That's all for today, folks ...
And so ends a truly international day of racing at Royal Ascot, in which horses trained in four different countries triumphed. Highland Reel delivered for Ryan Moore to get trainer Aidan O’Brien on the board for Ireland in the day’s Group 1, digging deep after getting headed and looking beaten a furlong from home.
There was a double for France, as Andre Fabre saddled Le Brivido to win the Jersey Stakes under Pierre-Charles Boudot, while his compatriot Jean-Claude Rouget gave Gregory Benoist the leg up on Quemah to win the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, making it back-to-back wins following her success in last year’s Coronation Stakes.
Clive Cox helped keep the home fires burning by sending Heartache out to win the Queen Mary Stakes in the capable hands of Adam Kirby, while Amanda Perrett scored her second Royal Ascot win in 17 years when the rank outsider Zhui Feng won the ROyal Hunt Cup under a splendid front-running ride from the veteran Dwyer.
And finally, American trainer Wesley Ward secured made it two wins in as many days when 20-1 outsider Con Te Partiro was delivered late under a wonderful hold-up ride by Jamie Spencer in the Sandringham Cup.
Today's winners ...
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Jersey Stakes (2.30):Le Brivido (PC Boudot) 2-1 Fav
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Queen Mary Stakes (3.05): Heartache (A Kirby) 5-1
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Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40):Qemah (Gregory Benoist) 5-2 Fav
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Prince of Wales’s Stakes (4.20): Highland Reel (Ryan Moore) 9-4
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Royal Hunt Cup (5.00):Zhui Feng (M Dwyer) 25-1
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Sandringham Handicap (5.35): Con Te Partiro (J P Spencer) 20-1
The winning trainer speaks
“I don’t want to tell you all the horrible names I was calling him in the early stages of that race, wondering what the hell he was doing,” says winning American trainer Wesley Ward of winning jockey Jamie Spencer. “The ride got us there. That was a brilliant ride.”
Sandringham Handicap (5.35) result
1 Con Te Partiro (J P Spencer) 20-1
2 Rain Goddess (R L Moore) 7-1
3 Paco’s Angel (S W Kelly) 33-1
4 Queen of Time (Harry Bentley) 8-1
24 ran
Also: 6-1 Fav Gymnaste
CSF: 139.42
Tricast: 4721.06
Sandringham Handicap (5.35) 1m
Just three of the 29 runners in the Royal Hunt Cup went down the far side but the majority of the field in this straight mile for fillies edge towards the middle in the early stages of the Sandringham Handicap, our final race of the day. To cut a quite long story I couldn’t follow at all very short, Con Te Partiro thwarts the gamble on Rain Goddess with a one length victory. It was a great hold-up job from Jamie Spencer, who rides Con Te Partiro to victory in the Sandringham.
Rain Goddess on the drift ...
The Aidan O’Brien trained filly is out to 13-2 - 7-1 and 8-1 in some places - as the horses go behind the stalls. Gymnaste looks likely to go off favourite under Josephine Gordon, who is bidding to become only the second woman ever to ride a winner at Royal Ascot.
Sandringham Handicap (5.35) betting
- Rain Goddess 11-2
- Gymnaste 13-2
- Really Special 8-1
- Queen Of Time 8-1
- On Her Toes 10-1
- Sibilance 11-1
- Bean Freasa 14-1
- Tisbutadream 16-1
Watering will take place after the final race at #RoyalAscot today with 5mm applied to the entire course
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) June 21, 2017
Zhui Feng lands pillar to post win in Hunt Cup
Amanda Perrett savoured a first Royal Ascot winner for 17 years when Zhui Feng caused a 25-1 upset in the Hunt Cup. Drawn in stall 26, Martin Dwyer had his mount well position towards the near-side rail and made most of the running to defeat Blair House by half a length.
Tashweeq and Ballet Concerto finished third and fourth respectively in a race in which most of the alleged main players barely featured. Perrett’s last, and only other, Royal Ascot winner came in 2000 when Pat Eddery guided Give The Slip to success in the King George V Handicap.
