Stars!–!Happy!Land! ! David!Simcock! Qatar!Racing!Limited! ! Bless!Him!was!a!very!good!winner!of!the!Britannia!Stakes!over!this!C&D!at! the!Royal!meeting!last!season!but!ended!2017!with!a!slightly!disappointing! effort!in!Group!3!level!at!Goodwood.!He!found!the!ground!much!softer! than!ideal!on!his!seasonal!return!at!Nottingham!last!time!and!that!should! put!him!spot!on!for!this!contest.!Bless!Him!is!still!relatively!unexposed!and! could!have!more!up!his!sleeve.!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
CAPE%BYRON%
4!ch!c!Shamardal!–!Reem!Three! ! Roger!Varian! Sheikh!Mohammed!Obaid!Al!Maktoum!
! Cape!Bryon!could!have!plenty!more!to!come!this!season!and!I!think!he! could!be!very!well!handicapped!off!his!current!mark.!He!made!a!pleasing! return!after!324!days!off!the!track!to!defeat!the!well2handicapped!Fire! Brigade!over!this!C&D.!I!thought!he!ran!better!than!his!finishing!position!in! a!Group!3!at!Meydan!during!the!winter!behind!a!subsequent!Group!1! winner.!Cape!Byron!ran!well!enough!last!time!at!York!behind!Afaak!on!his! first!run!since!undergoing!wind!surgery.!He!looks!the!type!that!could!excel! in!a!race!of!this!nature!with!a!fast!pace!to!aim!at.! ! ! ! GILGAMESH! 4!b!g!Foxwedge!–!Flaming!Cliffs! ! George!Scott! Niarchos!Family!
% Gilgamesh!improved!throughout!last!season!for!George!Scott!but!missed! an!intended!run!in!the!Brittania!Stakes!at!this!meeting!on!vet’s!advice.!He! ran!a!nice!race!in!the!Victoria!Cup!over!7f!in!May!despite!not!being!suited! by!racing!near!side.!He!built!on!that!encouraging!effort!to!land!a!decent! handicap!off!4lb!higher!at!York!last!time.!There’s!no!doubt!this!horse!has! been!seen!to!best!effect!over!7f!and!the!step!up!to!1m!will!ask!a!few! questions!but!he!could!easily!have!more!to!come.!! ! ! ! GULF%OF%POETS! 6!b!g!Oasis!Dream!–!Sandglass! ! Michael!Easterby! J!Blackburn!A!Pollock!A!Turton! ! Gulf!Of!Poets!has!taken!advantage!of!a!sliding!handicap!this!season!to!land! two!handicaps!in!good!style!before!possibly!running!his!best!race!in!defeat! behind!Original!Choice!last!time!at!Wetherby.!He!was!very!slowly!into! stride!that!day!before!keeping!on!to!grab!third!late!on.!There’s!no!doubt! this!horse!is!at!his!best!on!ground!with!plenty!of!ease!and!if!he!gets!there! here!he!could!remain!competitive!off!his!current!mark!but!he!could!also!be! vulnerable!to!some!lesser!exposed!rivals.!
KEYSER%SOZE!
4!ch!g!Arcano!–!Causeway!Queen! ! Richard!Spencer! Rebel!Racing!(2)!
% Keyser!Soze!ran!a!cracker!on!his!seasonal!return!in!a!competitive!renewal! of!the!Spring!Cup!at!Newbury!over!1m!and!I!feel!if!Jamie!Spencer!could! ride!that!race!again!he’d!have!timed!his!challenged!later.!He!wasn’t!seen!to! best!effect!last!time!in!the!Victoria!Cup!and!was!possibly!further!back!than! ideal!throughout!and!got!tapped!for!toe!at!a!crucial!stage!before!plugging! on!well!late!on.!I!think!the!return!to!1m!will!suit!here!but!he’ll!need!plenty! of!luck!in!running!and!probably!needs!to!prove!he!handles!Ascot!before! being!trusted.! ! ! ! LORD%GLITTERS! 5!gr!g!Whipper!–!Lady!Glitters! ! David!O’Meara! Geoff!&!Sandra!Turnbull! ! Lord!Glitters!was!a!brilliant!winner!of!the!Balmoral!Handicap!over!this! C&D!on!Qipco!British!Champions!Day!last!season!before!being!narrowly! denied!at!Listed!level!at!Newmarket.!He!was!unfortunate!to!give!8lb!to! subsequent!Group!3!winner!Addeybb!in!the!Lincoln!at!the!start!of!the! season!and!when!you!consider!he!was!beaten!just!over!2!lengths!that!was! a!very!good!run!after!a!lay2off.!A!mark!of!107!looks!pretty!fair!still!and!if!he! gets!ground!conditions!in!his!favour!here!he’d!hold!the!aces.! ! ! !
MANKIB!
4!ch!c!Tamayuz!–!Natagora! ! William!Haggas! Hamdan!Al!Maktoum!
!
Mankib!is!very!well!bred!being!a!son!of!connections!dual!Group!1!winner! Tamayuz!out!of!high2class!1,000!Guineas!winner!Natagora.!This!colt!looks! a!very!interesting!name!amongst!the!entries!for!this!race!at!present!having! joined!William!Haggas!after!disappointing!in!pattern2class!races!last! season!in!France!for!Freddy!Head.!His!rating!of!104!could!have!scope!for! further!improvement!this!season!and!he!needs!serious!respect!returning! from!a!lay2off.!
REPERCUSION!
5!b!g!Manduro!–!Summertime!Legacy! ! Charlie!Fellowes! Seventh!Lap!Racing!&!Partners! ! Repercusion!ran!a!few!promising!races!this!season!notably!in!the!Victoria! Cup!when!shaping!like!1m!was!needed.!He!built!on!that!encouraging!effort! to!land!the!odds!in!fine!style!on!soft!ground!at!Nottingham!last!time.!I!don’t! think!he!needs!soft!ground!but!it!undoubtedly!puts!the!ball!in!his!court!and! he!does!stay!1m!very!well!in!testing!conditions.!A!5lb!rise!for!that!success! looks!pretty!fair!and!if!he!gets!his!conditions!here,!he’s!another!that!could! run!a!big!race.! ! ! ! SENIORITY! 4!ch!g!Dubawi!–!Anna!Palariva! ! William!Haggas! The!Queen! ! Seniority!looked!to!be!going!the!wrong!way!but!has!shown!improved!form! since!switch!to!the!all2weather!recently!with!three!wins!including!a!very! impressive!victory!in!a!competitive!handicap!at!Chelmsford!recently.!He! will!come!into!this!contest!with!a!6lb!penalty!and!with!his!owner!being! The!Queen!he!looks!a!likely!runner!if!coming!out!of!that!race!well.!We! haven’t!seen!him!on!turf!since!August!2017!and!he!needs!to!prove!he’s!as! effective!on!the!surface!but!he’s!still!lightly!raced!and!could!have!more!to! come!this!season.!! ! ! ! ZHUI%FENG! 5!b!h!Invincible!Spirit!–!Es!Que! ! Amanda!Perrett! John!Connolly!&!Odile!Griffith! ! Zhui!Feng!was!a!brave!all!the!way!winner!of!this!race!last!season!under!a! fine!ride!from!Martin!Dwyer.!He!comes!into!this!year’s!renewal!on!an!8lb! higher!mark!but!I!thought!he!ran!a!fine!race!after!a!281!day!break!last!time! in!the!Victoria!Cup!beaten!a!neck!in!second!by!a!horse!receiving!23lbs.!This! horse!clearly!saves!his!best!efforts!for!Ascot!and!isn’t!one!that!you!can!rule! out!easily!despite!looking!a!little!high!in!the!weights!for!a!race!of!this! nature.!!!!!
Verdict! !
