Order Of St George was beaten in the Gold Cup last year and I can see him being upstaged again, this time by Stradivarius. I think John Gosden’s charge has put in the necessary improvement to deny Aidan O’Brien’s Galileo horse. I do not see Vazirabad challenging either of the front two as the Aga Khan’s gelding has been taking the same penalty kicks since he was four such as the Prix Gladiateur, Prix Royal Oak, Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and the Dubai Gold Cup.
The Ribblesdale is, like most other years, a battle between the also-rans from the Oaks and the lightly-raced fillies with potential. Wild Illusion was second at Epsom but I cannot help but think she wants ease in the ground and it is not inconceivable that fourth Magic Wand will reverse that form on quicker ground. That said I have to go with Sun Maiden (Midday’s Frankel half-sister), although her odds are likely to be poor for a filly that has only turned a novice stakes into a procession; after Sir Michael’s double yesterday.
I cannot believe that I am actually looking at the two handicaps at the end of the card to find something at decent odds. Ordinarily, I would not touch one up a stone for winning a handicap, but I have to go with my dark horse FIRST ELEVEN in the King George V Stakes, even if they have replaced Rab Havlin with some bloke called Dettori.
After the Royal Hunt Cup indicated that a high draw is probably advantageous, in the Britannia I am pretty much sticking a pin in the runners drawn above twenty and going with Hugo Palmer’s lightly-raced CORROSIVE to complete a hat-trick for Josephine Gordon. It truth, the race looks like a lottery so after what I have written, Moqarrar will win from the one box! The stats show that the favourite should be avoided and three of the last five winners have been exported to Hong Kong; plus Frank is on a hat-trick in this race with George Of Hearts.
