Thursday's Meetings Royal Ascot Flat 7 Races 2:30-6:10p.m. Chelmsford A/W 7 Races 1:30-5:05p.m. Ripon Flat 7 Races 1:45-5:10p.m. Lingfield(E) A/W 7 Races 4:50-8:00p.m. Leopardstown(E) Flat 7 Races 5:15-8:20p.m. Ffos Las(E) N/H 7 Races 5:25-8:40p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Royal Ascot 14,30 Bakeel 10/1 e/w WH, Lads and Coral, all three places 15;05 Deauville Legend 14/1 e/w six places with bet365, 12/1 seven places with sky
Morning Each Way Bets on three outsiders 2.30-Crispy Cat @ 12-1 5.00-Great Max @ 66-1..six places 6.10-Ejtilaab @ 28-1...six places
This is starting to become a bit of a punting nightmare. Scratch the short-priced hotpots, scratch the 25+ runner handicaps and scratch the small field races with no obvious pacesetters and that leaves slim pickings. Well done to Joseph O’Brien on his first Royal Ascot winner, State Of Rest, just annoying that I backed it last time when it was only third to Alenquer. The Gold Cup presents a bit of a conundrum. Is the favourite Kyprios the next Yeats coming out of Ballydoyle? He is yet to be tried over this extended trip and has won a couple of ordinary races (one a 4-runner egg and spoon race at 1/10) to book his ticket to Ascot. At the cramped odds he is easy to pass up. A far better value proposition from across the Irish Sea would be last year’s runner-up Princess Zoe, who warmed up by winning the Sagaro with Tashkhan more than three lengths fifth. Mojo Star was second in The Derby and the St Leger in 2021 but this is surely too great a task first time out. I simply do not see Trueshan going to post because of the fast ground, so can his old adversary Stradivarius win the Gold Cup as an eight year old? That would certainly raise the roof and see him steal a few front pages on Friday morning. Just the six facing the starter for the Ribblesdale and there is nothing representing The Oaks form, so this may not be a great renewal. It is difficult to make a case for Mystic Wells as she was just touched off in the Lingfield Oaks Trial but the inexperienced winner was only seventh in The Oaks. Mukaddamah was third in a Newbury Listed race behind subsequent Oaks’ third Nashwa, steps up a couple of furlongs here and clearly needs to find some more but she has only run three times so that is not impossible. History takes a big step up in trip (half a mile) after being well beaten in the Irish 1000 Guineas, where The Oaks winner was second. Magical Lagoon won a Group 3 as a juvenile and was an also ran in the Fillies’ Mile but she was pipped on the line by subsequent Oaks’ fourth Concert Hall in a Listed race to open her three year old campaign and that probably just about makes her the form pick (on lines through The Oaks) if she does not mind the quick ground. Sea Silk Road won a ten furlong Goodwood Listed race on soft ground after an easy win in a mile maiden race, is clearly on the upgrade for a very in-form stable and may end up favourite if she also is not bothered by fast underfoot conditions. LIFE OF DREAMS never really had much chance of beating subsequent Oaks’ runner-up Emily Upjohn in the Musidora, should benefit from the step up in trip and will need to find quite a bit of improvement in a race where three or four of them like to be up with the pace but somebody is going to have to decide to set it – and I wonder if that might be William Buick at decent odds. It would be great if Taghrooda’s son Israr could win the King George V. I backed runner-up Surrey Mist when the former won the London Gold Cup but I do not see him reversing that re-opposing here. Hopefully it is hats off to The Queen after the Hampton Court Stakes at 5:35, although nobody will be getting rich at the odds.
Royal Ascot 16,20 Mojo Star 16/1 e/w WH, bet365, PP and betfair three places, sky 12/1 four places 17,00 Saga 11/1 e/w PP and betfair four places, 10/1 sky five places 18,10 Dance Fever 22/1 e/w bet365 and sky seven places
Looks like the Queen will be absent again. Very surprising if that is the case. If she doesn’t attend today then I very much doubt that she will be seen on a racecourse again. She is clearly a lot frailer than anyone realises.
The Ridler! Stewards Enquiry. The third horse home, Crispy Cat, was surely the main sufferer? No comment on Paul H's ride.
Didn’t get thrown out, but really should have done so. Hanagan should get months for that, so dangerous.
Frankie lost that race. No way Straddy would have lost that with a half decent ride. Can't imagine Gosden will be best pleased with that ride
Frankie is having a terrible meeting and he has 2 rides for the Queen coming up - no wonder she hasn’t bothered coming today!