“He’s a star, this fellow,” said Dwyer. “He ran great here over seven furlongs last time and we knew stepping up to a mile would suit him and he was very tough. It’s been unusual this year that in all the big one-mile handicaps there’s been no front-runners and this lad gallops for fun. When they gave me an uncontested lead I could save him up and then go again.”
Sandringham Handicap (5.35) preview
A half-sister to Teofilo, Bean Feasa came good in a Group Three last month before being hampered out of the Irish Guineas, to the fury of her trainer. This return to fast ground looks a positive and she has lots of potential. Gymnaste is favourite, having looked a shade unlucky when second at Kempton last time; she would make her jockey, Josephine Gordon, just the second woman to ride a Royal Ascot winner. On Her Toes carries the first colours of the same owner as Gymnaste but is not obviously well handicapped on her second in a Listed contest last time. Con Te Partiro represents the US trainer Wesley Ward, who is much better known for the efforts of his youngsters over three furlongs shorter.
The winning jockey speaks
“He’s a star, this fella,” says Martin Dwyer, whose mount won by half a length. “It’s been a bit unusual this year. In all the big mile handicaps there’s been no frontrunners and this guy can gallop for fun. I was able to keep enough petrol in the tank to see us home.”
Royal Hunt Cup (5.00) result
1 Zhui Feng (M Dwyer) 25-1
2 Blair House (M Barzalona) 16-1
3 Tashweeq (Dane O’Neill) 66-1
4 Ballet Concerto (R L Moore) 20-1
29 ran
Also: 13-2 Fav Abe Lincoln
Non Runner: 2
CSF: 354.02
Tricast: 23036.22
Updated
Royal Hunt Cup (5.00) 1m
Arguably the most interesting betting race of the day gets underway, with the 29 runners splitting into three groups. The near side group lead through Zhui Feng, followed by Abe Lincoln. Inside the final three furlongs Zhui Feng leads on the near side with GK Chesterton ahead on the far side. Zhui Feng makes all to win the Royal Hunt Cup, leading from pillar to post over a mile. Zhui Feng wins the Royal Hunt Cup under a fine front-running ride from Martin Dwyer for trainer Amanda Perrett.
Royal Hunt Cup (5.00) betting
- Abe Lincoln 13-2
- Fastnet Tempest 15-2
- El Vip 8-1
- George William 12-1
- Banksea 12-1
- Tabarrak 12-1
- GK Chesterton 12-1
Highland Reel lands week's richest pot
Highland Reel secured a sixth Group One triumph in a decorated career when he won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the feature race on day two of Royal Ascot. The teak-tough colt is not the most fashionable of Aidan O’Brien’s A-list horses, but few are more resilient when it comes to a fight.
And so it proved once again as Ryan Moore’s companion bravely fended off all-comers to score at odds of 9-4. Scottish made most of the running, with Highland Reel hot on his heels and Decorated Knight not too far away, either. The landscape of the race barely altered until deep inside the second-last furlong when Ulysses made his move. Ulysses and Decorated Knight even nudged in front of the eventual winner, but Highland Reel was simply too tough and too streetwise when it mattered.
O’Brien’s five-year-old ended up winning by a length and a quarter, with a short head separating Decorated Knight and Ulysses.“He’s so tough, he’s got a marvellous attitude, so many came at him there,” said Moore. “This lad has been everywhere but he keeps coming back. It was a tough performance at Epsom [Coronation Cup] and another one today, he’s so brave and I’d say that was probably a career best.
“Fair play to Aidan to keep bringing him back. He had a difficult day at Epsom but to come here and win, it’s a massive performance. We knew he’d see it out really well.”
Jack Hobbs, the 2-1 favourite, was a huge disappointment and finished last having had every chance.
Royal Hunt Cup (5.00) preview
Burdened with top weight in one of the toughest handicaps of the year, Tabarrak will need to be Group class to win this but the evidence suggests that’s what he is. Never out of the first two in seven starts, he seems to have improved for a gelding operation and failing by just a length to give Mix And Mingle 6lb in April was a big run. He stepped up again to land a Listed prize over this course and distance last time and should give backers a good run up the stands’ side. Banksea must have a live chance, having won the Spring Cup, which has worked out as well as could be hoped from a handicap. That was his first start since being gelded and he is not harshly treated with another 4lb to carry. His trainer, Luca Cumani, also fields El Vip, a Newcastle winner last time. Abe Lincoln hasn’t run since being beaten a short-head here last year, on a much softer surface; he has reportedly recovered well. Fastnet Tempest won the Victoria Cup here last month but is not certain to relish this extra furlong.
