Competitive Commonwealth Cup creates interest
Day four at Royal Ascot shapes as the most competitive card across the entire meeting. The curveball of a soft track is likely to throw up some different results and it will be worth watching for track patterns early in the day.
Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap
One of the new handicaps added to the program this year, the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap (5f) has contenders up and down the page.
Trainer Richard Fahey has three live chances in Show Me Show Me (Showcasing), Dylan De Vega (Poet’s Voice) and Mighty Spirit (Acclamation) – all at decent odds.
Mighty Spirit, a three-quarter sister to last year’s Ayr Gold Cup (6f) winner Angel Alexander (Dark Angel), was a precocious two-year-old whose sole win came in a Catterick novice in October.
However, her form around horses like Mrs Bouquet (Toronado) and Bettys Hope (Anjaal), as well as a decent sixth in the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at the course and distance last year, looks like an ideal pointer to this handicap, particularly given that she’s down in the weights.
Favourite Art Power (Dark Angel) has the benefit of a stylish win with a big weight upon his return at Newcastle and he appears the one to beat.
Albany Stakes
The Albany Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) may provide American trainer Wesley Ward with his best opportunity for a Royal Ascot winner in 2020.
Ward has won three of the six juvenile races at Royal Ascot – the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) with Jealous Again (Trippi), Acapulco (Scat Daddy) and Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), the Norfolk Stakes with No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) and Shang Shang Shang (Shanghai Bobby) and the Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) with Strike The Tiger (Tiger Ridge) and Hootenanny (Quality Road).
However, the Albany Stakes has eluded him, despite having a runner every year since 2014. His best performer came that year with Sunset Glow (Exchange Rate), second to Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor).
This year, he sends out Flying Aletha (Tiznow), a big winner at Gulfstream on debut last month. That was on the dirt, with the filly switching to the turf for this run. That has proven a good formula for Ward before.
Obviously, a soft track is a major query, but she has blistering speed and it will be a tough task for any of these horses to catch her.
Willabell (War Front) and Golden Melody (Belardo) stand out as the most logical threats, while Mother Earth (Zoffany) is also sure to have support.
Norfolk Stakes
Some of the speediest types seen in the two weeks since racing returned in the UK will line up in the Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f), including Eye Of Heaven (Exceed And Excel) and The Lir Jet (Prince Of Lir). Throw in American raider Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and it looks like a competitive affair.
However, Lipizzaner (Uncle Mo) looks the testing material in here, even on a potentially unsuitable wet track.
On a better surface, he would be a terrific bet, as he seems the ideal type for five furlongs on top of the ground. However, with the experience of two Irish runs on either side of the Covid-19 shutdown, he can still figure here.
Lipizzaner is out of Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock), making him a half-brother to Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) runner-up Omei Sword (High Chaparral).
Hardwicke Stakes
Last year’s Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo) heads the market for the Hardwicke Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) as Aidan O’Brien’s charge aims to give Australian trainer Mark Kavanagh a unique Royal Ascot double.
Should Anthony Van Dyck win, Kavanagh will have trained the dams of two Royal Ascot winners in a week. Russian Emperor (Galileo) gave his former stable star Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock) a first stakes winner when the colt took Wednesday’s Hampton Court Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 2f), while Anthony Van Dyck is out of Kavanagh’s Group 3 winner Believe’n’Succeed (Exceed And Excel).
The Derby winner returned with a strong second to Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) in the Coronation Cup (Gr 1, 1m 4f) at Newmarket and looks the one to beat.
Elarqam (Frankel), who enters off a second to Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f) winner Lord North (Dubawi) last week, is sure to have his admirers. The regally-bred five-year-old, out of five-time Group 1 winner Attraction (Efisio), loves it soft but the mile and a half may stretch his stamina.
While they both have claims, it might be best to look towards four-year-old Hamish (Motivator). He was progressing well at the end of last season and, although this is a step up for him, he appears the type who could step up to these sorts of mile and a half races this season.