It’s!never!easy!trying!to!call!a!competitive!handicap!at!the!best!of!times! never!mind!from!a!list!of!potential!entries!and!not!knowing!the!favoured! draw!but!I’ll!give!it!a!whirl.!In!my!opinion,!Mankib!is!possibly!the!most! fascinating!name!amongst!the!entries!and!could!potentially!be!very!well! handicapped!if!showing!up!on!his!stable!debut!for!William!Haggas!after!a! decent!three2year2old!campaign!in!France.!Lord!Glitters!landed!a!big!C&D! handicap!last!October!and!returned!with!a!good!second!in!the!Lincoln! conceding!9lb!to!a!future!Group!3!winner.!He!has!the!potential!option!of! running!in!the!Group!1!Queen!Anne!Stakes!but!I!think!this!contest!is!the! wise!call.!He!might!some!cut!in!the!ground!to!be!seen!to!best!effect!but!he’s! still!worth!a!close!look.!Zhui!Feng!was!a!game!winner!of!this!race!last! season!and!he!actually!doesn’t!look!too!badly!treated!off!his!current!mark.! He!does!what!he!says!on!the!tin!and!should!run!a!good!competitive!race! but!might!bump!into!a!few!potential!improvers.!There’s!no!question!that! Afaak!is!an!intriguing!runner!here!and!a!worthy!market!leader.!He’s!very! well!bred!and!looks!to!have!plenty!more!to!come!based!on!his!good!win! recently!at!York.!He!should!remain!competitive!off!a!6lb!higher!mark!here! but!I’ll!take!him!on.!I’ve!always!been!a!fan!of!CAPE%BYRON!and!I!don’t! think!we’ve!seen!the!best!of!him!yet.!He!ran!a!huge!race!on!his!return!from! a!long!lay2off!last!season!to!defeat!the!very!useful!Fire!Brigade!pretty! easily!on!ground!conditions!possibly!softer!than!ideal.!He’s!done!nothing! wrong!since!upped!in!class!and!I!thought!he!ran!better!than!his!finishing! position!suggested!last!time!at!York!behind!Afaak.!This!will!be!his!second! outing!since!undergoing!wind!surgery!and!off!a!mark!of!100!he!should!be! competitive!with!the!nature!of!a!big!field!handicap!playing!to!his!strengths.! He!has!also!been!given!an!entry!in!a!Group!1!over!this!distance,!which! needs!to!be!noted!here.!The!other!I!like!in!the!line2up!is!last!year’s! Britannia!Stakes!winner!BLESS%HIM,!who!seemed!to!relish!the!strong! pace!and!large!field!on!that!occasion.!This!son!of!Sea!The!Stars!should!be! much!fitter!for!his!recent!pipe!opener!on!ground!softer!than!ideal!last!time! and!he’s!another!than!could!go!well!off!his!current!mark.!! ! ! !
Selection:!CAPE%BYRON!(20/1)!&!BLESS%HIM!(20/1)! ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! !
Ribblesdale%Stakes!(Group!2)! ! ! % ATHENA! 3!b!f!Camelot!–!Cherry!Hinton! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor!
% Closely!related!to!Bracelet,!who!won!the!Ribblesdale!Stakes!for! connections!in!2014.!This!daughter!of!Camelot!has!yet!to!show!she! possesses!the!same!ability!as!Bracelet!but!she’s!progressing!nicely!with! and!finally!lost!her!maiden!at!Fairyhouse!recently.!Athena!should!relish!a! step!up!to!1m4f!in!the!near!future.! ! ! ! CRYSTAL%HOPE! 3!ch!f!Nathaniel!–!Crystal!Etoile! ! Sir!Michael!Stoute! Sir!Evelyn!De!Rothschild! ! This!filly!built!on!her!debut!effort!to!run!away!with!an!above!average! Novice!Stakes!at!Sandown!in!April!with!subsequent!Musidora!winner!Give! And!Take!back!in!second.!This!daughter!of!Nathaniel!failed!to!live!up!to! market!expectations!on!her!latest!outing!behind!Sea!Of!Class!at!Listed!level! at!Newbury.!Crystal!Hope!is!bred!to!relish!a!step!up!to!1m4f!and!the!new! trip!could!bring!out!the!best!in!her.! ! ! ! DANCING%BRAVE%BEAR! 3!b!f!Street!Cry!–!Baghdaria! ! Ed!Vaughan! Ballymore!Sterling!Syndicate!
! Ed!Vaughan!has!always!held!this!daughter!of!Street!Cry!in!very!high! esteem!and!so!far!she’s!done!him!proud!with!two!wins!in!three!career! starts.!Her!only!defeat!came!in!the!Group!3!Musidora!Stakes!last!time! when!second!behind!the!William!Haggas!trained!Give!And!Take.!The!form! of!that!race!has!taken!a!few!knocks!since!but!with!that!only!being!this! filly’s!third!racecourse!experience!you’d!expect!there!to!be!more!to!come.!
GIVE%AND%TAKE!
3!b!f!Cityscape!–!Grace!And!Glory! ! William!Haggas! Nicholas!Jones! ! Give!And!Take!was!a!good!winner!of!the!Group!3!Musidora!Stakes!on!her! penultimate!start!before!slightly!disappointing!last!time!in!the!Oaks!at! Epsom.!That!was!this!filly’s!first!attempt!at!1m4f!on!the!softest!ground! she’s!raced!on!so,!I!can!easily!give!her!another!chance!to!show!what!she! can!do!here.!She!should!have!a!sound!chance!if!running!in!this!contest!but! there!could!be!a!few!potential!improvers!lurking!in!the!line2up!ready!to! take!her!on.! ! ! !
LADY%OF%SHALOTT!
3!b!f!Camelot!–!Silent!Act! ! David!Simcock! Khalifa!Dasmal! ! I!was!very!taken!with!this!filly!when!she!made!a!very!impressive!winning! debut!last!season!at!Yarmouth!and!left!the!firm!impression!she!could!have! a!good!three2year2old!campaign!this!year.!The!form!of!her!debut!win! wouldn’t!excite!you!but!she!could!only!beat!what!was!put!in!front!of!her! and!she!did!so!in!very!good!style.!I!thought!she!ran!OK!on!her!return!last! time!in!the!Lingfield!Oaks!Trial!but!I!think!she’s!better!than!that!and!is! worth!another!chance!to!show!what!she!can!do.! ! ! ! LAH%TI%DAR! 3!b!f!Dubawi!–!Dar!Re!Mi! ! John!Gosden! Lord!Lloyd2Webber! ! Lord!Lloyd2Webber!has!had!great!success!with!his!fillies!over!the!years! and!this!family!has!done!him!proud.!Dar!Re!Mi!was!a!very!good!mare!on! her!day!and!has!already!produced!the!talented!So!Mi!Dar.!Lah!Ti!Dar!has! looked!as!good!if!not!even!better!than!that!filly!to!date!and!shapes!as!if! she’s!been!crying!out!for!a!step!up!to!1m4f.!She!unfortunately!missed!the! Oaks!at!Epsom!through!a!slight!set!back!but!she!could!make!up!for!that! here.!She!could!be!very!tough!to!beat!here!for!top!connections.!! !
MAGIC%WAND!
3!b!f!Galileo!–!Prudenzia! ! A!P!O’Brien! M!Tabor/D!Smith/Mrs!Magnier/M!J!Jooste!
!
Magic!Wand!was!a!good!winner!of!the!Cheshire!Oaks!on!her!penultimate! start!under!a!brilliant!ride!from!Ryan!Moore!with!Together!Forever!over!3! lengths!back!in!third.!She!failed!to!confirm!that!form!with!that!rival!in!the! big!one!at!Epsom!last!time!but!I!thought!she!ran!better!than!the!result! considering!she!disliked!the!soft!ground.!She!strikes!me!as!the!type!that’ll! bounce!back!in!a!race!of!this!nature.!! ! ! ! PERFECT%CLARITY!
3!b!f!Nathaniel!–!Clarietta! !
Clive!Cox! Dr!Briget!Drew!&!David!J!Keast! ! Perfect!Clarity!created!the!perfect!impression!when!winning!well!on!her! debut!last!season!but!was!put!away!with!her!three2year2old!campaign!in! mind.!She!built!on!her!debut!promise!to!win!the!Lingfield!Oaks!Trial!in! good!style!before!a!disappointing!in!the!Oaks!itself!last!time!at!Epsom.!She! never!looked!happy!on!the!soft!ground!there!and!is!worth!considering!if! turning!up!her!returning!on!potentially!much!better!ground!conditions.! ! ! ! SUN%MAIDEN! 3!b!f!Frankel!–!Midday! ! Sir!Michael!Stoute! K!Abdullah!
! Sun!Maiden!is!very!well!bred!being!a!half2sister!to!multiple!Group!1! winner!Midday.!The!daughter!of!Frankel!built!on!her!encouraging!debut!at! Wolverhampton!over!the!winter!to!land!a!Novice!Stakes!at!Salisbury!by!12! lengths!upped!to!1m2f!for!the!first!time.!This!filly!really!could!be!anything! and!should!relish!this!step!up!to!1m4f!here!upped!in!class.!Sun!Maiden!is! in!the!right!hands!to!realise!her!potential!and!needs!serious!consideration! here.! ! ! !
WILD%ILLUSION!
3!b!f!Dubawi!–!Rumh! ! Charlie!Appleby! Godolphin!
