Curtain falls on Royal Ascot
A Royal Ascot like no other comes to a close tonight with an eight-race card.
That in itself is strange, given most Royal Ascot cards have only six races. However, there are some strong events tonight and it looks a fitting end to the unique royal meeting.
Silver Wokingham Handicap
The last of the new additions to this year’s Royal Ascot, the Silver Wokingham Handicap (6f) is a consolation race for the Wokingham Stakes (6f) later on the card. Those just on the cusp of making it into the 24-runner Wokingham will run here instead.
Owner Bjorn Nielsen, fresh from taking the meeting’s staying feature – Thursday’s Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f) – with Stradivarius (Sea The Stars), can score a victory with the lightly-raced top-weight Swindler (Invincible Spirit) here.
He’s only had seven starts but he was a course and distance winner in September. He played up on his way to the stalls at Newmarket on his return and, with that freshness now taken away, he can return to form. The soft track is a query but he has a pedigree that suggests he should be able to handle it.
Other contenders are old boy Sir Maximilian (Royal Applause), Blue Mist (Makfi) and Aplomb (Lope De Vega).
Queen Mary Stakes
The Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) is the premier Royal Ascot contest for the two-year-old fillies.
American Wesley Ward has won this race three times with Jealous Again (Trippi), Acapulco (Scat Daddy) and Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) and he will look to add to his record with Campanelle (Kodiac) and Royal Approval (Tiznow).
Campanelle, who races in the same Stonestreet silks as Lady Aurelia, looks the better of the two having won on debut at Gulfstream Park. The time was quick and she does look to have plenty of speed.
However, the prospect of a wet track is concerning and, at her current price, it might be worth looking elsewhere.
Instead, it’s better to side with Sacred (Exceed And Excel), who was a nice winner at Newmarket on debut. Out of a half-sister to top American turf filly Lady Eli (Divine Park), she looks the type to be able to progress from start to start and she looks a leading player here.
Also in the mix are the blueblood More Beautiful (War Front) as well as Dickiedooda (Starspangledbanner), owned by the Alpha Racing syndicate put together by Kate Harrington.
Coventry Stakes
The Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) is the closest thing the Brits have to the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m). While the Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) is the seasonal feature for juveniles at that trip, the Coventry comes up early enough in the season to ensure that horses have not started to step up in trip or head in different directions.
Winners in recent years have included Calyx (Kingman), Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), Dawn Approach (New Approach) and Canford Cliffs (Tagula).
Night Of Thunder (Dubawi) had his first Royal Ascot winner earlier this week when Molatham won the Jersey Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) and he can make it two from just two crops to race with Qaader here.
Stepping out for one of Britain’s premier conditioners of juveniles, Mark Johnston, Qaader will represent Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell Racing and his retained jockey Jim Crowley, who have already combined for six wins this week.
Qaader stepped out at Newbury last Friday, winning by four lengths and looking capable of plenty more.
Al Shaqab Racing’s Lauded (Acclamation), Coolmore’s Admiral Nelson (Kingman) and Godolphin’s Creative Force (Dubawi) both impressed on debut as well and they are sure to find support.
Coronation Stakes
A small but select group of fillies will aim to join winners like Alpha Centauri (Mastercraftsman), Winter (Galileo), Ervedya (Siyouni) and Sky Lantern (Red Clubs) on the Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) honour roll.
Quadrilateral (Frankel), slightly disappointing as favourite in the 1000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) when a four and a half length third to Love (Galileo), will look to return to her winning ways here. She was three from three as a two-year-old, including a win in the Fillies’ Mile (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket.
The softer track should suit her down to the ground and she appears hard to oppose in here.
Irish filly Alpine Star (Sea The Moon) and last-start runaway Listed winner Run Wild (Amaron) appear the main market dangers, but if there is a threat, it looks to be American raider Sharing (Speightstown).
Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf (Gr 1, 1m) at Santa Anita in November, Sharing returned with a stylish win at Churchill Downs last month. She has only arrived in the last couple of days in the UK for what amounts to a hit-and-run mission, similar to what was successfully achieved by Dermot Weld when he took Go And Go (Be My Guest) to the Belmont Stakes (Gr 1, 12f) in 1990.
It would also be a poignant win for trainer Graham Motion, who was born and raised in the UK before forging his career in the United States.
St James’s Palace Stakes
The St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) usually acts as a pathway from the Classics – particularly the 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and the Irish 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) – to the open-age races later in the season, like the Sussex Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) and the Juddmonte International (Gr 1, 1m 2f).
It will still hold that position this year, but it comes up much sooner after the two Guineas than usual and it could still provide an opportunity for horses to head towards the Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) should they wish.
In the last 10 years, winners have included Circus Maximus (Galileo), Barney Roy (Excelebration), Gleneagles (Galileo), Kingman (Invincible Spirit), Dawn Approach (New Approach), Frankel (Galileo) and Canford Cliffs (Tagula).
Pinatubo (Shamardal) may have disappointed at the stiff mile fresh in the 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) but his price looks an overreaction to that effort. He was the highest-rated two-year-old in Europe in 25 years and, although it may have been better to see him in yesterday’s Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f), this race does appear more suitable on paper than the Newmarket feature.