Johnny Murtagh critical of losing jockeys
The ITV pundit is tacitly critical of Andrea Atzeni and Jim Crowley, suggesting they went for a home a little too soon and “eyeballed” the eventual winner as they moved upsides him and edge ahead, allowing Highland Reel a chance to dig deep and pull ahead of them again to win by a couple of lengths. “He’s not a horse you want to be eyeballing,” says Murtagh. “I’m not telling the other jockeys what they should have done but if that had been me, I’d go home and say ‘Not one of your better rides, Johnny’.”
Updated
Prince of Wales's Stakes (4.20) result
1 Highland Reel (R L Moore) 9-4
2 Decorated Knight (Andrea Atzeni) 10-1
3 Ulysses (Jim Crowley) 9-2
8 ran
Also: 2-1 Fav Jack Hobbs, 16-1 Queen’s Trust 4th
Non Runner: 8
CSF: 25.04
Tricast: 93.71
Updated
Aidan O'Brien speaks
“It was brilliant,” says the winning trainer. “Ryan gave him a brilliant ride. We’re delighted. David, who rides him every day, was over the moon with him. Pace, courage, tactical speed ... he has everything. He’s incredible, an amazing horse. He’s so quick tactically and so brave. He’s always had that pace. A big credit and a big well done to everyone at home.”
Prince of Wales's Stakes (4.20) 1m 2f
Highland Reel fights his way to the front in the closing stage to see off Decorated Knight and Ulysess. Ryan Moore and Highland Reel win the Prince of Wales’s Stakes for Aidan O’Brien.
Prince of Wales's Stakes (4.20) 1m 2f
They’re away with Scottish making the running ahead of Highland Reel ... Scottish leads from Highland Reel, followed by Decorated Knight and Ulysess ... Jack Hobbs is outside him ...
The parade is underway
It’s the richest race of the royal meeting, with £425,325 going to the winner. Sir Michael Stoute runs two in Highland Reel and Queen’s Trust and will become the winningmost trainer in the history of Royal Ascot should either of them prevail here. Stoute is currently level at the top of the table on 75 winners with the late and much missed Sir Henry Cecil, who passed away in 2013.
Prince of Wales's Stakes (4.20) betting
- Jack Hobbs 9-4
- Highland Reel 9-4
- Ulysess 5-1
- Mekhtaal 8-1
- Decorated Knight 10-1
Quemah makes it back-back wins at Royal Festival
French filly Qemah secured back-to-back Royal Ascot victories in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes. Jean-Claude Rouget’s four-year-old won the Coronation Stakes 12 months ago and repeated the dose on the grandest stage of British Flat racing in the Group Two over a mile.
Smart Call made the running in the main group on the stands side, which set the race up nicely for Qemah, who took charge inside the final furlong. Aljazzi rallied but she was never going to catch Qemah, who won by three-quarters of a length as the 5-2 favourite and was skilfully ridden by Gregory Benoist. Compatriot Usherette, who won the race last year, encountered traffic problems before she flew home on the far rail for third place, another neck away.
Prince of Wales's Stakes (4.20) preview
Godolphin’s sandbagging of the Aidan O’Brien runners became the story of day one and the rival teams take each other on again in today’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes. There is a very slight concern about the general form of the Irishman’s yard but Highland Reel (4.20) could kill off such chatter on the fast ground he loves so much. He looked as good as ever in landing the Coronation Cup a fortnight ago, taking his prize money haul past £5.5m. He was slightly below his best when second in the Hardwicke at last year’s Royal meeting but turned that form around when winning the King George here in July.
