Katie Midwinter (21/06/23)
After two wonderful days at the Royal Meeting, attention turns to a race which many perceive to be the feature event of the week, the Ascot Gold Cup. The absence of a certain star stayer will surely be felt, as the retired Stradivarius will not compete at the meeting for the first time in seven years.
The son of Sea The Stars lined up in five successive renewals of the prestigious staying contest, winning on three occasions whilst met with bad luck in running in his final two appearances, and failing to equal Yeats’ record of four wins. Stradivarius also won the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, and with four victories at the track, three under Frankie Dettori, he became an Ascot great.
DAY 3 – THURSDAY
3:40pm – Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
Al Asifah set the standard with a spectacular effort at Goodwood recently, and deservedly heads the market as she attempts to land a first Group level success. The daughter of Frankel represents a yard that is often successful in this contest, winning four of the last six renewals, and who once again have leading claims.
Away from the favourite there is plenty of each-way value, and the Ballydoyle contingent could be dangers lurking in the field. Warm Heart claimed a Listed prize at Newbury last month, following on from a Leopardstown success, and could continue progressing whilst stablemate Red Riding Hood is better than her Epsom form suggests and is an enticing proposition at 50/1.
Richard Hannon’s Maman Joon is one to consider at a big price making her third career start. An impressive fourth in the Oaks on her second racecourse appearance will likely work out well, and she could be capable of showing plenty of further progression as she has a nice pedigree, being by Sea The Stars out of Listed winning mare Dorcas Lane, and was an expensive purchase for connections who are enjoying plenty of success with their horses.
Midnight Mile is another to keep a close eye on, but the 1m4f trip could stretch her stamina.
Each-way selection:
Maman Joon 25/1 – Richard Hannon, Kevin Stott
4:20pm – Gold Cup (Group 1)
Eldar Eldarov put himself firmly in contention as he bounced back to form with a second-place finish in the Yorkshire Cup Stakes on his first run of the season last month. The St Leger winner is open to further progression but has stamina to prove over the extended distance. By Dubawi out of a Listed winning Sea The Stars mare, his pedigree oozes class and, with the division currently lacking a superstar, there is potential for the Roger Varian-trained colt to assert his dominance with a successful performance.
Course-and-distance winner Coltrane is a consistent and likeable sort who has been excelling over marathon trips in recent seasons. He won the Ascot Stakes at the meeting last year before proving his worth up in class with a Listed win at Sandown, followed by a Group Two Doncaster Cup success over Trueshan. This season he has won the Sagaro Stakes in perfect preparation for the assignment ahead, and now looks to add the ultimate Group One prize to his name.
Unexposed and unbeaten gelding Courage Mon Ami represents a John & Thady Gosden yard looking for a new star stayer following the retirement of the incomparable Stradivarius. Frankie Dettori takes the ride aboard the lightly-raced son of Frankel in his final Gold Cup appearance. Further improvement came with a step up to 1m6f at Goodwood when upped in class, and a feeling that a marathon trip could be suited.
Four-year-old filly Emily Dickinson shot to the top of the market with Listed success at Navan following the news of a setback to stablemate Kyprios. She has since been exposed, failing to fire in a Leopardstown Group Three last month and drifting significantly in the market as a consequence.
Whether or not she is ready for a test of this magnitude remains to be seen, but she is a classy type with an attractive pedigree being by Dubawi out of Group One winning daughter of Montjeu, Chicquita.
Former winner Subjectivist suffered a potentially career-ending injury after his success in the 2021 renewal, but returned to track at Riyadh in February before showing promising signs at Meydan a month later with a third-place finish in the Dubai Gold Cup.
At his best he is a force to be reckoned with, and should never be discounted as a proven stayer with the best form in the race. However, it remains to be seen whether or not he can be the force of old, and the risky nature of selecting the Charlie Johnston-trained six-year-old reflects in his current double figure price.
Broome reigned victorious in the Dubai Gold Cup, finishing five-lengths ahead of Subjectivist, proving he has stamina in great abundance, and opening up many new opportunities for the seven-year-old Ballydoyle representative who is a dark horse in this field.
Charlie Appleby’s Yibir has stamina to prove now upped in trip. The gelded son of Dubawi is yet to be tried over further than 1m5f, as he attempts 2m4f for the first time.
Trueshan hasn’t appeared at the Royal Meeting as of yet, and connections will be hoping for a deluge of rain prior to the off if he is to take his chance in the prestigious race. If he does get his desired conditions, he isn’t guaranteed to excel in such a contest, and isn’t quite as convincing at this level as he once was. With a tendency to race keenly he is often seen fighting against the demands of his regular rider Hollie Doyle, and wasting energy early on in his races can prove detrimental in the closing stages.
Willie Mullins saddles classy mare Echoes In Rain who was last seen convincingly winning the Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown. She has plenty of Flat racing experience, with three wins to date, in addition to her six wins over obstacles, and Tom Marquand has been booked to ride.