! Wild!Illusion!created!a!big!impression!her!debut!at!Yarmouth!last!season! when!easily!beating!subsequent!Group!3!Musidora!Stakes!winner!Give!And! Take.!She!went!on!to!land!the!Group!1!Prix!Marcel!Boussac!at!Chantilly!on! her!final!outing!last!season!in!good!style,!leaving!the!impression!she! should!have!plenty!more!to!come!as!a!three2year2old.!She!ran!a!promising! race!in!the!1,000!Guineas!before!running!a!brave!race!in!second!behind! Forever!Together!in!the!Oaks!last!time.!I!don’t!think!she!had!any!excuses! there!but!is!worth!another!chance!if!turning!up!here!on!better!ground.! She’ll!have!a!3lb!penalty!to!contend!with!here.!
! % %
Verdict% ! I!think!this!looks!one!of!the!most!intriguing!races!of!the!meeting!and! there’s!a!few!extremely!well!bred!fillies!that!still!could!be!anything.!Athena! is!closely!related!to!Bracelet!that!landed!this!race!in!the!past!before!going! on!to!win!the!Irish!Oaks.!She’s!a!slow!learner!that!could!take!another!step! forward!and!should!relish!this!step!up!in!distance!here.!Wild!Illusion!was!a! good!second!in!the!Oaks!at!Epsom!and!would!need!to!be!seriously! considered!if!showing!up!here!and!that!looks!the!plan!going!by! connections!comments!recently.!She’s!a!smart!filly!but!fresh!legs!might!be! the!way!forward!here.!Crystal!Hope!is!another!than!should!relish!the!step! up!to!1m4f!here!and!is!related!to!some!smart!performers!and!there’s! undoubtedly!more!to!come!from!her!this!season.!Lah!Ti!Dar!has!done! nothing!wrong!in!two!career!starts!to!date!and!was!actually!favourite!for! the!Oaks!before!suffering!a!setback.!She’s!bred!to!excel!of!this!new!trip!and! looks!a!worthy!favourite!but!being!such!a!short!price!currently;!I’ll!take! her!on.!It!was!hard!not!to!be!impressed!with!SUN%MAIDEN!last!time!at! Salisbury!and!she!gave!the!firm!impression!she’s!a!filly!with!a!seriously! bright!future!indeed.!She’s!obviously!a!very!well!bred!filly!being!by!Frankel! out!of!Midsummer!making!her!a!half2sister!to!connections!high2class! multiple!Group!1!winner!Midday.!This!filly!has!a!long!way!to!go!to!follow!in! Midday’s!hoof!prints!but!she’s!clearly!going!the!right!way!and!gets!my!vote! in!a!competitive!race.!!!! ! ! !
Selection:%SUN%MAIDEN%(9/2)%
Ascot%Gold%Cup!(Group!1)% !
! DESERT%SKYLINE% 4!ch!g!Tamayuz!–!Diamond!Tango! ! David!Elsworth! C!Benham/D!Whitford/L!Quinn/K!Quinn! ! Desert!Skyline!had!an!overall!progressive!profile!last!season!as!a!three2 year2old!with!his!biggest!success!come!in!the!Group!2!Doncaster!Cup!over! 2m2f.!He!built!on!his!return!effort!in!the!Sagaro!Stakes!at!Ascot!to!run!a! good!race!in!second!behind!Stradivarius!last!time!in!the!Yorkshire!Cup.! This!horse!will!relish!this!stamina!test!but!needs!to!reverse!previous!form! with!Order!Of!St!George!and!Stradivarius!if!he’s!going!to!land!a!real!blow! here.!
! ! !
ORDER%OF%ST%GEORGE!
6!b!h!Galileo!–!Another!Storm! ! A!P!O’Brien! M!Tabor/D!Smith/Mrs!Magnier/L!J!Williams! ! Order!Of!St!George!has!been!a!brilliant!horse!for!connections!over!the! years!and!he!bids!to!regain!his!title!after!suffering!a!narrow!in!this!race! last!season.!He’s!a!very!consistent!horse!that!seems!to!relish!the!stamina! demands!that!this!C&D!throws!at!you!and!he!clearly!sets!the!standard!to! aim!at!again.!His!two!prep!wins!should!put!him!spot!on!here!for!a!bid!to! land!a!second!Ascot!Gold!Cup.! ! ! !
% % % % % % % % %
STRADIVARIUS!
4!ch!c!Sea!The!Stars!–!Private!Life! ! John!Gosden! B!E!Nielsen! ! Stradivarius!just!kept!improving!and!improving!last!season!and!ended!the! campaign!with!a!fine!second!behind!Order!Of!St!George!in!the!Qipco!Long! Distance!Cup.!He!had!previously!defeated!2017!Ascot!Gold!Cup!winner!Big! Orange!very!well!in!the!Goodwood!Cup!before!running!a!brave!race!in! defeat!behind!classy!performers!Capri!and!Crystal!Ocean!in!the!St!Leger.! Stradivarius!won!the!Yorkshire!Cup!in!fine!style!on!his!reappearance!last! time!and!that!effort!should!put!him!spot!on!for!a!tilt!at!this.!
! !
! TORCEDOR% 6!b!g!Fastnet!Rock!–!Magnolia!Lane! ! Mrs!John!Harrington! Te!Akau!Torcedor!(Mngr!David!Ellis)!
!
Torcedor!has!been!a!fine!servant!to!his!connections!and!has!run!some!fine! races!in!victory!and!defeat!in!recent!seasons.!He!came!agonisingly!close!to! beating!Order!Of!St!George!for!the!second!time!at!Ascot!last!season!under! an!enterprising!ride!from!Colm!O’Donoghue!but!couldn’t!quite!keep!the! gallop!up!after!having!a!2!lengths!lead!with!1f!to!go.!Torcedor!looked!good! when!landing!the!Group!3!Sagaro!Stakes!last!time!and!that!win!should!put! him!spot!on!for!a!tilt!and!this!contest!but!he!does!have!stamina!doubts! over!this!trip.! ! ! ! VAZIRABAD! 6!bb!g!Manduro!–!Visorama! ! A!De!Royer2Dupre! H!H!Aga!Khan! !
I!don’t!think!I’ve!seen!many!stayers!on!the!flat!with!a!turn!of!foot!at!the! end!of!a!race!like!Vazirabad!and!it’s!amazing!to!think!he’s!only!been!out!of! the!first!two!twice!in!22!career!outings.!He’s!never!going!to!be!flashy!in! victory!but!he!always!seems!to!run!his!race!under!all!conditions.!He’s! already!a!winner!over!2m4f!so!there!shouldn’t!be!any!stamina!doubts! here.!Vazirabad!wouldn’t!want!ground!conditions!to!quick!here!but!if!the! ground!is!Good!or!softer!he!will!have!strong!form!claims.!!
Verdict! ! I!think!this!could!be!the!race!of!the!week!and!it!looks!one!of!the!strongest! renewals!in!recent!years.!Order!Of!St!George!has!been!a!terrific!horse!for! connections!and!his!record!speaks!for!itself.!He!was!a!very!good!winner!of! this!race!in!2016!and!went!down!on!his!sword!with!a!brave!second!behind! the!mega!tough!Big!Orange!last!season.!He’s!been!in!good!heart!this!year! with!two!wins!but!he’s!isn’t!getting!any!younger!and!this!does!look!a! stronger!race!than!last!season.!Torcedor!is!a!pretty!smart!stayer!and!he’s! showcased!that!numerous!times!in!the!past!including!this!season!when! landing!the!Sagaro!Stakes.!I’m!not!convinced!he!truly!stays!this!distance! and!seems!much!happier!over!2m.!Desert!Skyline!strikes!me!as!the!type! that!will!relish!this!distance!and!he’s!already!won!over!2m2f!when!landing! the!Doncaster!Cup!last!season.!He!needs!to!build!on!his!two!runs!this! season!to!land!a!serious!blow!but!he!has!genuine!place!claims.!Stradivarius! really!is!a!stayer!going!places!and!is!a!horse!I!like!a!lot!but!I’m!not!sure! 2m4f!is!what!he!wants.!He’s!a!classy!horse!that!continues!to!improve!with! experience.!I!do!think!he!has!an!excellent!shout!and!his!claims!are!there!to! be!seen!but!I’d!want!to!find!a!bigger!price!to!find!out!if!he!stays!the! distance.!I’m!going!to!go!for!a!safe!selection!here!with!VAZIRABAD!that! has!to!be!one!of!the!most!consistent!flat!performers!in!training.!He’s!classy,! he!stays!and!shouldn’t!mind!if!the!ground!went!either!way.!He!has!a!potent! turn!of!foot!for!a!stayer!and!that!could!be!a!huge!asset!here.!! ! !
! Selection:!VAZIRABAD!(8/1)!