Godolphin’s Jack Hobbs is not as likely to relish this dry surface. His Irish Derby win came on a fast surface but that was two years ago and he has since missed time with a stress fracture of a pelvis. In terms of raw ability, he could be a match for Highland Reel, granted optimum conditions. Decorated Knight still seems to be improving and comes from the stable that won this four years ago, with a horse who had won the same Irish race as him on his previous start. Sir Michael Stoute, absent on Day One, has two runners, including Ulysses, who achieved a career best in landing the Brigadier Gerard, beating the horse who was third in the Queen Anne yesterday.
A word from the winning connections
Gregory Benoist wins for the second time at Royal Ascot, having won last year’s Coronation Stakes on the same horse. “Last time it was a little bit soft and this time it was good ground,” says Benoist. “She’s a good filly, she can go anywhere.”
Jean-Claude Roget, who had a terrible start to the year due to illness in his yard, had this to say: “Congratulations to the filly, to the jockey, to the staff at home, to the lad at home who does so much work with her. I hope now she is in good shape for the rest of the season. She will go to Deauville next.”
Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40) result
1 Qemah (Gregory Benoist) 5-2 Fav
2 Aljazzi (A Kirby) 40-1
3 Usherette (M Barzalona) 11-4
14 ran
Also: 9-2 Smart Call 4th
Non Runners: 3,7
CSF: 116.28
Tricast: 299.44
Updated
Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40) 1m
Smart Call makes the early running as the field splits into two for this contest over a mile. Smart Call leads on the near side, followed by Opal Tiara ... Summer Icon is taken on by Mix And Mingle on the far side ... Smart Call is passed by Quemah on the near side. Quemah wins the Duke of Cambridge Stakes. The 5-2 favourite wins the Duke of Cambridge Stakes ...
Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40) betting
- Quemah 2-1
- Usherette 3-1
- Smart Call 4-1
- Mix And Mingle 8-1
Heartache for hot-pot in Queen Mary Stakes
Heartache produced a masterclass of raw speed to win the Queen Mary Stakes. Clive Cox’s young filly ripped past the always-prominent Happy Like A Fool inside the final 150 yards to score at odds of 5-1 under Adam Kirby.
American trainer Wesley Ward won the race in 2016 with Lady Aurelia, but this time had to be content with second place with 10-11 favourite Happy Like A Fool. The runner-up did well to keep going, but she lacked the mesmerising zip of last season’s winner and was two and a half lengths adrift at the line. Out Of The Flames finished third for the Richard Hannon team.
“She’s good isn’t she?” said Kirby. “She has loads of class - when she won first time out I knew she had loads of class but she’s come on again from there. I’m delighted for Clive as he’s a great trainer and doesn’t get enough credit. There was no plan, Clive just said to go where I was happy but I was pleased to get in behind one. She’s got a big future, she’s very special.”
Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40) preview
Qemah has earned her place at the head of the betting but it is tempting to take her on with Smart Call, a multiple Grade One winner in South Africa who is now with Sir Michael Stoute. She will probably be more at home on this fast surface than the good to soft that prevailed at York for her British debut, when she still ran with credit to be beaten a length and a half, giving weight to the first two. Qemah won the Coronation Stakes here last year and added a French Group One in July but has not matched that level in two runs since. This will be the fastest ground she has encountered. Usherette was winning her fourth race in a row when she took this last year but has not been in the same form lately and was below-par on fast ground in one run last July. Mix And Mingle is a big price for a filly who beat Qemah by two lengths last time but she had a fitness advantage that day and the extra furlong might not be good news.
A good ride from Adam Kirby
The winning jockey got a nice tow off Happy Like A Fool, who was quick out of the stalls and made the early running before getting collared about two out. “There was no plan,” says Kirby. “Clive [Cox] said ride her how you like and it was nice to get in behind one and bide my time.”
Queen Mary Stakes (3.05) result
1 Heartache (A Kirby) 5-1
2 Happy Like A Fool (R L Moore) 10-11 Fav
3 Out Of The Flames (Oisin Murphy) 14-1
23 ran
Also: 66-1 Now You’re Talking 4th
Non Runner: 18
CSF: 8.89
Tricast: 66.51
Updated
Queen Mary Stakes (3.05) 5f
They bolt from the gates in this fillies’ sprint and Happy :ile A FOol leads heartache down the centre of the track ... spread out wide across the course, Heartache takes a decisive lead over Happy Like A Fool. Heartache wins the Queen Mary Stakes comfortably by about three lengths.