Adam Nicol’s Wise Eagle would be a fairytale winner for the small Northumberland operation. Costing a mere 7,000gns in the sales, the chestnut gelding has taken connections on an exciting journey so far, with a number of consistent performance and victories, and a placed effort in a Group Three when last seen. Although he has to find more to have the beating of all of his rivals in this field, he is worthy of taking his chance and has each-way claims at a big price.
Win selection:
Coltrane 10/3– Andrew Balding, Oisin Murphy
Each-way selection:
Subjectivist 10/1 – Charlie Johnston, Joe Fanning
5:35pm – Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
Kingman colt Epictetus impressed as a juvenile, winning well on debut at Newmarket, beating a field including subsequent Group Three winner Flying Honours, before finishing second twice, behind Silver Knott and Auguste Rodin respectively. He opened his three-year-old account with a Listed win at Epsom before finishing fifth twice, in both the Dante Stakes and Prix du Jockey Club.
Whilst he has accumulated plenty of experience at the highest level, he perhaps lacks the class required to be a solid Group One contender, but should be more than capable of being competitive at this level. The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt sets the standard in this field, but will need to prove he has the tenacity to see the job through.
Running in the same colours as the favourite is his stablemate Torito, who was hugely impressive when pulling clear of the field at Epsom on Derby day. He remains unexposed at this level, and looks capable of improving plenty with promising young jockey Benoit De La Sayette retaining the ride.
Aidan O’Brien’s Drumroll was awarded a Curragh Group Three following late interference by first past the post Teutates. Prior to that the son of Deep Impact finished a length-and-a-half second to Paddington in a Listed contest, showing promise and building on a debut win at Navan.
Whilst his form so far, barring his finish behind Paddington, doesn’t read quite as impressively as Epictetus, he remains open to further improvement, and he already has winning form at this level. A full brother to Saxon Warrior, out of Group One winning mare Maybe, he has plenty of class in his pedigree and is an exciting prospect.
Exoplanet finished a close third in the London Gold Cup at Newbury when last seen, following a defeat by Military Order. The form is yet to be franked, and it may be worth keeping an eye on how well Bertinelli runs in the second race on Thursday’s card.
By Sea The Stars, the three-year-old represents connections who have already enjoyed Royal Ascot success this week, and runs in colours that had two big priced winners on the opening day of the meeting. It would be no surprise to see this young colt run well and he could be going under the radar.
Bold Act put in a bold showing to finish a neck second to Bertinelli in the aforementioned Newbury contest, with Exoplanet a neck further behind. The Godolphin representative gave 4lbs to the winner that day, which could have made all of the difference, yet he is a bigger price than the third-placed horse in this, despite being 6lb better off with Exoplanet.
The determining factor of his current market price could be his Listed Newmarket disappointment, in which he was exposed when finishing fifth as favourite. However, it may be worth forgiving him for that run as he had a near perfect record beforehand, tarnished only by a defeat on debut when beaten by stablemate Highbank.
Ed Walker’s Waipiro was running on well at Epsom and could be of interest now back in trip. A step up in trip doesn’t appear out of his capabilities, with plenty of stamina in his pedigree, yet connections opt for another attempt at a distance he is proven over, after success at Newmarket on his seasonal reappearance.
Three-year-old filly Caernarfon has exceeded expectations with two impressive performances in Classics this term. Following a fourth-place finish in the 1000 Guineas, she coped well with a step up in trip in the Oaks, finishing third, only two-lengths behind winner Soul Sister, and now takes on the boys. A consistent type, she receives the fillies’ allowance and could show further improvement.
Unexposed Bolster is two from two so far in his career but must cope with a significant step up in class if he is to protect his unbeaten record. He represents the same owners as Exoplanet, as does Kevin Ryan’s Captain Winters, a Lope De Vega colt partnered by Neil Callan, the trainer, jockey and owner combination that claimed the plaudits in the opening race of the meeting, with another big priced contender in Triple Time.
Dear My Friend could be a lively outsider capable of outrunning his odds if able to replicate his juvenile form at Deauville when he finished within two lengths of both Victoria Road and Blue Rose Cen.
The form of that Listed affair has been significantly franked, with the winner going on to claim the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the runner-up showing an exceptional level of talent in France, unbeaten since winning five races including three Group One races, most recently the Prix de Diane.
The Charlie Johnston-trained colt has been disappointing since his seasonal debut success at Newcastle, but has been running in high-class company and could fare better now dropped in grade.
Win selection:
Drumroll 6/1 – A P O’Brien, Ryan Moore
Each-way selection:
Dear My Friend 50/1 – Charlie Johnston, Andrea Atzeni
The rest of the card:
3:05pm – King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
Bertinelli 7/1 (EW) – A P O’Brien, Ryan Moore
The three-year-old Justify colt has shown plenty of class to date, and should improve for a step up in trip. His dam was a Group One winning mare by Galileo, and his exciting sire won the Grade One Belmont Stakes over a mile-and-a-half. He was rerouted to the London Gold Cup at Newbury after the Lingfield Derby Trial was switched to the all-weather, and is clearly thought of a Group level horse. The Ballydoyle hope carries top weight but with trainer and jockey in exceptional form, he is definitely one for the shortlist and should be tough to beat.
