Royal Ascot Ladies Day 6 Races 2:30-5:35p.m. Going: As @ 8a.m. Thursday 19/6/2014 Straight Course: Good to Firm Round Course: Good to Firm (Good in Places) Watering: 4mm on whole course overnight Going Stick: @ 8a.m. Thursday Standside 9.1:Centre 8.9: Farside 8.9:Round Course 7.7 Stalls: Straight Course Centre Weather: A little light drizzle early doors Wednesday, less than 1/2mm to 7:30a.m Forecast: Mainly dry for the week ahead with a possibility of showers on Thursday Ladies Day Racecard 2.30p.m. Norfolk Stakes, Group 2, Class 1, 2-Y-O, 5 Furlongs 3.05p.m. Tercentenary Stakes, Group 3, Class 1, 3-Y-O, 1 Mile 2 Furlongs 3:45p.m. Ribblesdale Stakes, Group 2, Class 1 , 3-Y-O Fillies, 1 Mile 4 Furlongs 4:25p.m. The Gold Cup, Group 1 , Class 1, 4-Y-O +, 2 Miles 4 Furlongs 5:00p.m. Britannia Stakes, Handicap, Class 2, 3-Y-O Colts & Geldings, 1 Straight Mile 5:35p.m. King George V Stakes, Handicap, Class 2, 3-Y-O, 1 Mile 4 furlongs Other Meetings Ripon 7 Races 2:10-5:45p.m. Southwell All-Weather 7 Races 2:20-5:55p.m. Lingfield(E) All-Weather 7 Races 5:50-9:00p.m. Liecester(E) 7 Races 6:00-9:10p.m. Ffos Las(E) National Hunt 7 Races 6:10-9:20p.m. Leopardstown(IRE)(E) 7 Races 5:55-9:05p.m. Good Luck
I'll kick this one of with a potential <footinmouth> question. How freaking far does Leading Light win the Gold Cup?
Lovely Jubbly i got £20 on Chile @ 5/1, and a £10 double with the Nolan horse that won in the 8 30 got £5 on Chile win + BTTS @ 9/1 as well
Pricewise- 2.30 To Be Determined, 3.45 Bright Approach, 4.25 Royal Diamond, 5.00 Hunters Creek & Bilimbi, 5.35 Alex My Boy
Just the two for me at Ascot both Hanagan's 5:00 Zarwaan 10/1 5:35 Zee Zeely 12/1 Ew singles and double Away from Ascot ew lucky 15: 4:35 Ripon - Amir Pasha 9/1 5:45 Ripon - Woody Bay 12/1 8:10 Leicester - Jamesbo's Girl 14/1 9:00 Lingfield - Billy Red 16/1
Big fancy tomorrow is Arab Dawn in the 5.35 - Pattern class horse in the making and has improved each time hes been upped in distance. Each way yankee will be Arab Dawn Wonderstruck Mutakayyef Zarwaan
A trappy Ladies’ Day card starts with nine facing the starter for the Norfolk Stakes, which looks like a manageable prospect. Should we be laying into maiden To Be Determined for Wesley Ward? Perhaps that is to be determined. The Great War is appropriately named for 2014 and has two facile victories to his name, but is too short to be of interest to small stakes punters; and of the three other unbeaten contenders Mukhmal looks to be the most likely challenger. Will Baitha Alga be run off his feet dropping back to five? This is another two year old race to watch with an eye to the future. The Tercentenary Stakes looks quite open in the betting, which centres around Sir Michael Stoute’s Cannock Chase, who comes with bags of potential but may need to realise quite a lot of it to challenge as he has ten pounds to find on the ratings with a few of these. I have not touched John Gosden’s this week and Cloudscape has been expensive to follow lately so he will probably pop up here at decent odds for those that are not giving him a miss. His Newmarket Stakes conqueror Barley Mow might be worth another chance as I do not think soft ground like he disappointed on last time will crop up at Ascot; whilst Hanagan has a good chance in the opener and William Haggas’s Mutakayyef is a horse clearly going in the right direction and good enough on the ratings. The Ribblesdale Stakes is always a conundrum as it attracts the also-rans from The Oaks and some lightly-raced fillies with promise. The Ballydoyle contenders Bracelet and Terrific both have questions to answer of one sort or another, but the former at least looks to have a realistic chance on the ratings if her last appearance is overlooked. Following the numbers this ought to be between Peter Chapple-Hyam’s Inchila (four lengths behind Taghrooda at Epsom) and Alain de Royer Dupre’s French raider Vazira (Prix Saint-Alary runner-up); however, I think it would be unwise to ignore John Gosden’s pair here because whilst Criteria appears to have a lot to find, William Buick’s mount Bright Approach has attracted (presumably informed) support for a filly with just two races on her CV (third in Cheshire Oaks). The Queen’s Estimate lines up to defend her Gold Cup crown, but the reports from Newmarket do not bode well and I think the bookies will be quite happy to take her on this year. She has a few pounds to find with the favourite Leading Light and he does look like he will be a difficult nut to crack. Quite a few of these do not have any recent form that suggests they will be contending but the German raider Altano is not one of them although he surely is not getting much better aged eight. Just a year younger, Marco Botti’s Tac De Boistron could have good claims; whilst I have always felt that Brown Panther wants soft ground. I will leave this alone and not be too surprised if one of the unfancied rags comes in. The last two races will probably be a bookies’ benefit so I will just be watching.
