Wednesday's Meetings Royal Ascot Flat 7 Races 2:30-6:10p.m. Uttoxeter N/H 7 Races 1:00-4:33p.m. Hamilton Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:15p.m. Nottingham(E) Flat 7 Races 5:10-8:20p.m. Wexford(E) N/H 7 Races 5:20-8:30p.m. Ripon(E) Flat 7 Races 5:26-8:40p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Royal Ascot 16,20 Saffron Beach 5/2 WH 17,00 Aratus 40/1 e/w Lads and Coral six places, 33/1 bet365 seven places, 28/1 sky eight places
Uttoxeter 16,00 Game Line 15/2 e/w three places with WH, others two. Horrendous form and as a consequence a very noticeable drop in the mark. Stable in good shape (3-8 last 14 days). Back to 3m 2f perhaps helpful.
The annual cavalry charge known as the Royal Hunt Cup, a handicap over the straight mile at Ascot (17:00), is its usual lottery self, but is of e/w interest because up to 8-places are on offer for e/w thieves, which includes me! The one horse I like most of all is the Starspangledbanner gelding (Dam Sire: Peintre Celebre), Symbolize. Ran very well in big-field handicaps last season, and had good pipe-opener at Thirsk 67-days ago. Well-drawn on this fast ground in Stall-29 close to the stands-side rail. Talented apprentice, Harry Davies (5), rides for the stable of top trainer Andrew Baldwin. Early price indication at time of writing is around 9/1. Have a successful Day-2 at Royal Ascot folks! (Don't like to drink beer in my topper).
Morning 5.00-Rebel Territory Each Way @ 10.5-1 [Bet 365] ten places Jim Crowley 2/3 riding this horse
How have Ballydoyle not got a runner in the Prince Of Wales Stakes? Nor Godolphin for that matter. The Hamdan and Abdullah colours nowhere to be seen either. How strange.
You'd think surely to goodness someone would throw in a half decent filly with a hope of picking up some black type for her broodmare career, or at the very least a bit of prize money - 6th place would have taken home £14,276 .
Just to add, did you know that when there are fewer runners than prize money places, the leftover money is not redistributed between the remaining runners - the racecourse pockets it.
Other than the two bankers and the Aussie raider picking up the big sprint, it was probably the bookies’ opening day. Just five face the starter for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. Bay Bridge has progressed from winning the London Gold Cup to comfortably winning the Brigadier Gerard last time (yesterday’s winner Dubai Future a well beaten fifth) and his trainer is a master of older horses; however, he has never encountered ground this fast and that has to be a concern. Lord North won this a couple of years ago but his two wins since have been in the Dubai Turf at Meydan; and last time he was fourth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh, behind State Of Rest. My expectation is that State Of Rest will still come out the better of the two today. Grand Glory has won both her starts this term at Longchamp at Listed and Group 3 level. After winning the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet last autumn she was just pipped in the Prix de l’Opera on Arc Sunday (when I backed her). Japanese raider Shahryar won the Dubai Sheema Classic and it is not realistic to assess his Japanese form but their raiders have excelled in the last twelve months around the world. With no obvious pace angle, this could turn into a sprint in the straight, so nothing appeals. In the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes it seems quite easy to find reasons not to back most of them. I thought last year’s 1000 Guineas was moderate, where Mother Earth beat Saffron Beach; and the winner was subsequently beaten in the Pouliches (Kennella a neck behind in third) and only won the Prix Rothschild (Primo Bacio close seventh, Novemba well behind) in the rest of the campaign. Saffron Beach reversed Guineas running with Mother Earth in the Sun Chariot by an aggregate four lengths (Primo Bacio well beaten). Mother Earth was well beaten in the Lockinge last time and Saffron Beach was fourth in the Dubai Turf behind Lord North. French raider Sibila Spain won the Group 2 Prix Du Muguet last time but she has no fast ground form and her career best was fourth in the ten furlong Prix de Diane in a blanket finish. So none of that form inspires much confidence; therefore, I am inclined to take a chance on the Cheveley Park Stud filly Bashkirova, who won the Princess Elizabeth on Derby Day despite not handling the track and will be having only her seventh start and could still have more improvement to come. I wrote this last night when Bashkirova was 5/1 but now the odds have halved, I will just be watching.
That did not used to be the case. The ‘leftover’ prize money used to go to the winner; however, back in the day prize money rarely went lower than fourth place.
I am British, even though I do not live in the UK, so I do feel that I have the right to say this, but is it necessary to have this Royal procession on every day of this great festival of racing? Must be very tiresome for a lot of true racing fans at the meeting. Cannot stand some of the royalist people nowadays, and, to be truthful, I'd head for one of the excellent bars/restaurants until the waggon occupants have arrived in their box seats. Sorry, will get a lot of flak for being so miserable to many, but I am fed-up to the teeth with the monarchy.
I think the point of the royal procession is that is what makes it “Royal” Ascot, otherwise it’s just another Ascot meeting. I remember years gone by they were not allowed to call the Saturday “Royal Ascot” because there was no procession, it was known as “Heath Day” but that changed in 2002.
Plenty of people interviewed on ITV yesterday were made up at seeing the Royals. I guess everyone has their own view but I agree it is what makes it more than just another Ascot meeting. (A sign of what makes me tick is that I keep looking to see whether the fences and hurdles are still installed on their respective courses during races on the round course )
Appleby has a strong hand in the next and hopefully Nahanni is over his Derby exertions. I think the step up in trip will really suit him.
Yep, have to agree with the above comments, as you all said it's 'Royal Ascot'. Just thought a procession every day was a bit much. I too remember when the last day (Saturday) was called Ascot Heath. Just watched the Queen Mary, what a smashing filly Dramatised is, and Danny Tudhope! Wow, I am really happy for him!