% % % % % % % % % % % % % %
King%Edward%VII%Stakes!(Group!2)! % % ASPENTAR%
3!b!c!Al!Kazeem!–!Bella!Qatara! ! Roger!Charlton! H!H!Sheikh!Mohammed!Bin!Khalifa!Al!Thani! ! Aspentar!was!very!impressive!when!running!away!with!a!Windsor!maiden! on!debut!in!April!and!built!on!that!to!convincingly!win!a!Listed!contest!at! Goodwood!on!his!latest!start.!He!was!held!up!off!the!pace!that!day!and! denied!a!clear!run!before!storming!how!widest!of!all!to!defeat!some!useful! types!rather!easily.!This!race!represents!another!step!up!in!class!but!I! think!he’s!more!than!capable!of!taking!it!in!his!stride.! ! ! ! DELANO%ROOSEVELT! 3!b!c!Galileo!–!Again! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! ! Delano!Roosevelt!was!a!dark!horse!for!many!in!the!Epsom!Derby!earlier! this!month!but!he!failed!to!land!a!blow!and!could!only!manage!sixth.!He! was!held!up!off!the!pace!and!could!never!get!into!contention!but!I!think! he’s!worth!another!chance!to!prove!he’s!better!than!he!showed!there.!This! son!of!Galileo!could!easily!bounce!back!not!dropped!back!into!Group!2! company.!! ! ! ! KNIGHT%TO%BEHOLD! 3!b!c!Sea!The!Stars!–!Angel!Of!The!Gwaun! ! Harry!Dunlop! Neil!Jones! ! Knight!To!Behold!was!a!very!impressive!winner!of!the!Lingfield!Derby! Trial!on!his!penultimate!start!but!failed!to!take!that!level!of!form!into!the! Derby!last!time.!I!don’t!think!he!handled!the!track!and!seemed!to!hang!to! his!right!throughout!and!wasn’t!given!a!hard!time!by!Richard!Kingscote! when!beaten.!His!Lingfield!form!would!give!him!solid!claims!if!turning!up! here!none!the!worse.!!
LATROBE!
3!br!c!Camelot!–!Question!Times! ! Joseph!Patrick!O’Brien! Lloyd!J!Williams! ! This!son!of!Derby!winner!Camelot!represents!the!connections!of!2017! Melbourne!Cup!winner!Rekindling!and!looks!a!work!in!progress!for!his! connections.!He!comes!into!this!race!on!the!back!of!a!very!easy!maiden! victory!at!the!Curragh!recently!and!seems!to!be!progressing!at!the!right! time.!He!looks!a!dark!horse!amongst!the!entries!and!could!easily!take!a!big! step!forward!here!and!become!a!live!player.! ! ! ! MILDENBERGER! 3!b!c!Teofilo!–!Belle!Josephine! ! Mark!Johnston! Sheikh!Hamdan!bin!Mohammed!Al!Maktoum! ! Very!smart!juvenile!last!season!that!proved!he’s!trained!on!with!a!good! victory!in!the!Listed!Fielden!Stakes!at!Newmarket!on!seasonal!return! before!running!a!good!race!in!second!behind!subsequent!Epsom!Derby! second!Roaring!Lion!in!the!Dante!Stakes.!Mildenberger!should!appreciate! a!step!up!in!trip!here!but!also!has!an!holds!an!entry!in!the!Queen’s!Vase! over!1m6f!but!I!think!this!race!looks!the!likely!target!at!this!stage!with! connections!winning!the!2017!renewal!with!the!il2fated!Permian.! ! ! !
NELSON%
3!b!c!Frankel!–!Moonstone! ! A!P!O’Brien! Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith!! ! Well2bred!colt;!Being!by!Frankel!out!of!Irish!Oaks!winner!Moonstone.! Nelson!showed!some!useful!form!that!included!success!at!Group!3!level! before!running!a!nice!race!behind!Epsom!Derby!second!Roaring!Lion.!He’s! bred!to!do!well!as!a!three2year2old!this!season!and!showed!that!when! landing!the!Group!3!Ballysax!Stakes!at!Leopardstown!but!he!failed!to!build! on!that!promise!when!disappointing!in!the!Derrinstown!Derby!Trial!on!his! next!outing.!Nelson!hasn’t!been!seen!since!that!effort!but!is!an!interesting! name!amongst!the!entries!with!a!strong!test!of!stamina!likely!to!suit.! !
NORDIC%LIGHTS%
3!ch!c!Intello!–!Marika! ! Charlie!Appleby! Godolphin! ! Nordic!Lights!put!in!a!rather!professional!display!to!win!well!under!a! penalty!at!Newmarket!in!April!when!defeating!subsequent!two2time! winner!Raa!Atoll!by!2!lengths.!This!son!of!Intello!was!very!well!backed!to! land!the!Dante!Stakes!last!time!but!failed!to!live!up!to!market!expectations! and!finished!fifth.!On!pedigree!you!wouldn’t!be!confident!this!colt!will!stay! 1m4f!but!his!running!style!gives!him!hope.!He!could!also!have!an!entry!in! the!Hampton!Court!Stakes!over!the!shorter!trip!and!I!think!that!race!might! be!more!suitable.! ! ! ! RAA%ATOLL! 3!b!c!Sea!The!Stars!–!Meetyouthere! ! John!Gosden! China!Horse!Club!International!Limited! ! I!quite!like!this!colt!and!he!impressed!me!with!his!attitude!and! performance!under!a!penalty!at!Leicester!last!time.!He!travelled!through! the!race!like!the!best!horse!before!staying!on!nicely!to!defeat!the!pretty! useful!Photographer!by!2!lengths.!He!will!need!to!reverse!previous!form! with!Nordic!Lights!if!he!turns!up!here!but!I!think!the!trip!here!will!help! him!do!just!that.!This!well2bred!son!of!Sea!The!Stars!has!a!couple!of! options!at!Royal!Ascot!and!needs!serious!respect!wherever!he!shows!up.! ! ! ! !
RASTROPOVICH%
3!b!c!Frankel!–!Tyranny! ! A!P!O’Brien! Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!M!J!Joost! ! It!was!difficult!not!to!be!impressed!with!this!colts!win!at!Chester!on!his! penultimate!start!but!he!couldn’t!quite!back!up!that!performance!last!time! in!the!French!Derby.!I!think!the!soft!ground!was!against!him!there!and!he’s! a!much!better!colt!on!better!ground.!The!potential!step!up!to!1m4f!here! isn’t!certain!to!suit!but!he!needs!respect!if!turning!up.!He’s!another!in!the! field!that!could!go!for!the!Hampton!Court!Stakes!over!the!shorter!trip.!
Verdict! ! This!is!a!pretty!race!to!call!going!by!the!entries!and!it’s!hard!to!know!what! will!show!up!on!the!day.!Dee!Ex!Bee!ran!a!brave!race!at!Epsom!and!he!has! a!few!entries!at!this!meeting!to!choose!from.!He!didn’t!exactly!have!an!easy! race!in!the!Derby!and!there’s!no!doubt!that!race!would!have!left!his!mark! but!you!couldn’t!rule!out!a!bold!show!if!he!turned!up!here.!Mildenberger! represents!the!same!connections!and!he!looks!a!likely!runner!here.!He!was! a!pretty!useful!juvenile!last!seen!and!seemingly!has!trained!on!well!this! year!with!victory!in!the!Fielden!Stakes!before!chasing!home!Roaring!Lion! in!the!Dante!last!time.!He!should!appreciate!the!step!up!in!trip!here!and! possibly!sets!the!standard!to!aim!at!so!he’s!not!taken!on!lightly.!Roger! Charlton!has!stated!Aspetar!will!only!turn!up!at!Royal!Ascot!if!the!ground! isn’t!on!the!quick!side!and!he!might!need!some!cut!in!the!ground!to!show! his!best!form.!He!has!the!right!profile!for!this!race!and!looks!to!be! improving!at!the!right!time.!He!needs!serious!respect!if!showing!up!and! looks!a!potentially!smart!horse!in!the!making.!This!wouldn’t!be!a!race!I’ll! be!having!a!bet!in!until!the!day!of!the!race!but!currently!I’m!leaning! towards!KNIGHT%TO%BEHOLD%at!present!and!I!actually!thought!he! shaped!better!than!his!finishing!position!in!the!Derby!last!time!and!he! wasn’t!exactly!given!a!hard!time!when!his!chance!was!gone.!He’s!clearly!a! horse!that!likes!a!Good!to!Firm!ground!and!I’m!hoping!he!can!get!back!on! track!in!this!contest.!The!other!I!liked!was!the!John!Gosden!trained!Raa! Atoll,!who!has!impressed!me!this!season!in!a!handful!of!outings.!He!won!in! the!style!of!a!smart!horse!last!time!under!a!penalty!at!Leicester!and!we!still! don’t!actually!know!how!good!he!could!be.!He!has!a!few!options!at!the! Royal!meeting!and!could!actually!go!down!the!handicap!route!with!his! mark!of!93!looking!attractive.!He’s!a!colt!I’ll!be!monitoring!closely!in!the! lead!up!to!the!meeting.!Nordic!Light!actually!beat!Raa!Atoll!at!Newmarket! earlier!in!the!season!before!running!a!decent!enough!race!behind!Roaring! Lion!in!the!Dante!last!time.!I’m!not!convinced!1m4f!will!be!his!trip!going!by! his!pedigree!and!he!needs!to!reverse!previous!form!with!Mildenberger!to! be!competitive!here.!!