Vazira 10/3 Not considered to be in the same class as Shamkala or good enough for the Diane but she did run second to, in my opinion, the best 3yo filly in France We Are after missing the kick quite badly. She doesnt do much fast but she has class and is very game, she is crying out for the trip, has been aimed at the race, has her ground and she should run a race. I liked Inchila as an outsider in the Oaks but I dont think she is straightforward and im not mad on backing Epsom runners at Ascot. Bright Approach should do better back on a decent track and Wonderstruck won what looks to be a decent maiden so there are a few dangers but I think she will take a bit of beating. Personal Opinion 10/1 New Approach colt who is going the right way, he was unlucky last time against Arab Dawn, having to wait to go round the field before finishing strongly and is 9 pounds better off with him here. It looks a very hot race, Windshear was second to Cannock Chase and looks like the step up in trip should suit but the ground might be fast enough for him and he is drawn a bit wide. Elite Army was impressive last time but he will need to settle better and is another the ground might not be ideal for. Arab Dawn, Zee Zeely and Alex My Boy all have potential as well so its going to take a bit of winning. If you look at the recent history of the race I think you need a real stayer to win and Personal Opinion looks the part.
Asc Wednesday 2-30 Mukhmal 15-05 Cannock Chase 3-45 Inchila 4-25 Altano 5-00 Idea 5-35 Elite Army Good luck all
A few for me today: 2.30 Mukhmal - won from the widest draw at Chester against previous winners which takes some doing. Showed great speed that day and it will take a good one to beat him. The Great War might just be that good after two easy wins and have therefore taken the 9/2 rather than 5/1 with the bonus that I get my money back if the favourite wins 3.30 South - Make On Madam - Went into my notebook after her first run where she made up a lot of ground late on, two seconds to her name since then both staying on seconds. After her second time I noted in my tracker needs 6f and today she gets that for the first time. Had a win bet at 2/1 Also done a double on Leading Light and England
I'd just like to say a warm "**** off" to Billy Hills. Seeing 6/4 about Leading Light advertised in the RP, and having confirmed with oddschecker that it was still on offer at 8.30, I set off in a hack canter to my local shop. Got there 15 mins before it was due to open, went and had a coffee, came back just as the doors were opening. Asked the young lady for a price, and whaddayakno? 11/10 was the unwelcome reply. So no 6/4 ever available in the shops. And the moral of this story is, William Hills are a **** bookmaker, and made me miss my breakfast.
(at you conclusion). Sorry you missed the price. Odds on in places now. Would have been a decent bet a 2/1 but, for a horse going 4f further than it's ever been, has only run once on firmer than good and that wasn't a very strong race as far as I can see, odds on is a joke. Yes, he is just about the best horse in the race but is he any better equipped to go the extra 4f than is Brown Panther, sitting at 8/1? Brown Panther seems not to be inconvenienced by good to firm ground as evidenced by winning 2 races on the trot on such a surface within the space of 17 days and then winning at Ascot only 28 days after that, as a 3yo. He also ran a good race on good to firm (good in places) at Flemington in November over 2 miles. Having won more recently over 2 miles on soft there is every chance that he may stay the extra 4f. So, with Leading Light practically unbackable, I reckon Brown Panther at 8/1 is the ew bet.
