Day Four at Royal Ascot kicks-off with potentially classic-class fillies and nineteen go to post for this year’s renewal. The field is headed by Richard Hannon’s impressive maiden winner Illuminate under Champion Jockey Richard Hughes however the race looks to revolve around Wesley Ward’s pair of Back at the Ranch and Laxfield Road (2.30) and preference for the latter under Frankie Dettori. The selection boasts a smart pedigree and justified her $130,000 price-tag when winning by 11 lengths on debut at Keeneland and is entitled to progress further now upped in trip.
The feature race from Royal Ascot today is the inaugural Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for the classic generation over six furlongs. I think Tiggy Wiggy will be hard to catch from stall 17 under the stands’ rail but I think she can tow Hootenanny (3.40) who is drawn in stall 14 into the race and last year’s impressive Windsor Castle Stakes winner can follow up with the race run to suit. Hootenanny is 9/2 at BetVictor and has Ryan Moore in the saddle.
The Coronation Stakes is the other Group One on the card and I would be quite keen on Lucida if it weren’t for her draw in stall nine and preference is for Aidan O’Brien’s Found (4.20) who finished runner up in the Irish 1000 Guineas last time. The selection was slow to come to hand in the spring but is reported to have blossomed in recent weeks and holds French 1000 Guineas’ winner Ervedya on their Longchamp running from last October.
John Gosden‘s Eagle Top won last year’s renewal of the King Edward VII Stakes and the Derby winning trainer relies on Mr Singh for same connections this term. Frankie Dettori is in the plate once more however this son of High Chaparral must bounce back after a disappointing effort last time out, as does Aidan O’Brien’s Ol’ Man River after flopping on both starts this term. The latter remains fascinating and cost 3.6m guineas as a yearling boasting an outstanding pedigree and catching the attentions of the Coolmore boys accordingly.
The Montjeu colt was unbeaten as a juvenile before lacklustre efforts in both the Guineas and the Dante and now steps up to a mile and a half for the first time. Questions must remain as to whether the colt has trained on or not and Sir Michael Stoute’s progressive Stravagante (3.05) is preferred instead with Pat Smullen in the plate. The son of Rip Van Winkle built on his seasonal debut bolting-up in a handicap on Derby day at Epsom and looks the quintessential Stoute improver, open to further progression upped in both trip and grade.
Four year-olds have won the last four renewals of the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes and I have jumped ship from Warrior Of Light (stall 15) to the Godolphin pair of Famous Kid (5.00) and Gold Trail with marginal preference for the former who has a cracking draw in stall two. The selection carries top-weight, but there is only 10lbs between him and bottom weight Azurite, and I am prepared to forgive his last effort when he may not have got home on ground softer than ideal over the two-and-a-quarter miles of the Chester Cup. He had looked a progressive middle distance colt prior to the Roodeye and he can reward each way support at 33/1 with BetVictor.
The Queen’s Vase has traditionally been an excellent race for punters looking to get out of jail in the lucky last, and a race generally seen as a stepping stone to Gold Cup success thereafter. Two of the last three Gold Cup winners have taken this en-route to G1 success thereafter with Leading Light scoring for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien in 2013 and Estimate doing likewise in 2012 and Fabricate (5.30) can give Her Majesty The Queen further Royal Ascot success in the finale. Michael Bell‘s well-bred individual has won successive races over a mile and a half, staying on strongly last time out at Haydock to win a competitive handicap with ease. The Makfi colt is 7/1 with BetVictor at the time of writing and appeals as excellent value to rewards each-way support from 11/10 favourite Aloft for Ballydoyle and Sir Michael Stoute’s beautifully-bred filly Yarrow.
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