! ! Selection:!KNIGHT%TO%BEHOLD!(14/1)!
% % % % % % %
Commonwealth%Cup!(Group!1)! ! ! COULD%IT%BE%LOVE%
3!b!f!War!Front!–!Playa!Maya! ! A!P!O’Brien! Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith! ! Could!It!Be!Love!is!a!very!well!bred!being!by!War!Front!and!a!half2sister!to! champion!US!two2year2old!and!leading!sire!Uncle!Mo.!She!ran!a!creditable! race!behind!Teppal!in!the!French!1,000!Guineas!before!he!running!a! brilliant!race!in!second!last!time!in!the!Irish!1,000!Guineas!despite!forcing! the!pace!early!on.!I!think!a!drop!back!to!6f!here!could!see!her!put!in!a! career!best.! ! ! ! EMBLAZONED! 3!b!c!Invincible!Spirit!–!Sendmylovetorose! ! John!Gosden! HRH!Princess!Haya!Of!Jordan! ! Emblazoned!didn’t!make!his!racecourse!debut!until!late!March!this!year! and!has!quickly!progressed!into!a!very!smart!6f!performer.!I!thought!he! ran!very!well!last!time!in!the!Group!2!Sandy!Lane!Stakes!for!a!horse!with! little!experience!and!should!take!a!big!step!forward!here.!He!looks!a!dark! horse!amongst!the!entries.! ! ! ! EQUILATERAL! 3!b!c!Equiano!–!Tarentaise! ! Charles!Hills! K!Abdullah! ! This!son!of!Equiano!created!a!very!good!impression!when!easily!landing! his!maiden!at!Bath!last!season!but!he!ended!the!campaign!when!running!to! badly!to!be!true!at!York!in!September!when!seemingly!losing!his!action!1f! out.!He!bounced!back!with!a!breath2taking!12!lengths!victory!at!Doncaster! last!time!in!a!pretty!decent!time.!He!has!been!very!well!found!in!the!ante2 post!betting!leading!up!to!this!race!but!there’s!no!doubt!he!needs!to!take! another!step!forward!if!he!going!to!land!this.!
INVINCIBLE%ARMY!
3!b!c!Invincible!Spirit!–!Rajeem! ! James!Tate! Saeed!Manana! ! Invincible!Army!is!very!consistent!and!he’s!run!some!creditable!races!in! victory!and!defeat!to!date.!He!looked!very!good!when!landing!the!Group!3! Pavilion!Stakes!over!this!C&D!before!running!a!brave!race!in!defeat!last! time!behind!Sands!Of!Mali!in!the!Group!2!Sandy!Lane!Stakes.!Invincible! Army!isn’t!the!classiest!horse!in!the!race!but!he’s!the!most!consistent!and! that!should!serve!him!well!here.!
! ! !
MAIN%DESIRE%
2!b!f!High!Chaparral!–!Purple!Glow! ! Michael!Bell! Clipper!Logistics! ! Main!Desire!is!yet!to!taste!defeat!in!three!career!starts!to!date!but!hasn’t! raced!beyond!5f!on!each!occasion.!She!won!well!last!time!at!York!on!a! return!from!a!3632day!break!and!shaped!as!if!a!step!up!to!6f!could! potentially!bring!out!further!improvement.!There’s!no!doubt!this!filly! needs!to!take!another!step!forward!here!but!we!don’t!really!know!how! good!she!is!and!she!could!easily!take!the!step!forward!that!is!required.!!
! !
% NEVER%BACK%DOWN%
3!b!g!Kodiac!–!Steer!By!The!Stars! ! Hugo!Palmer! M!M!Stables! ! Quirky!but!talented!gelding!that!took!a!big!step!back!in!the!right!direction! with!an!all!the!way!success!at!Newbury!in!May.!The!first!time!blinkers! seemed!to!work!a!treat!that!day!and!he!relished!making!the!running!under! Silvestre!De!Sousa.!This!race!will!represent!a!big!step!up!in!class!and!it’ll! be!very!tough!to!replicate!similar!tactics!here.!
! !
% %
SANDS%OF%MALI%
3!b!c!Panis!–!Kadiania! ! Richard!Fahey! The!Cool!Silk!Partnership! ! Sands!Of!Mali!was!a!very!useful!two2year2old!last!season!and!he!was!very! impressive!when!easily!landing!the!Group!2!Gimcrack!at!York.!He!wasn’t! quite!seen!to!best!effect!in!his!last!two!starts!in!messy!races!and!I!can! easily!forgive!those!efforts.!He!bounced!back!on!his!return!to!land!the! Group!3!Prix!Signy!under!a!6lb!penalty!before!narrowly!landing!the!Group! 2!Sandy!Lane!Stakes!at!Haydock!recently.!Quiet!Reflection!took!an! identical!path!to!Sands!Of!Mali!before!she!landed!this!race!in!2016.!!
% % % SIOUX%NATION%
3!b!c!Scat!Daddy!–!Dream!The!Blues! ! A!P!O’Brien! Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier! ! Sioux!Nation!comes!into!this!contest!the!current!market!leader!after!a! smooth!success!at!Naas!last!time!under!a!penalty.!This!son!of!Scat!Daddy! was!a!very!smart!juvenile!last!season!with!successes!including!the!Group!1! Phoenix!Stakes!at!the!Curragh!and!the!Group!2!Norfolk!Stakes!at!this! meeting!last!year.!Sioux!Nation!is!undoubtedly!a!very!good!horse!when!he! gets!very!quick!ground!but!he’s!definitely!beatable.!! ! ! ! U%S%NAVY%FLAG! 3!b!c!War!Front!–!Misty!For!Me! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! ! U!S!Navy!Flag!was!a!very!good!juvenile!last!season!and!remarkably!done! the!Group!1!Middle!Park!and!Dewhurst!Stakes!double.!He’s!been! campaigned!over!1m!this!season!but!there’s!no!doubt!in!my!mind,!he’s!not! a!miler.!I!think!he’s!potentially!a!fascinating!runner!if!given!the! opportunity!to!run!here!over!6f.!He’s!a!very!fast!colt!that!could!be! dangerous!if!able!to!dominate!this!from!the!front.!He!could!also!go!for!the! Jersey!Stakes!over!7f.! ! !
Verdict% ! Many!have!slated!this!race!in!recent!seasons!but!I!think!it’s!been!a!huge! success!and!gives!the!three2year2old!sprints!a!platform!for!future!success.! One!of!the!most!intriguing!names!amongst!the!entries!for!me!is!the! impeccably!bred!Could!It!Be!Love,!who!ran!away!with!a!Dundalk!maiden! last!season!before!running!a!brilliant!race!to!finish!second!in!the!Irish! 1,000!Guineas!last!time.!She!has!plenty!of!options!at!Royal!Ascot!but!I’d! love!to!see!her!drop!back!to!6f!and!she’s!one!I!have!my!eye!on!but!with!the! doubt!around!her!participation!at!present!I’ll!look!elsewhere!for!the!time! being.!Similar!comments!can!be!applied!to!U!S!Navy!Flag,!who!was!a! brilliant!juvenile!last!season!but!possibly!hasn’t!been!seen!to!best!affect! over!one2mile!this!season.!He’s!another!than!could!relish!a!drop!back!in! distance!here!and!needs!serious!respect.!Sioux!Nation!is!probably!the!right! favourite!on!all!known!form!but!he!wouldn’t!be!one!I’ll!be!rushing!in!to! back!at!present.!He!won!well!enough!last!time!at!Naas!but!this!requires! more!but!clearly!he’s!a!very!smart!colt.!Emblazoned!keeps!improving!and!I! thought!he!ran!very!well!upped!in!class!last!time.!He!should!build!on!that! experience!and!looks!to!have!place!claims.!It!looks!like!every!man!and!his! dog!is!on!Equilateral!for!this!race!but!he!wouldn’t!be!for!me!at!his!current! price.!The!son!of!Equiano!got!his!career!firmly!back!on!track!with!an! effortless!win!at!Doncaster!last!month!and!the!form!has!taken!a!few!form! boosts!since.!He’s!currently!5/1!with!some!bookmakers,!which!is!very! skinny!for!a!horse!that’s!only!won!a!Novice!Stakes!race!and!is!up!against! previous!Group!1/Group!2!winners!but!his!potential!is!there!to!be!seen.!I! think!I’ll!be!sticking!with!SANDS%OF%MALI!currently!and!despite!his! narrow!winning!margin!last!time!at!Haydock,!I!was!quite!impressed!with! his!attitude.!I!can’t!help!but!think!this!colt!will!be!a!different!animal! altogether!when!he!gets!a!toe!into!the!race!and!looking!at!the!line2up!he! should!get!that.!He!stays!6f!very!well!so!this!C&D!should!play!to!his! strengths!well!and!he!has!an!identical!profile!to!Quiet!Reflection,!who!won! the!same!two!races!before!landing!this!prize!in!2016.!Invincible!Army!was! only!a!nose!behind!the!selection!last!time!at!Haydock!and!has!already! tasted!success!over!this!C&D!this!season.!He’s!a!very!consistent!horse!that! should!put!up!another!bold!show.!! ! !