5:00pm – Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
Betterdaysrcoming 28/1 (EW) – A Oliver, W J Lee
A win over stablemate Semblance Of Order could prove to be a good level of form for this three-year-old colt. Semblance Of Order has been performing well this season, and entered the tracker after an eye-catching performance at Naas on reappearance.
That contest was won by Paddington, who strode to victory and finished nine-lengths clear of Andy Oliver’s representative. However, Semblance Of Order had no luck in running and was badly hampered in the straight, quickly putting an end to her chances.
It’s unknown how close she would have finished to winner Paddington, but the Ballydoyle colt is clearly a special horse and put three-and-three-quarter-lengths between himself and 2000 Guineas Chaldean at Ascot on Tuesday.
Betterdaysrcoming gave 8lbs to his stablemate at the Curragh, and he looks a big price coming over from Ireland for this contest. He is perhaps worth a look at from an each-way perspective.
Finn’s Charm is another of interest at a huge price of 40/1. He may lack the class to land a prize such as this, especially when saddled with top weight, but could still outrun his odds to enter the extra places.
DAY 4 – FRIDAY
3:05pm – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
The market has been speaking overwhelmingly in favour of Little Big Bear, who sets the standard following a spectacular juvenile campaign and a Group Two win when last seen. It’s worth completely forgiving his Newmarket Classic appearance, as he was struck into early on and finish the race lame.
The mile trip wasn’t guaranteed to suit either, and the return to sprinting proved to be the correct decision. The No Nay Never colt is a speedy type and will be tough to beat.
Course-and-distance winner Lezoo is another returning to the shorter trip following a Guineas disappointment. She finished eighth at Newmarket, outstayed by her rivals and perhaps unsuited by the soft going on that occasion. With plenty of speed in her pedigree, it’s expected she’ll fare better this time out and has certain each-way claims.
Unlucky not to go unbeaten in her juvenile season, her only defeat came in controversial circumstances to Mawj, who has since franked the form. Roger Varian’s Sakheer is a Group Two winner over the trip, and could show plenty of improvement now back in trip.
There are many interesting contenders at bigger prices too, including the likes of Mischief Magic, Queen Me and Swingalong.
Outsider of the field The X O proved he is dangerous to overlook when he finished second in the trial race at odds of 125/1, whilst Irish-raider Ocean Quest has plenty of talent and receives the fillies’ allowance for Jessica Harrington and jockey Colin Keane, who combined to land the Kensington Palace Fillies’ Handicap with Villanova Queen on Wednesday.
Win selection:
Little Big Bear 5/4 – A P O’Brien, Ryan Moore
Each-way selection:
Lezoo 9/1 – Ralph Beckett, Frankie Dettori
4:20pm – Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
Exciting Dermot Weld filly Tahiyra has done very little wrong in her career to date. The daughter of Siyouni made light work of her opposition on debut before asserting her dominance among juvenile fillies with a Group One success over Meditate at the Curragh. She was narrowly touched off by Mawj in her first Classic at Newmarket, but returned to the winner’s enclosure in the Irish equivalent.
It’s difficult to see a scenario in which Meditate is able to reverse form with her fellow Irish-raider at Ascot, yet it’s unwise to underestimate a Ballydoyle representative and the daughter of No Nay Never is a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner.
A rematch between Tahiyra and Mawj was an exciting prospect. The latter, trained by Saeed bin Suroor is unbeaten this year, with two Meydan wins followed by a Classic victory. She has excelled over a mile so far, and there could be more to come from the half-sister of Modern Game, but she will sadly miss out due to an unsatisfactory scope.
Lightly-raced Queen For You has only two career runs to her name so far. The Kingman filly won on debut at the track on Trials Day before finishing a narrow second in a Listed event at York. She is unexposed at this level which makes her a very interesting contender.
Sounds Of Heaven beat Queen For You when the pair met recently, but is a much bigger price than her rival ahead of this Group One contest.
An intriguing contender is Jim Bolger’s Comhra, a daughter of Vocalised that could have more to offer. Her first two runs this season were on ground with heavy in the description, and her only run over a mile last season was at Killarney where she finished fourth. The winner on that occasion was Papilio, who had a 10lbs claimer onboard, and she has since gone on to win a Grade Two in the USA.
The runner-up was subsequent Group Three winner Greenland, therefore the form has worked out well. Comhra was sent off at odds of 150/1 and eventually finished third, a head behind Meditate in second. Jockey Rory Cleary reported his mount had received interference upon leaving the stalls at the Curragh, but despite this she ran remarkably well.
There could be more to come from an improving type with William Buick onboard.
Each-way selection:
Comhra 33/1 – J S Bolger, William Buick
All runners/prices are correct at the time of writing/publish.
Photo by Benny Hassum on Unsplash
THE CONDITIONAL 
Thanks Katie for the selections and your hard work it’s much appreciated good luck Steve x
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