OK – you’re all caught up with the Euros, for good reasons and bad, but can I just remind you that over the next five days, horses worth tens of millions, from Japan to the Emerald Isle, will be lining up for my favourite racing festival – Royal Ascot.
In a sea of Pimms and pageantry, the Queen Anne Stakes opens the show at 2.30pm where a cool £600,000 in prize money will be dolled out across the first six home.
American raider Tepin has already won just under £2 million and an initial read of the form would have you believe she is the one to beat.
However, Unlike her races in America, this is run over a straight mile, not around bends where she can lay low before exploding in the final few furlongs.
Another question is will she be at her best on softer ground? She has won on it before in the race she landed ahead of her Breeders’ Cup victory, but will it bring out her best? Plus she’ll be racing without the diuretic Lasix, which is prohibited here.
French filly Ervedya has less questions to answer having won at the meeting last year and twice at Group One level on softer ground.
Belardo is likely to be the Alpha male of the pack and the recent rain will be no harm to his claims. He arrives off a super Newbury performance in the Lockinge but he for some reason, isn’t compelling me to part with my cash.
One that is, is the horse that chased him home for third that day, Irish runner Endless Drama. That was his first run in almost a year’s and you’d have to be optimistic that he’d improve.
I think Ervedya will win and Endless Drama the each way option in the race.
Two months ago Kevin Ryan purchased Broken Stones for £200,000, a price tag that looked worth paying when he won at York on his solo run and today he steps up to face the top two year olds in the Coventry Stakes at 3.05.
Aidan O’Brien has won three of these this decade and the bravely named Caravaggio could be a bit special.
Backed as if defeat was impossible for his Dundalk debut, he followed that win with another in the hot Marble Hill at the Curragh and I believe he will land the hat-trick today.
The James’s Palace Stakes at 4.20pm looks another cracker with the three Guineas winners lining up. Galileo Gold, winner of the English Classic, is probably the least suited to the ground, while the French 2000 Guineas winner The Gurkha and Irish Guineas hero Awtaad have shown they will.
All are level in the ratings at 120 and but it’s ∫ who has the edge for me.
Meccas Angel is rated 3lb higher than anything else in the field for the King’s Stand Stake at 3.40pm and conditions will be much to her liking.
She should reverse the form with Clive Cox’s Profitable who beat her in the Temple Stakes and although her price has diminished over the past few days, I think it could be foolish to look elsewhere.
Speaking of looking foolish, I better go and get ready – so happy punting and enjoy the spectacle folks!