Happy Like A Fool gets ponied down
The favourite gets accompanied down to the start by an outrider, a folksy old American lad of Wesley Ward’s named Mike, on another horse, to help keep her relaxed and avoid expending any energy. Riding right upsides Happy Like A Fool and Ryan Moore with a rope through her bit, Mike and his pony accompany the horse from the parade ring down to the stalls and hand her over to the handlers.
Updated
Queen Mary Stakes (3.05) betting
- Happy Like A Fool 5-6
- Heartache 6-1
- Mrs Gallagher 14-1
- Out Of The Flames 14-1
- Neola 16-1
- Formidable Kit 16-1
Don't worry, big Happy
We’ve just had a look at the favourite in the Queen Mary Stakes and the Wesley Ward-trained American raider Happy Like A Fool is certainly the biggest two-year-old filly I’ve ever laid eyes on. The odds-on favourite is an absolute monster and, according to ITV presenter Francesca Cumani, who knows about these things, looks more like a four-year-old colt.
Le Brivido wins Jersey Stakes for France
French raider Le Brivido won the Jersey Stakes for trainer Andre Fabre and jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot. The well-backed 2-1 favourite did superbly well to deny Spirit Of Valor in a stirring finish.
Spirit Of Valor, a 66-1 outsider from Aidan O’Brien’s yard, looked to have cut loose towards the near-side rail once he gained a slight advantage from Le Brivido inside the final furlong.
But Fabre’s charge, who had previously finished runner-up in the French 2000 Guineas and had raced in the middle of the track, fought back to seize the day by two and a quarter lengths in the Group Three over seven furlongs. Mubatasim was third.
“He’s a very nice horse and ran a good race in the French Guineas,” said Boudot, who was claiming a first Royal Ascot winner.
“The horse was a little bit excited behind the gate, but during the race he was very easy. When I asked him, he gave me a nice turn of foot. I’m very happy to win here because it is a big meeting, the best in the world.”
win the Jersey Stakes from Spirit of Valour. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters
Queen Mary Stakes (3.05) preview
Happy Like A Fool is destined to be a short-priced favourite, since she seems to have a confident following and her stable, that of the US-based Wesley Ward, had a winner on opening day. Remarkably, Ward has won this three times in eight years. But Mrs Gallagher makes each-way appeal at double-figure odds, in view of her battling course and distance success last month, when she rallied between horses after being headed. Bred for speed, she broke alertly that day and could get into the argument here.
Heartache looked extremely quick in scoring at Bath last month, when the ground was at least as quick as this will be. Mick Channon’s Neola should be happier here than on the soft last time, when she was second in a Listed contest. Channon has also won this three times, though not for 12 years. Formidable Kitt has a big home reputation and is a daughter of Ceiling Kitty, who won this for the same trainer in 2012.
Updated
Andre Fabre speaks ...
The winning trainer explains that he thought his horse was beaten halfway during the race, but he showed great courage to rally and get up to win.
The winning jockey speaks
“The horse was a little bit excited behind the gate but during the race when I asked him to give me a nice turn of foot, he delivered,,” says Pierre-Charles Boudot. “Winning here at such a good meeting is very good for me.”
A good run from Johnny Murtagh's horse
True Valour, a 100-1 shot, finished in midfield in ninth place.
Jersey Stakes (2.30) result
1 Le Brivido (P C Boudot) 2-1 Fav
2 Spirit of Valor (D O’Brien) 66-1
3 Mubtasim (P Cosgrave) 20-1
20 ran
Also: 25-1 Parfait 4th
CSF: 195.59
Tricast: 2245.69
Updated
Jersey Stakes (2.30) 7f
Spirit of Valour leads from Le Brivido in the final furlong, but Le Brivido gets upsides and passes him to win by half a length. The favourite Le Brivido wins the opener for France.
Jersey Stakes (2.30) 7f
They’re finally off and running several minutes late in the Jersey Stakes Whitecliffsofdover leads Le Brivido up the centre as the field splits into three groups in the early stages. GLastonbury Song is already being scrubbed along early in midfield ...
A quick re-shoeing ...
