Today looks a right puzzle of a card but I would like to think we can find a winner or two on ladies day. I hope plenty kept the faith after we had a winning NAP yesterday, and some huge each way places at 20/1 and 50/1.
The Norfolk
We have ourselves an even money favourite in the first here, Whistlejacket won on his second start impressively and I think bumped into a smart one on debut who ran well enough on Tuesday to suggest he had substance to the form. His sire took this race back in his racing days and the forecast faster ground today will suit. At the price, he is a win only bet.
King George V
Plenty of these are very unexposed and as a result, I think it’s hard to have a really set view on who to back, but given that we have good place terms, it’s well worth a small stakes each bet on a couple here. Rodger Varian runs French Duke here, who seemed to really improve for better ground at Newbury when a close second last time out. The other runner I like with a huge price is Naval Force. Two wins in far easier company have come in much softer ground. The Dam won on good, whilst the sire Churchill won his Guineas on good to firm. Both will be each way selections in a field that could see the Royal runner overbet given the occasion.
French Duke and Naval Force both each way
Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) (Class 1) (3yo)
This looks a no bet to me. I think it will be an interesting contest and Diamond Rain deserves to be fav but is just too short to want to get involved with here. Danielle I saw in the flesh and was disappointed with at Lingfield in the Oaks trial, a small framed fillie that elicits no appeal here. If you can find the market I would sooner back Rubies Are Red in a match bet to confirm the form of that Lingfield run. She needs to bounce back from a poor run at Epsom where she didn’t handle the track. With so many questions that need answering and the favourite just too short, the Ribblesdale is a watching brief for me today.
No bet
Gold Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (4yo+)
We come to my personal favourite race of the week, the Gold Cup. Kyprios has been weak in the early markets and that I think is because he was just too short at around even money. I respect him and his trainer’s fine record in the race, but for me ,I want to back Gregory to progress again. The same connections took this race 12 months ago and I think Gregory is ready made to follow in his hoofprints. A winner of the Queens Vase over 1 mile 6 at Royal Ascot last year, the step up in trip will suit, and give James Doyle another big race winner.
Britannia Stakes
A reminder that we have standard place terms due to the proceeds of this race going to charity, two for me against the field Follow Me drawn 27 interests me, Ross O’Sullivan is in good form and this French import has looked ground versatile since joining his yard. Quicker going is a question mark but the breeding suggests he can cope with it. The other I like is also drawn high in Native Warrior had to run in Kempton maiden behind Notable Speech the Guineas winner in April before finally getting off the mark at Nottingham. Karl Burkes horse could be better than a mark of 90 and both will be played each way.
Hampton Court Stakes
Nap of the day time and King’s Gambit for me is a horse that I expect to progress from his London Gold Cup win at Newbury. That impressive display saw him raised to a mark of 107 but definitely feels very much to have the profile of a group horse, winners of that race so often improve and take high rank in the flat game. He is very unexposed and an exciting horse, I would be disappointed if he can’t be involved in the finish and expect a big run for Harry Charlton. Braken’s Laugh is the one I would expect to chase him home, he ran really well at Chester last time out in a listed race.
Buckingham Palace Stakes
The closing handicap is typically as competitive as you would expect at Royal Ascot, and I want something well treated that can go well at the track. Fresh ticks so many of those boxes and Hayley Turner seems to always pop up to take one of these races at Ascot. He took the international handicap over seven furlongs on good to firm ground here off 98 two years ago, now 92 I expect a similar effort from a high draw. The other I will be backing each way is the four year old Make Me King, he was entitled to need the Newmarket run back in May and had run well this Winter without winning in Meydan. A very different profile to that of Fresh I still think he can make his mark here.