% Selection:!SANDS%OF%MALI!(7/1)!
% % % % %
Coronation%Stakes!(Group!1)! !
% ALPHA%CENTAURI! 3!gr!f!Mastercraftsman!–!Alpha!Lupi! ! Mrs!John!Harrington! Niarchos!Family! ! Alpha!Centauri!was!a!red2hot!favourite!for!the!Albany!Stakes!season!but! was!narrowly!denied!by!20/1!shot!Different!League.!She!wasn’t!the!same! after!that!run!and!disappointed!when!favourite!for!a!Group!1!on!her!next! start!at!the!Curragh.!Alpha!Centauri!seemingly!relished!the!step!up!to!1m! last!time!to!land!the!Group!1!Irish!1,000!Guineas!and!clearly!has!her!mojo! back.!She!sets!the!form!standard!coming!into!this!race!but!needs!to!back! up!that!performance!here.! ! ! ! CLEMMIE! 3!b!f!Galileo!–!Meow! ! A!P!O’Brien! Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier! ! Clemmie!had!a!very!good!season!last!year!and!ended!the!campaign!as!one! of!the!leading!two2year2old!fillies!in!Europe.!She!was!brilliant!when! landing!the!Group!1!Cheveley!Park!Stakes!over!6f!and!shaped!as!if!a!step! up!in!trip!would!bring!out!further!improvement.!Clemmie!ran!a!nice!race! behind!Alpha!Centauri!on!her!return!last!month!and!should!be!more!the! finished!article!heading!into!this!race.!! ! ! ! COEUR%DE%BEAUTE! 3!b!f!Dabirsim!–!Twilight!Year! ! M!Delcher!Sanchez! A!Mouknass! ! Coeur!De!Beaute!was!very!consistent!last!season!as!a!juvenile!and!ended! the!campaign!with!an!easy!victory!at!Listed!level!at!Maisons2Laffite.!She! looked!good!on!her!return!when!landing!a!Group!3!on!return!at!Deauville! before!running!a!brave!race!in!second!last!time!in!the!Poule!d’Essai!des! Pouliches!(French!1,000!Guineas)!behind!Teppal.!This!daughter!of! Dabirsim!is!unexposed!over!1m!and!could!potentially!have!more!to!come.!
HAPPILY!
3!b!f!Galileo!–!You’resothrilling! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! ! Happily!had!a!very!good!juvenile!season!last!year!and!ended!the!season! with!two!Group!1!wins!including!a!victory!over!subsequent!French!2,000! Guineas!winner!Olmedo!and!Epsom!Derby!winner!Masar!in!the!Prix!Jean2 Luc!Lagadere.!She’s!run!two!OK!races!this!season!when!third!in!the!English! and!Irish!1,000!Guineas!but!I!think!it’s!fair!to!say!better!was!expected.! There’s!no!doubt!if!Happily!can!get!back!to!her!Prix!Lagadere!form!she’d! be!difficult!to!beat!here.!
% % % TEPPAL%
3!b!f!Camacho!–!Jummana! ! David!Simcock! H!H!Sheikh!Mohammed!Bin!Khalifa!Al!Thani! ! I’ve!always!been!a!big!fan!of!this!filly!and!she!comes!into!this!race! unbeaten!in!three!career!starts!to!date.!She!won!the!Poule!d’Essai!des! Pouliches!(French!1,000!Guineas)!in!good!style!last!time!and!considering! that!was!only!her!third!career!start,!there!should!be!plenty!more!come! from!her!with!that!victory!under!her!belt.!! ! ! ! WIND%CHIMES! 3!b!f!Mastercraftsman!–!Militante! ! A!Fabre! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! ! Wind!Chimes!is!a!fascinating!runner!here!for!Andre!Fabre!and!has!the! overall!profile!of!a!potential!improver.!This!daughter!of!Mastercraftsman! was!a!good!winner!of!a!Listed!contest!last!season!at!Chantilly!before! building!on!her!prep!race!last!time!to!run!a!finish!third!last!time!in!the! French!1,000!Guineas!behind!Teppal.!She!was!possibly!further!back!than! ideal!that!day!and!should!relish!a!strong!pace!to!aim!at.!Wind!Chimes!will! need!serious!respect!if!turning!up!here!for!top!connections.!! ! !
%
Verdict% ! I!don’t!think!this!is!a!vintage!renewal!of!this!contest!but!I’m!hoping!we’ll! see!one!of!these!fillies!crowned!a!new!star!of!the!one2mile!division.! Happily!undoubtedly!brings!the!best!form!to!the!table!with!her!win!against! the!boys!last!season!in!the!Prix!Lagardere!working!out!extremely!well.!She! hasn’t!quite!live!up!to!expectations!this!season!but!she!has!still!finished! third!in!two!classics.!There’s!no!doubt!if!she!can!return!to!her!best!juvenile! form!she’d!be!very!hard!to!beat!here!but!she!wouldn’t!be!for!me!at!present.! I’ve!always!been!a!big!fan!of!Teppal!and!was!delighted!to!see!her!land!the! French!1,000!Guineas!last!time!for!David!Simcock.!That!was!only!her!third! career!start!and!you’d!be!a!fool!to!rule!out!further!improvement!from!her.! Wind!Chimes!and!Coeur!De!Beaute!finished!behind!Teppal!last!time!but! both!performed!with!credit!in!defeat.!I’d!prefer!the!Andre!Fabre!trained! Wind!Chimes!out!of!the!pair!and!she!looks!to!have!the!most!scope!for! further!improvement!but!might!need!some!rain!to!be!seen!to!best!effect.! I’m!siding!with!CLEMMIE!here!for!Ballydoyle!and!I’m!hoping!she’s! improved!plenty!for!that!run.!She!was!obviously!a!very!smart!juvenile!last! season!and!was!a!quite!a!short!price!for!the!1,000!Guineas!at!Newmarket! before!suffering!a!setback!and!I’m!hoping!she!can!get!some!compensation! with!a!win!here.!Alpha!Centauri!has!always!shaped!like!a!very!smart!filly! and!she!put!in!a!career!best!to!land!the!Irish!1,000!Guineas!last!time!and! seemed!to!excel!coming!off!a!strong!pace.!I’m!not!too!sure!this!C&D!will! play!to!her!strengths!but!clearly!she!can’t!be!ignored!again.! ! !
Selection:!CLEMMIE!(9/2)! ! ! ! !
% % % % % % % % % % %
Hardwicke%Stakes!(Group!2)! % BARSANTI%
6!b!g!Champ!Elysees!–!Silver!Star! ! Roger!Varian! Sheikh!Mohammed!Obaid!Al!Maktoum! ! Barsanti!ran!a!very!good!race!when!second!in!this!race!last!season!behind! Idaho!and!looks!to!have!every!chance!of!going!one!better!this!season.!He! looked!in!good!form!when!winning!a!Listed!race!over!this!C&D!on!his! return!last!month!and!the!form!of!that!race!has!worked!out!very!well!with! Mirage!Dancer!and!God!Given!both!winning!well!since!and!the!third! Salouen!running!a!brilliant!race!when!second!in!the!Group!1!Coronation! Cup.!Decent!ground!conditions!look!vital!to!this!horses!chances!and!he!sets! a!decent!standard!to!aim!at.!!! ! ! ! CAPRI! 4!gr!c!Galileo!–!Dialafara! ! A!P!O’Brien! Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier!&!Michael!Tabor! ! Capri!was!a!good!winner!of!the!Irish!Derby!last!season!with!Epsom!Derby! winner!Wings!Of!Eagles!and!Champion!Stakes!winner!Cracksman.!He!went! on!to!land!the!St!Leger!on!his!next!start!with!Crystal!Ocean!and! Stradivarius!in!behind.!Capri!suffered!a!slight!setback!after!his!victory!on! his!seasonal!return!and!it’s!touch!and!go!whether!he’ll!run!here!but!he! brings!some!very!smart!form!to!the!table!here!and!could!be!very!difficult! to!beat!if!taking!up!his!entry.!!