Commonwealth Cup
Since the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) was added to the calendar in 2015, it has emerged as an important race in establishing a three-year-old’s stallion credentials.
Muhaarar (Oasis Dream), Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), Eqtidaar (Invincible Spirit) and Advertise (Showcasing) have all retired to stud, while the sole filly to take victory, Quiet Reflection (Showcasing), produced a Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) colt last year and a Galileo filly this year.
This year’s Commonwealth Cup is arguably the strongest running yet with plenty of quality and depth.
Pierre Lapin (Cappella Sansevero) heads the market for trainer Roger Varian and deserves that position on the strength of his two wins last term, including in the Mill Reef Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Newbury.
He is by no means over the line though, with American filly Kimari (Munnings), Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) victor Millisle (Starspangledbanner) and Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) third Lope Y Fernandez (Lope De Vega) among the leading dangers.
Perhaps the horse that is worth a play here though is Mums Tipple (Footstepsinthesand). The wet track is a concern but he showed plenty of X-factor in his first two starts. He needs things to go his way and is the typical speedy type who either dominates or he struggles. Still, with all of those queries, he has the ability and he’s one to follow here.
Queen’s Vase
Since the Queen’s Vase (Gr 2, 1m 6f) was shortened from two miles in 2017, it has become a classier, more competitive race than it was previously. With Stradivarius (Sea The Stars) and Kew Gardens (Galileo) winning the race in 2017 and 2018, it has – somewhat paradoxically – proven a better stepping stone to the Cup races than it was when it was over further.
Before that, it was won by horses like Hartnell (Authorized) and Aloft (Galileo), who relocated to Australia, while Estimate (Monsun) – owned by Queen Elizabeth II – won the race in 2012 before adding the Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f) a year later.
This year’s race is headed by the filly Born With Pride (Born To Sea), the three-quarter sister to Sydney Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Shraaoh (Sea The Stars) and Chairman’s Handicap (Gr 2, 2600m) scorer Raheen House (Sea The Stars).
She attracted plenty of attention for her debut win in the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 1m), defeating runaway Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Peaceful (Galileo) on a heavy track.
She returned in the Classic Trial Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 2f) on the all-weather at Kempton but performed poorly, never getting into the race. The step up in trip is a positive and she deserves respect.
Also a contender is Nobel Prize (Galileo), the brother to Swettenham Stud shuttler Highland Reel; both are out of blue hen Australian mare Hveger (Danehill). He improved with every run as a juvenile and this extended trip looks right up his alley.
However, they are both taken on with Godolphin’s Al Dabaran (Dubawi), a Listed winner at seven furlongs last year. It is a dramatic step up in trip but he is closely related to St Leger (Gr 1, 1m 6.5f) winner Masked Marvel (Montjeu) and the blinkers might spark him to life.
Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes
Day four comes to a close with the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (1m 4f), a race that has been won in recent years by Kinema (Galileo), Arab Dawn (Dalakhani) and Opinion (Oasis Dream).
El Misk (Dansili) is out of champion South African mare, the Australian-bred Igugu (Galileo). He was a big winner at Kempton at his final run at three, but he does look poorly-weighted compared to some of his rivals.
Le Don De Vie (Leroidesanimaux) races in the colours of Ozzie Kheir and is already being aimed towards this year’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m). He looks as though he will improve as a four-year-old but he will need to take a step forward to prove competitive here, let alone in a Melbourne Cup.
The most logical play is Durston (Sea The Moon), who impressed as a progressive three-year-old and has been gelded over the winter.
He looks well-weighted with plenty up his sleeve and he looks one of the best on the card here.
Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap – #16 Mighty Spirit
Albany Stakes – #4 Flying Aletha
Norfolk Stakes – #9 Lipizzaner
Hardwicke Stakes – #8 Hamish
Commonwealth Cup – #5 Mums Tipple
Queen’s Vase – #1 Al Dabaran
Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes – #9 Durston