GLastonbury Song, appropriately named for the week that’s in it, has lost a shoe, but as luck would have it there’s a farrier down at the start to re-shoe his front right hoof. It’s a quick pit-stop involving a hammer, nails and a rasp for levering and the horse dooesn’t seem to care a jot as the loading continues.
Le Brivido's price continues to shorten
Having been available at 4-1 this morning, the Andre Fabre-trained Le Brivido is now 15-8 with some rails bookmakers but available at a fairly solid 2-1 elsewhere. He’s looking quite sweaty down at the start and a teeny bit agitated. They’re behind the stalls now and beginning to load up.
Johnny Murtagh has a runner
The former jockey, who won every Royal Ascot Group 1 race as a rider and will be working as pundit for ITV after the first race, has more important business to attend to before he picks up his microphone. Wearing his trainer’s titfer, he saddles the outsider True Valour in the first race, which can currently be backed at 100-1. He says he thought the horse would win at Epsom and that, even though it didn’t, the animal has looked in such good form since returning that Murtagh thought he’d let him take his chance here.
Updated
Jersey Stakes (2.30) betting
- Le Brivido 9-4
- Dream Castle 9-2
- Daban 7-1
- Whitewcliffsofdover 10-1
- Winning Ways 14-1
The Royal Procession is underway ...
The Queen has made it back to Ascot from the State Opening of Parliament in time for the procession and even had time for a quick costume change en route. She was wearing Godolphin blue as she rattled through her speech in the House of Commons and is now wearing sunflower yellow. Her husband Prince Philip is, of course, absent as he was yesterday admitted to hospital suffering from an infection, but is reported to be up and about and feeling reasonably chipper.
A surprise and welcome development ...
ITV1 presenter Ed Chamberlin has just reported that in among the Range Rovers, Rollers, Bentleys, Jaguars, gazebos and tables laden with bottles of expensive fizz and wicker Fortnum & Mason hampers that is the posh Ascot picnic area known as Car Park One, a woman actually gave birth this morning. Congratulations to mum and the new arrival, who must surely be guaranteed free entry for life to the Royal meeting.
Jersey Stakes (2.30) preview
A ninth Royal Ascot success seems within the grasp of Andre Fabre, whose Le Brivido looks a top-class horse slumming it in this Group Three. Unbeaten in two before the French Guineas at Deauville last month, he struck the front a furlong out and was only overhauled close home by Brametot, who has since also won the French Derby. The second-favourite, Dream Castle, is threatening to become frustrating, while the filly Daban must improve on her Guineas third. Whitecliffsofdover represents the Aidan O’Brien team, looking for a pick-me-up after nine losers on day one.
Today's non-runners
- 3.05: One Minute
- 3.40: Laugh Aloud, Absolute Blast
- 4.20: Nezwaah
- 5.00: Battle of Marathon
The Royal Procession ...
First introduced in 1825 by King George IV, the Royal Procession continues to fascinate thousands of forelock-tugging racegoers and breathlessly obsequious television presenters and commentators who you’d hope might know better on an annual basis. You can learn more about its history by watching the clip below.
Have horses, will travel ...
At a meeting that attracts entrants from as far afield as Australia, the USA, Japan and Argentina, this video explores the logistics involved in getting them under starters’ orders in tip-top condition.
"Get your skates on, first race is at half past two" quips MP Dennis Skinner, referencing Royal Ascot at the #QueensSpeech pic.twitter.com/ZabDYwdu2x
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 21, 2017
Top trainers so far
- Charlie Appleby 1 win
- Richard Fahey 1
- Richard Hannon 1
- Willie Mullins 1
- Richard Spencer 1
- Wesley Ward 1
This is the point where we have to talk about Aidan O’Brien, who had a second and a third on day one but also, to take a gloomier view of it, ran nine horses without success. Churchill (fourth at odds of 1-2) and Declarationofpeace (last of 22 at 13-8) were notable disappointments, both of them seeming uncomfortable on this fast surface. Should we worry about the stable’s form, noting that Aidan’s strike-rate for the past fortnight has been unusually low at 8% and that he has had eight other favourites beaten in that time? Or do we remind ourselves that stables commonly have a slow period in the build-up to major meetings, because they’re running their second-tier horses, and that anyone can be blanked on a single day at Ascot, where the racing is so competitive? O’Brien fields six runners on Day Two, including the big-race favourite in Highland Reel.