! ! !
% % % % % % % % %
CRYSTAL%OCEAN%
4!b!c!Sea!The!Stars!–!Crystal!Star! ! Sir!Michael!Stoute! Sir!Evelyn!De!Rothschild! ! Crystal!Ocean!has!a!typical!Sir!Michael!Stoute!improver!profile!and!comes! into!this!contest!as!a!red2hot!favourite.!He!had!a!good!three2year2old! campaign!last!season!and!ended!the!campaign!with!a!good!second!behind! Capri!in!the!St!Leger.!He!built!on!his!seasonal!reappearance!over!an! inadequate!1m2f!at!Sandown!before!running!away!with!the!Group!3!Al! Rayyan!Stakes!at!Newbury!last!time.!Crysal!Ocean!looks!an!ideal!candidate! for!this!race!and!represents!a!stable!that!has!won!seven!of!the!last!twelve! renewals.!! ! ! ! DEFOE! 4!gr!c!Dalakhani!–!Dulkashe! ! Roger!Varian! Sheikh!Mohammed!Obaid!Al!Maktoum! ! Defoe!was!one!of!the!most!improved!horses!in!training!last!season!with!his! only!defeat!coming!in!the!St!Leger!where!he!ran!too!badly!to!true.!He!won! his!first!two!starts!this!season!in!very!good!style!this!season!in!Group!3! and!Group!2!races!before!tasting!defeat!last!time!in!the!Group!1!Tattersalls! Gold!Cup!behind!Lancaster!Bomber.!The!distance!was!1m2f!that!day!and! the!ground!was!Good!to!Firm!so!I!can!easily!put!a!line!through!that!run!and! I!think!he’s!a!horse!that!needs!cut!in!the!ground!to!be!at!his!best.!He!could! be!difficult!to!beat!here!if!he!gets!ground!conditions!in!his!favour.!
!
% % DESERT%ENCOUNTER%
6!b!g!Halling!–!La!Chicana! ! David!Simcock! Abdulla!Al!Mansoori! ! Desert!Encounter!improved!again!last!season!with!victories!including!a! C&D!Listed!contest!and!a!brilliant!victory!in!the!Group!3!Legacy!Cup!at! Newbury.!Desert!Encounter!ran!a!cracker!last!season!in!the!Group!1! Eclipse!Stakes!behind!Ulysses!and!Barney!Roy!and!I!think!he’s!a!very! smart!horse!on!Good!to!Firm!ground.!He’s!quite!a!big!price!here!and!could! be!a!live!each/way!player!if!he!gets!some!rattling!fast!ground.!
IDAHO!
5!b!h!Galileo!–!Hveger! ! A!P!O’Brien! Michael!Tabor!&!Derrick!Smith!&!Mrs!John!Magnier! ! Idaho!hasn’t!been!in!the!same!form!since!landing!this!race!last!season!but! he!did!hint!at!a!revival!when!taking!advantage!of!a!good2looking! opportunity!to!land!a!Group!3!at!Chester!last!time.!He!was!disappointing! last!time!in!the!Coronation!Cup!at!Epsom!but!he’s!never!been!a!horse!that’s! shown!form!on!soft!ground!conditions.!If!he!can!get!back!to!the!form!he! showed!in!this!race!last!season!he!would!be!very!difficult!to!beat.!! ! ! ! MIRAGE%DANCER! 4!b!c!Frankel!–!Heat!Haze! ! Sir!Michael!Stoute! K!Abdullah! ! Mirage!Dancer!never!really!climbed!the!heights!many!expected!last!season! but!he’s!always!promised!he’d!make!up!into!a!much!better!four2year2old! and!he’s!in!the!right!hands!to!realise!his!potential.!He!made!an! encouraging!return!over!this!C&D!last!month!when!narrowly!denied!by! Barsanti!before!getting!off!the!mark!last!time!at!Goodwood.!He!needs!to! take!another!step!forward!to!be!competitive!here!but!his!form!with! Barsani!gives!him!hope.! ! ! ! SALOUEN! 4!b!c!Canford!Cliffs!–!Gali!Gall! ! Sylvester!Kirk! H!Balasuriya!
!
Salouen!was!highly!tried!last!season!as!a!three2year2old!but!could!never! really!land!a!blow!in!Group!1!and!Group!2!races.!He!ran!a!promising!race! on!return!last!month!behind!Barsanti!and!Mirage!Dancer!over!this!C&D! before!running!a!career!best!in!the!Group!1!Coronation!Cup!when!finishing! a!head!behind!Cracksman.!Salouen!was!given!a!brilliant!ride!from!Silvestre! De!Sousa!and!there’s!no!doubt!he!dictated!the!race!from!the!front!and!this! son!of!Canford!Cliffs!needs!to!prove!that!performance!wasn’t!a!one!off! here.! !
Verdict% ! Looking!at!the!entries!the!Hardwicke!Stakes!could!be!one!of!the!races!of! the!meeting!but!it’s!highly!unlikely!they’ll!all!stand!their!ground!but!it! should!still!give!us!a!good!contest.!Barsanti!ran!very!well!in!this!race!last! season!to!finish!an!excellent!second!and!seem!in!great!form!at!present.!He! landed!a!Listed!race!over!this!C&D!on!his!return!last!month!and!that!run! should!put!him!spot!on!for!another!tilt!at!this!contest!and!he!should!give! another!bold!show!but!might!come!up!short!again.!Idaho!won!this!race!last! season!but!hasn’t!been!in!the!same!form!since!that!success.!He!did!take!a! step!back!in!the!right!direction!on!his!penultimate!start!at!Chester!and!I! wouldn’t!be!judging!him!harshly!on!his!disappointing!effort!on!soft!ground! last!time.!He!should!relish!the!return!to!decent!ground!and!he!can’t!be! discounted.!Ballydoyle!also!have!last!seasons!Irish!Derby!and!St!Leger! winner!Capri!amongst!the!entries.!He!suffered!a!setback!after!his!win!on! return!in!April!and!it!looks!like!he’s!in!a!race!against!time!to!make!this! race.!He’s!another!that!needs!serious!respect!if!showing!up!and!sets!a!clear! for!standard!to!aim!at.!Sir!Michael!Stoute!has!dominated!this!race!over!the! years!and!has!won!7!of!the!last!12!renewals.!Mirage!Dancer!didn’t!really! show!his!true!colours!last!season!but!he!should!do!much!better!this!season! as!a!four2year2old.!He!built!on!his!encouraging!return!behind!Barsanti!to! get!off!the!mark!at!Goodwood!last!time!and!that!gives!him!solid!place! claims!here.!I!have!to!side!with!Sir!Michael!Stoute’s!other!runner! CRYSTAL%OCEAN%here!and!he!looks!to!have!the!perfect!profile!for!this! race.!He!was!very!progressive!last!season!and!has!continued!his!upward! curve!this!season!with!two!victories!including!a!smooth!success!last!time! at!Newbury.!He’s!a!very!smart!horse!that’s!going!the!right!way!and!should! be!very!difficult!to!beat!here.!I’ve!always!been!a!huge!fan!of!Defoe!and!I! have!no!doubt!he’s!up!to!winning!this!race.!He!will!need!plenty!of!rain!to! take!his!chance!in!this!race!and!if!he!gets!that!here!he!would!have!a!huge! shout.!! ! !
Selection:!CRYSTAL%OCEAN!(2/1)!
! ! ! !
% % % % %
Diamond%Jubilee%Stakes!(Group!1)! ! !
BOUND%FOR%NOWHERE!