Leading Light is the week's banker gents. At 7/4 few days ago he was incredible value, at 6/5 this morning and at odd-on not so much now. He wins as he likes though, he'll be doing it half speed up the straight. Haven't been this confident since Australia in the Derby
No strong fancies again today so some small bets only. 2.30 To Be Determined e/w 3.05 Barley Mow e/w 3.45 Bracelet e/w 4.25 Leading Light - place lay
8 of the first 12 races at Royal Ascot this week have been won by favourites and I wouldnt be that surprised to see the first 4 races today being won by the favourite either! 2.30 THE GREAT WAR looks unopposbale and probably Aidan O'Brien's best chance this week. I might also have a little bet on the Wesley Ward horse as well though, considering the performance of Hootenanny on day 1. Baitha Alga also impressed at Epsom. 3.05 if a favourite is to be beaten then this might be the race, although with the jockey here Ryan Moore that will be difficult. The Gosden 3 year olds are looking good and Cloudscape looks interesting but I have a slight preference for MUTAKAYYEF who won by 7 lengths last time out on soft, but can also act on a firm ground too. 3.45 VAZIRA looks a solid favourite here. The race will probably come too soon after Epsom for Inchila, but again the Gosden horse, Bright Approach can run into a place. 4.25 I have always liked the look of BROWN PANTHER since he won the Goodwood Cup last summer. It will be difficult to see anything getting past Leading Light though, and in a stronger renewal I can't see Estimate following up her sensational triumph last yar. 5.00 on the first day of the meeting for a laugh I had a small bet on the William Twiston Davies horse, Union Rose at 150/1, it went off at 100/1 and came 2nd! so yesterday I noticed that his horse was 25/1 for the last race of the day and so had another each way bet. It went off at 16/1 and came 3rd! so obviously I am hopeful that today DUBAWI FUN can keep the run going. He is currently 100/1 so another each way bet is in order. I also like the look of both Bow and Hunter Creek. 5.35 it will be interesting to see how Cannock Chase gets on earlier in the day but in any case WINDSHEAR looks to have the best form going into this race. Another horse that I like the look of is PERSONAL OPINION.
5.00 Ascot American Hope 66/1 There's a good chance he'll finish closer to last than first but I've got a soft spot for the Mike Murphy yard and I think American Hope will really appreciate the lightning pace on a straight track for his turf/handicap debut. Having given Irish trainer his first winner in over 10 years when scoring on his second start at Dundalk, American Hope joined current connections for 34,000 Guineas prior to the start of his 3 year old campaign and I think he has run really well on all 4 starts on Lingfield's AW track - a track his trainer has stated from the outset does not suit him and which certainly looks to be the case for this long striding sort. Having run a fine race on his stable debut when 2nd in a Conditions event despite being unbalanced and green over 6f, he ran a blinder when just narrowly failing to reach the useful Ertijal upped to 7f for the first time. Upped to a mile on his 3rd start this year, American Hope was not at all suited by the tactical nature of the 3 runner Listed contest where he couldn't get sufficient cover but was still only beaten 2L and he ran another fine race in the 7f AW Championship race when 4th just 13 days later. With that his 3rd run in 6 weeks, American Hope has been given a couple of months off the track as he makes his turf and handicap debut today. Judged on his form thus far, I think a mark of 99 is workable given all his best efforts were achieved at a track that is not ideal for this big son of Lemon Drop Kid and I think he's really going to appreciate the switch to Ascot's galloping track as he embarks upon what is hopefully a fruitful turf campaign. Although there are unquestionably doubts about his stamina for 1m, I think he'll stay it fine if he can settle throughout the contest and I think he'll be able to get into a lovely racing rhythm in what is sure to be a typically well run Britannia Stakes. Shane Kelly takes the ride and knows the horse well and I think there is a good chance he'll be instructed to drop American Hope out for a late rattle which I think will suit this horse who travels kindly through his races. With just 6 starts thus far I think American Hope is still in an improving Colt and at 66/1 I think he's well worth a small each way in the hope he can land this contest.
