My favourite meet of the entire year is Royal Ascot (or ‘Ascot’ if old boy Jerry Corbyn gets in between now and then) as it combines top class racing with pantomime (‘oh no it doesn’t’…’oh yes it does’) and theatre. It seems totally apt therefore for me now to give my best advice re next week. Not to do so would be akin to the Royal Procession without Her Majesty or ‘The Owners and Trainers Bar’ without Lieutenant Henderson. It may be on the bonkers side of bonkers to say that I really like one in a 30 runner handicaps but I really do, team, namely HEY JONESY, next Saturday, in the ‘Wokingham’. Hey Jonesy has won just the one race (from 13 starts) so far in his career but some of his form is high class including placings at Group 3 and Listed level and most eye-catchingly of all a 4th in a ‘Middle Park’ and a 5th in a ‘Commonwealth Cup’. That latter run was at the meet last term (proving he has no probs with the course) and saw Hey Jonesy just 1.75 lengths off winning at Group 1 level – a run that could be upgraded, as well, because he was drawn 1 and only 3 horses drawn in single digit stalls made the first eleven home. I think a mark of 106 is more than fair here as the above is coupled with decent form this term – especially first time when he went down by just 1.25 lengths, off levels, to Dream of Dreams (winner again since and now perched on 111). This horse really has got a classy, in places, formline and is I believe far, far better than a handicapper. Dropped to this grade he could be a revelation against largely exposed types. And his yard really, really know how to target this race having won it in ’13 and then subsequently had a 2nd and a 3rd, in the Wokingham, since then. Hey Jonesy really is in the right yard re this heat, people. The current quote, from those bookie chappies, is generally 25/1, although you can get 30/1 in a place (MarathonBet), and I would highly recommend (in fact it gets the ‘Chuckles seal of Approval’) an each-way bet at these highly attractive odds. I also really like Indeed in the ‘Royal Hunt Cup’ but unfortunately he looks highly unlikely to get into the race – needing 15 to come out between now and ant, sorry decs, time on Monday morn. I won’t bore everyone solid re this one, as he’s probably a long way off getting the opportunity to run, but based on his ‘Newbury Spring Cup’ run (where he overcame the most horrendous of draw biases) I think he could genuinely be a Group 1 performer. One to look out for in the future at any rate. Meanwhile, please note that this advice was not given to me by (i) some shady individual loitering outside a training establishment with a clapped out old bicycle and wearing 2nd hand jodhpurs or (ii) via a text from the owner. It is solely the work of my brilliant / limited (delete as appropriate) brain. If you are ‘orrrrrrrrrrrrrrf’ to Royal Ascot, next week, have a great time. I’m going on Friday but most worryingly have still not heard anything back about whether or not I will arrive at the course in one of those carriages. Will shortly have to call my mole at The Palace – old boy Roy Hodgson. If I do end up in one give me a wave as I pass by. But make sure your thumb and all your fingers are fully raised when you do so. If not I will report you to both Princess Camilla, God bless her and save her, and the moderators, God bless and save them as well. Anyway, until the next time…take care.
I did New Graduate in the Royal Hunt Cup at 12/1. I felt he would start very short on the day of the race. He's generally 5/1 now and probably unbackable for most players. Knowing my luck the horse will probably get crocked on the morning of the race. In the Wokingham the early favourites largely dropped out of the race. I went with Foxtrot Lady, who seems to have been laid out for this race. The Balding Sprinter was 6th in the Stewards Cup last season when favourite for the race. She ran off 100 that day and had a good season overall, winning 4 times. Her campaign this year saw her behind Hey Jonesy on seasonal debut, where she was badly in at the weights in a conditions race at Chelmsford. Her second start was oddly in a Listed race where she was taking on better quality horses than herself on worse terms than a Handicap race. Her 20/1 odds there told their own story. Foxtrot Lady is rated 100 and back in Handicap Company she has a chance of going close of she has indeed been prepared with this race in mind. The 14/1 is drying up now but Hills still offer those odds. I can imagine her going off shorter on the day and in such an open race it will be suicidal taking single figure odds on anything. In the King George V Handicap I am sticking with my Leger horse Constantinople. He won the Group 3 Gallinule last time with a little bit in hand. The previous winner of that race, Latrobe, went on to win the Irish Derby but Aidan O' Brien said he was going to go gently with Constantinople for now. He was entered in the Queens Vase but the trainer felt his Handicap mark of 105 was worth trying to exploit. I think Constantinople will improve for trips in excess of 10F now and hopefully he will keep progressing towards a Leger tilt. He should have won his first race this season but was unlucky in running and could not quite get up, Hopefully he is better than a Handicapper and I could see him being popular on the day. Royal Hunt Cup New Graduate 12/1 Wokingham Foxtrot Lady 14/1 King George V Constantinople 6/1
Prefer Glorious Goodwood myself. The straight course at Ascot is a total mystery, form appears to mean absolutely nothing. And I don’t think I’ve ever backed a winner in a RA handicap. But good luck with these.