4!b!c!The!Factor!–!Fancy!Deed! ! Wesley!A!Ward! Wesley!A!Ward! ! Bound!For!Nowhere!ran!a!decent!race!in!the!Commonwealth!Cup!at!this! meeting!last!season!behind!Caravaggio!and!Harry!Angel!but!didn’t!quite! have!the!pace!to!get!on!terms.!He’s!looked!a!different!beast!this!season!in! two!starts!in!the!US!and!ran!out!a!very!easy!winner!last!time!at!Keeneland.! That!win!should!put!him!spot!on!for!this!race!but!he!needs!to!take!another! step!forward!if!he’s!going!to!reverse!previous!form!with!Harry!Angel,!who! has!gone!on!since.! ! ! ! CITY%LIGHT! 4!b!c!Siyouni!–!Light!Saber! ! S!Wattel! Ecurie!Jean2Louis!Bouchard! ! City!Light!brushed!aside!Kachy!in!the!All2Weather!Sprint!Championship! Stakes!at!Lingfield.!He!put!in!another!good!display!to!land!a!Group!3!over! 5f!last!time!at!Longchamp,!again!looking!like!a!sprinter!on!the!upgrade.! There’s!no!he!needs!to!take!another!big!step!forward!to!be!competitive! here!but!he!could!sneak!into!a!place!at!decent!odds.! ! ! ! HARRY%ANGEL! 4!b!c!Dark!Angel!–!Beatrix!Potter! ! Clive!Cox! Godolphin! ! There’s!no!doubt!Harry!Angel!is!the!best!6f!performer!around!at!present! and!he!improved!with!each!outing!last!season!that!concluded!with!two! Group!1!victories.!I’m!not!sure!whether!the!Ascot!issue!is!a!myth!or!not!but! it’s!far!from!ideal!with!all!his!defeats!coming!over!6f!here!at!Ascot!and!it! has!to!be!worth!considering.!He’s!going!to!be!a!likely!short!priced!favourite! for!this!contest!and!rightly!so!but!there’s!plenty!in!the!field!to!take!him!on.!
LIBRISA%BREEZE%
6!gr!g!Mount!Nelson!–!Bruxcalina! ! Dean!Ivory! Tony!Bloom! ! Librisa!Breeze!was!possibly!unlucky!not!to!be!much!closer!in!this!race!last! season!but!I!don’t!think!he’d!have!won!that!day.!He!gained!a!deserved! Group!1!success!over!this!C&D!when!landing!the!Qipco!Champions!Sprint! Stakes!in!October!and!relished!the!soft!ground!conditions.!He!disappointed! in!the!Al!Quoz!at!Meydan!when!we!last!seen!him!but!I!can!put!a!line! through!that!effort.!Librisa!Breeze!would!be!a!danger!to!all!again!if!he!gets! him!ground!and!a!good!pace!to!aim!at!here.! ! ! ! LIMATO! 6!b!g!Tagula!–!Come!April! ! Henry!Candy! Paul!G!Jacobs! ! Limato!has!been!a!fine!servant!to!his!connections!over!the!years!but!I!find! it!amazing!that!he’s!only!won!two!Group!1!races!and!with!his!natural! talent!I!thought!he’d!win!more.!He!ran!a!brave!race!in!this!race!last!season! behind!The!Tin!Man!but!never!really!looked!like!winning.!I!think!his!ideal! conditions!are!7f!on!Good!to!Firm!ground!and!I!think!he’s!starting!to!look! rather!exposed!over!6f!now!and!he’s!not!a!miler!for!me.! ! ! ! MERCHANT%NAVY! 3!b!c!Fastnet!Rock!–!Legally!Bay! ! A!P!O’Brien! Merchant!Navy!Syndicate! ! I!find!this!colt!fascinating!and!I!was!very!impressed!with!his!victory!in! Group!2!recently!on!his!stable!debut.!He!had!previously!shown!some! useful!form!in!Australia!that!included!Group!1!success!in!the!Coolmore! Stud!Stakes!at!Flemington.!Merchant!Navy!was!a!neck!behind!Redkirk! Warrior!on!his!final!start!for!trained!Aaron!Purcell!and!received!12lb!from! that!rival!so!he!needs!to!up!his!game!if!he’s!going!to!reverse!that!form!off! level!weight!here!but!he’s!still!improving!and!should!relish!this!stiff!6f!on! running!style.!
%
REDKIRK%WARRIOR%
7!ch!g!Notnowcato!–!Flag! ! David!A!&!B!Hayes!&!Tom!Dabernig! M!B!Lee!&!Miss!Y!C!J!Tam! ! I’m!not!going!to!pretend!I!know!much!about!Australian!racing!because!I! don’t!but!I!find!it!fascinating!that!a!horse!that!won!two!races!over!1m2f!for! William!Haggas!is!now!an!Australian!sprint!star.!He!has!looked!very!good! since!switched!to!sprint!trips!recently!and!could!easily!have!more!to!come! despite!being!a!seven2year2old.!He’s!a!fascinating!runner!here!and!it’s!good! to!have!an!international!feel!to!the!race.! ! ! ! TASLEET! 5!b!h!Showcasing!–!Bird!Key! ! William!Haggas! Hamdan!Al!Maktoum!
%
Tasleet!finished!second!in!three!Group!1!races!last!season!but!only!tasted! success!once!when!landing!a!Group!2!at!York.!It’s!hard!to!find!any!excuses! for!those!defeats!but!I!suppose!he!was!pretty!unlucky!in!this!race!last! season!when!getting!a!bump!at!a!crucial!stage.!I!thought!he!ran!well! enough!on!his!return!last!month!in!the!Group!2!Greenlands!Stakes!behind! Merchant!Navy!after!missing!an!intended!engagement!at!York.!He!has!a! decent!shout!again!here!but!might!come!up!short!again.! ! ! !
% THE%TIN%MAN%
6!b!g!Equiano!–!Persario! ! James!Fanshawe! Fred!Archer!Racing!–!Ormonde! ! I!absolutely!adore!this!horse,!as!many!that!follow!me!on!twitter!will!know.! I!started!following!him!from!the!very!beginning!and!it’s!been!amazing! seeing!land!two!Group!1’s!including!this!race!last!season.!He!really!does! come!alive!at!Ascot!and!you!can!never!underestimate!him!whatever!the! opposition.!He!looked!very!good!on!his!return!last!month!at!Windsor!and!I! personally!think!that!was!on!his!best!performances!to!date.!He!looked! badly!in!need!of!the!run!beforehand!but!put!in!a!brilliant!display!despite! being!carried!across!the!track!by!another!horse.!He!can’t!be!ruled!out!here.!
Verdict! % Anyone!that!read!last!year’s!Royal!Ascot!Guide!will!know!I!was!very! bullish!on!The!Tin!Man!and!that!was!possibly!the!heart!ruling!the!head!but! you!have!to!have!your!favourites!in!this!game!and!I’ve!been!a!fan!of!his! since!the!very!beginning!but!he’s!not!getting!any!younger!and!there’s!a!few! very!talented!sprinters!in!the!mix!up!this!season!and!he’ll!need!to!raise!his! game!to!land!a!third!Group!1!this!C&D.!It!might!be!a!myth!that!every!one!of! Harry!Angel’s!defeats!has!come!at!Ascot!but!it’s!not!coincidence!and!he’s! undoubtedly!a!better!horse!on!flat/speed!favouring!track.!He’s!a!very!good! horse!that!might!be!good!enough!to!win!anyway!but!I!won’t!be!taking!the! short!price!on!him!here.!Librisa!Breeze!will!need!soft!ground!to!show!his! best!but!he’s!a!very!good!horse!when!he!gets!his!ideal!conditions!and!he! showed!that!when!landing!a!Group!1!here!on!Champions!Day!last!year.! Sometimes!in!racing!you!have!to!let!your!heart!rule!your!head!and!there’s! no!way!I!won’t!be!backing!the!main!man,!sorry!I!mean!THE%TIN%MAN.!He! doesn’t!owe!anything!to!anybody!and!he’s!done!his!connections!proud! whatever!he!does!in!the!future!is!irrelevant!and!he’ll!always!have!those! two!Group!1!wins!on!his!record.!He’s!a!different!animal!when!he!gets!his! ground!over!6f!at!Ascot!and!you!can!never!rule!him!out.!I!thought!he! looked!better!than!ever!on!his!return!at!Windsor!last!time!and!will! undoubtedly!strip!fitter!here.!He’s!a!solid!each/way!price!but!I’m!hoping! he!can!surprise!a!few!again.!The!other!I!like!is!REDKIRK%WARRIOR!for! Australia.!This!son!of!Notnowcato!has!been!a!revelation!out!there!recently! and!has!shown!a!new!lease!of!life!since!switched!to!sprint!distances.!I’m! not!going!to!pretend!I’m!an!Australian!racing!expert!but!his!form!looks!to! have!plenty!substance!and!this!stiff!6f!looks!likely!to!suit.!He’s!an! intriguing!contender!and!one!I’ll!be!keeping!on!the!right!side!of.!Merchant! Navy!won!well!on!his!debut!for!Ballydoyle!last!time!and!looks!a!very!smart! prospect.!He!actually!finished!third!behind!Redkirk!Warrior!in!the!Group!1! Newmarket!Handicap!on!his!final!start!in!Australia!and!received!12lb!from! the!winner.!He!won’t!get!any!weight!for!age!on!these!terms,!which!might! hinder!his!chances!but!he’s!a!smart!colt!going!the!right!way.!! ! !
Selection:!THE%TIN%MAN%(10/1)!&!REDKIRK%WARRIOR!(7/1)!