Wichita (No Nay Never) finished ahead of Pinatubo in the 2000 Guineas, beaten only a neck by Kameko (Kitten’s Joy), but he was almost five lengths astern of Pinatubo in the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f). He’s a chance but he does look awfully short in betting.
Another who is short in betting is Palace Pier (Kingman), who has won three from three for John Gosden. He’s yet to face a true test but he’s a capable colt and Group 1 wins look to be in his future at some point.
Diamond Jubilee Stakes
The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for Australia.
While Australian-trained horses have only won this race twice, with Choisir (Danehill Dancer) and Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), both Starspangledbanner (Choisir) and Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) won for Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien having taken the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) respectively in the months before their Royal Ascot success.
Obviously, due to Covid restrictions, there are no Australian runners this year. However, it could be a race to watch with The Everest (1200m) in mind.
And while Australia is not represented, the New Zealand flag will be flown with Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) racing in the colours of Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud. The historic farm acquired Hello Youmzain in partnership with French nursery Haras d’Etreham and he will stand at Cambridge Stud from the 2021 spring.
Hello Youmzain looked like improving from three to four, yet still managed to win the Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Haydock on soft ground. He disappointed at his final start as a three-year-old, but he only needs to have made a little progress over the winter to be a major factor here.
Sceptical (Exceed And Excel) is the early favourite, entering off a big win at his stakes debut in the Woodlands Stakes (Listed, 5.5f) at Naas last week. Beaten on debut in October, he has won his four starts since by a combined 15 lengths and the world looks his oyster, with Frankie Dettori an eye-catching jockey booking. He is a son of Jealous Again (Trippi), who won the Queen Mary Stakes in 2009.
He still has to step up against some decent sprinters, though; they may not be superstars but One Master (Fastnet Rock) is a two-time Group 1 winner who is remarkably consistent, The Tin Man (Equiano) won this race in 2017 and Sands Of Mali (Panis) is a course and distance Group 1 winner, also on a soft track.
Instead, it might be worth looking towards Dream Of Dreams (Dream Ahead), who finished second by a head behind Blue Point (Shamardal) last year. He is better on top of the ground, but he has won on a soft track before and he steps out as a gelding for the first time on his six-year-old return.
Wokingham Handicap
One of Britain’s premier sprint handicaps, the Wokingham holds similar stature to some of Australia’s best sprints, although it has an upper rating limit of 110.
It is not a race that tends to produce horses who are seen down under, with the best-known winner to those in Australia and New Zealand in the past 20 years being Haunui Farm’s former shuttler Iffraaj (Zafonic).
It is a competitive handicap this year, with a 10-pound (4.5-kilogram) spread in the weights.
Trainer Clive Cox has prepared a number of top sprinters, including Harry Angel (Dark Angel), Profitable (Invincible Spirit) and Lethal Force (Dark Angel), but he has never won the Wokingham. However, he can change that this year with Lethal Lunch (Lethal Force).
His best form has come over the seven furlongs, but he has produced some nice enough runs over the six furlongs. He was short of room when finishing six and a half lengths from Swindler, the Silver Wokingham selection, at the course and distance in September and he does get down in the weights for this.
It is a wide-open contest, though, with Bielsa (Invincible Spirit), Buckingham Palace Handicap (7f) second Jack’s Point (Slade Power) and even the veteran Mr Lupton (Elnadim) among the leading players.
Queen Alexandra Stakes
The traditional Royal Ascot closer is one of the few things that have remained the same in 2020 with the Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m 5.5f) bringing the curtain down on five days of tremendous racing.
Britain’s longest flat race, held under set weights and penalties conditions, often attracts a quirky field that can vary from Group 1 performers to dour chasers.
Only one winner has gone on to run in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) in the same year – Honolulu (Montjeu) in 2008 – while 2012 winner Simenon (Marju) finished fourth in the Melbourne Cup a year later; that year’s Queen Alexandra runner-up Shahwardi (Lando) won the Herbert Power Stakes (Gr 2, 2400m) three starts later.
At time of writing, favourite Mekong (Frankel) was still set to back up only two days after finishing fifth in the Gold Cup, beaten almost 24 lengths by Stradivarius. While this is far easier and he is thrown in under the conditions, the trip did look to stretch him the other day and he’s worth opposing.
The Grand Visir (Frankel) may instead be the way to go. He won the Ascot Stakes (2m 4f) last year, had two subpar runs on the flat after that before starting over hurdles at Worcester in October.
Fresh back on the flat, he appears the one to beat in here.
Silver Wokingham Handicap – #1 Swindler
Queen Mary Stakes – #13 Sacred
Coventry Stakes – #12 Qaader
Coronation Stakes – #4 Quadrilateral
St James’s Palace Stakes – #3 Pinatubo
Diamond Jubilee Stakes – #1 Dream Of Dreams
Wokingham Handicap – #19 Lethal Lunch
Queen Alexandra Stakes – #8 The Grand Visir