Nahrain is the apple of Rogers eye, she will be fit enough tomorrow and is the class act in the race, the one to beat no doubt and the yards main hope for the meeting.
Agree not all horses get Epsom- Brighton reminds me abit like epsom, but likewise I think ther are 3 horses that could win Joviality, Chachamaidee and Nahrain, and boris does talk a little bit of sense at least- she is the apple of the varians yard but the only problem with her is the length of absence! but I have fully 100% decided but do like Joviality at a nice e/w price! with maybe Chachmaidee to win
2:30 Ascot Aljamaaheer 3:45 Ascot Carlton House 5:35 Ascot Electrelane 4:10 Hamilton Ginger Jack Lucky 15
We will see shortly after 15:05 and 15:45 tomorrow Boris. I am no expert but just like to post my fancies and read others comments. Perhaps you could use your great insight to share with us this evening the exact finishing position of every single horse in The Royal Hunt Cup tomorrow?!?!?
I could but it would be a pointless exercise and I wouldnt want Tom Segal and High Taylor getting worried for thier jobs.
Failed to land any blows on Day One and I need a much improved showing on Day 2. 2.30 SENTARJIL 7/2- Unlike me to go for a favourite in a massive field like this but there is reason to believe that this is a filly some way above average. A clear cut winner of a maiden and simply nudged 5L clear when easily seeing off the 109-rated Silverheels, who even though below his best is still a good benchmark. You look at some of the runners and they have an ewxposed feel about them. Haggas and Murtagh are a team to keep an eye on when together and I suspect Haggas has found an excellent opportunity to get on the Royal Ascot scoreboard here. Possibly just that touch too classy and with a clear run I think the 7/2 is fair. 3.05 Ascot: LAY TIME 10/1 was a horse I opposed at Epsom based on the track and short price but with Ascot having a bit of give in the ground and improvement for the run this is a filly who might turn out to be overpriced. There are some cracking runners in this including Nahrain, but a stiff finish will really help. According to gallop reports, Lay Time was working all over Side Glance, who has since bounced back to form with a win at Epsom and 3rd behind Frankel today, though obviously it might just be absolute bull****, so we can take it or leave it. The fact is I do think this is a horse who has bags of scope as a 4YO and with more pace in the race today she'll be much more at home than in the tactical Epsom affair. The Weld horse has been impressive but this is a major test of her credentials and at 5/2 I'm opposing. 3.45 Ascot CARLTON HOUSE 3/1 I have been looking forward to a 10f campaign for this horse ever since his English and Irish Derby runs. He travels, he quickens, he has exactly what you need at this trip and hopefully Aiden O'Brien will send So You Think up to a mile and a half which, as a High Chapparal colt, I am still convinced is his trip. They have taken their time with Carlton House and I am of the opinion that this has been his aim all along. He is the Queens horse, he has been bought back gently, he will be absolutely ripe for his comeback run at Sandown, and I think as long as he settles he will have the gears to finally land his top prize for the Queen. What a time to do it. So You Think will have the pacemakers setting him up again and I think AOB has the tactics all wrong. So You Think will hit the front first and I think will be a sitting duck late on for Carlton House. Planteur for me is the massive e/w danger if he is played late by Soumillon. So You Think needs a mile and a half and he needs to be mid division. I am adamant of this and always will be. Yes he has tactical speed but that would be his advantage over 1m4f against out and out gallopers. Instead he is always just finsing one too good at 10f where horses have gears. 4.25: BRIDGEFIELD 20/1 has been a springer in the antepost markets when identified at 33/1 a few weeks ago. He is a good horse when on song and this is the sort of race where Micky Barzalona can excel in. It is frantic it is hell for leather and a clever ride can see Bridgefield really go close here at a nice price. I think he and Cai Shien are two big players as both have a touch of class at their best.
Yes, Planteur could be a real danger especially if the track is riding on the slow side of good, interesting race in prospect me thinks.
I'm reasonably new to the site but I always read all threads etc. I think this Boris Fenster fella is an absolute bellend and he reminds me of a poster called Brick a few months ago. No need to go slagging everyone else's predictions. It's a forum and you can post whichever predictions you like. I enjoy reading peoples opinion without them being dismissed right away. Boris - you're a prick *smileyfaceinsert*
4.25 Ascot Common Touch 40/1 NAP Realy like the look of Richard Fahey's 4 year old Common Touch who I think still has the profile of a horse that has not yet finished improving and who looks a very overpriced at 40/1. With only 8 career starts to date, Common Touch has hardly done much wrong winning 3 times and finishing 2nd a further twice and I think after his recent reappearance run I think he should definitely be primed to strike. After making a successful debut as a 2 year old, he was slightly disappointing on his 2nd and final 2 YO start in a handicap debut off a mark of 80 when finishing a 2L beaten 4th. Common Touch really excelled himself as a 3 year old and demonstrated how progressive an animal he was. On the back of a 7 month break, he ran a very good 0.5L beaten 2nd at Beverley off a mark of 80. In the 5 runner field, Common Touch broke well and pulled very hard early on as Paul Hanagan looked for a bit of cover. After about a furlong or so he got this cover and eventually went down narrowly in a tight finish. He lost absolutely nothing in defeat that day, especially given the winner Belle Royale has turned out to be a very progressive animal who rounded off her 3 year old campaign by winning 3 on the trot, the last impressively off a mark of 102 and the 3rd Kingscroft has also won off a 5lb higher mark. Risen 3lb for that effort, Common Touch returned to winning ways when landing a handicap at York over 7f by 1.25L. It was a very likeable effort and Common Touch saw out the trip very well and it was a tenacious and determined effort by Common Touch. Risen 5lb for this effort to a mark of 88, Common Touch demonstrated his progressive nature when running out a very impressive winner over that same C+D as his at York win 10 days earlier as he romped home by 3.25L. In the field of 14, he was settled towards the rear and he made some very good progress before pulling right away in the final 150 yards to score in eye catching fashion. That effort demonstrated that the step up to a mile would suit. After this, Common Touch was risen 9lb to a mark of 97 as he attempted to land the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot but you have to ignore that effort. There was a massive bias to the group that raced on the stands side and Common Touch was part of the group that were clearly racing on the slower part of the track. The slightly softer Good to Soft going may also not have been ideal but that is unclear and hopefully it doesn't rain tomorrow or does only very slightly. Common Touch had his final start as a 3 year old last July where he put in a good display to finish a 0.75L beaten 2nd at Goodwood off a mark of 95 - the same mark he races off tomorrow. That day, he was ridden along from a fair way out which is unlike him and he only really got going late on over the 7f trip as he made up a lot of ground late on. On the basis of this effort and his impressive win over the same trip at York, I really think a mile will suit him. Nevertheless, that race was only 0.33 seconds slower than Strong Suit's Group 2 victory the day before (although ground was probably a bit drier for this race) and the form looks good too. The winner Webbow put in a very good 1L beaten 2nd behind the very talented Eton Rifles on his next start whilst the 3rd Smarty Socks has won since off a 2lb higher mark and has put in a very good performance off a mark of 102 as well. Common Touch's final start came on the back of a 295 day absence and Paul Hanagan was commentating for Channel 4 that day. I got the distinct impression he liked this horse quite a bit and that Fahey had certainly left a bit of horse to work with. That said, it was hardly the most inspiring run and you've got to take a chance that it was a once off. Tomorrow Common Touch faces the straight mile at Royal Ascot and although he has had two starts over this trip before I certainly think it is far too early to discount him over this trip yet. Firstly, he raced on the wrong side at last years meeting and his last start he shaped as if he would need the run so I am certainly willing to forgive him those efforts. Moreover, his win at York and his 2nd at Goodwood suggested he would relish this extra furlong so I definitely see it as a positive. He races here off a mark of 95 and given his excellent 2nd at Goodwood and his progressive profile as a 3 year old I definitely think his current mark is within his sphere of ability. I think its very it is very positive that Paul Hanagan takes over in the saddle again given his praise for this animal on his last start and the pair have a good record when teaming up together. The draw in stall 16 should be ideal as it gives him a middle sit which seemed to be the place to be today and if there is a bias on either side it should allow Hanagan to go to whichever side he feels suits best. With the good ground looking ideal, I am very confident of a big showing from this unexposed 4 year old and although its a 28 runner field which should take some winning I've had a sizeable e/w bet in the hope Common Touch can do just that. I definitely see Captain Bertie & Edinburgh Knights as big dangers but I'm quietly confident of an excellent showing from Common Touch.
Very good write up ROTO and excellent points. For your information, here is what Richard Fahey said about it: "But out of my three the one that might have a couple of pounds in hand is Common Touch. Paul Hanagan rode him in work last weekend and he was delighted with him, so he chose to ride him here. He's just come to himself in the last couple of weeks so we're hoping for a good run from him." This and your write up has persuaded me to invest a few quid!! Good luck.
Today we found out how good ex-antipodean superstar So You Think really is. All those Group 1s, but only one of them in England, an Eclipse where his main rivals failed to perform. There's no Rewilding to wear him down in the straight this year, and it's hard to see Frankie taking dead aim on 4yold handicapper Farh, so the main dangers appear to be Planteur, behind SYT in this race last year, but in front at Meydan, and the Queen's Carlton House, who was expected to win last years Derby, before disappointing at the Curragh. He was then given plenty of time to recover for a 4yold campaign, which he kicked off with a convincing win in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown. He has been the subject of glowing reports on the gallops since that win at the end of May. This being Royal Ascot, we'll all be expected to join in the celebrations if the Queen's horse wins, but some of us have had enough of celebrating royalty, thanks. At a much more alluring price, I'm tempted by the other French raider, last year's Prix Du Jockey Club winner Reliable Man. Recent form is not encouraging, and he ran a stinker in the Arc, so clearly this is not a horse likely to live up to his name, but if he can rediscover the form of a year ago, he can certainly outrun his price. 3.45 Ascot. Reliable Man e/w, 14/1
Cheers Ollie and thanks for posting up the Fahey comments - made me even more confident! Would be landing some very good money for me if he comes home in front!