Top jockeys so far
- William Buick 2 wins
- James Doyle 1
- Stevie Donohoe 1
- Ryan Moore 1
- John Velazquez 1
Both the Godolphin jockeys, Buick and Doyle, have made a bright start to the week and Doyle has already got a couple of second places, which will help him if he ends up tied for first place on Saturday evening. But the impression is that Moore has more firepower to come than any of his rivals and he’s no bigger than 1-3 to finish on top this week. Buick is 4-1 and Doyle 14-1 while Velazquez’s fans can get him at 25-1.
Prince Philip will miss Royal Ascot today ...
We mentioned earlier that the Queen faces a high speed dash to get from Westminster to Royal Ascot in time for the first race and it is a trip she will make without her beloved, as Prince Philip, 97, will miss both the State Opening of Parliament and today’s racing after being admitted to King Edward VII hospital in central London last night with an infection. Get well soon, big man.
Sandringham Handicap (5.35) preview
A half-sister to Teofilo, Bean Feasa came good in a Group Three last month before being hampered out of the Irish Guineas, to the fury of her trainer. This return to fast ground looks a positive and she has lots of potential. Gymnaste is favourite, having looked a shade unlucky when second at Kempton last time; she would make her jockey, Josephine Gordon, just the second woman to ride a Royal Ascot winner. On Her Toes carries the first colours of the same owner as Gymnaste but is not obviously well handicapped on her second in a Listed contest last time. Con Te Partiro represents the US trainer Wesley Ward, who is much better known for the efforts of his youngsters over three furlongs shorter.
Royal Hunt Cup (5.00) preview
Burdened with top weight in one of the toughest handicaps of the year, Tabarrak will need to be Group class to win this but the evidence suggests that’s what he is. Never out of the first two in seven starts, he seems to have improved for a gelding operation and failing by just a length to give Mix And Mingle 6lb in April was a big run. He stepped up again to land a Listed prize over this course and distance last time and should give backers a good run up the stands’ side. Banksea must have a live chance, having won the Spring Cup, which has worked out as well as could be hoped from a handicap. That was his first start since being gelded and he is not harshly treated with another 4lb to carry. His trainer, Luca Cumani, also fields El Vip, a Newcastle winner last time. Abe Lincoln hasn’t run since being beaten a short-head here last year, on a much softer surface; he has reportedly recovered well. Fastnet Tempest won the Victoria Cup here last month but is not certain to relish this extra furlong.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes (4.20) preview
Godolphin’s sandbagging of the Aidan O’Brien runners became the story of day one and the rival teams take each other on again in today’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes. There is a very slight concern about the general form of the Irishman’s yard but Highland Reel (4.20) could kill off such chatter on the fast ground he loves so much. He looked as good as ever in landing the Coronation Cup a fortnight ago, taking his prize money haul past £5.5m. He was slightly below his best when second in the Hardwicke at last year’s Royal meeting but turned that form around when winning the King George here in July.
Godolphin’s Jack Hobbs is not as likely to relish this dry surface. His Irish Derby win came on a fast surface but that was two years ago and he has since missed time with a stress fracture of a pelvis. In terms of raw ability, he could be a match for Highland Reel, granted optimum conditions. Decorated Knight still seems to be improving and comes from the stable that won this four years ago, with a horse who had won the same Irish race as him on his previous start. Sir Michael Stoute, absent on Day One, has two runners, including Ulysses, who achieved a career best in landing the Brigadier Gerard, beating the horse who was third in the Queen Anne yesterday.
Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40) preview
Qemah has earned her place at the head of the betting but it is tempting to take her on with Smart Call, a multiple Grade One winner in South Africa who is now with Sir Michael Stoute. She will probably be more at home on this fast surface than the good to soft that prevailed at York for her British debut, when she still ran with credit to be beaten a length and a half, giving weight to the first two. Qemah won the Coronation Stakes here last year and added a French Group One in July but has not matched that level in two runs since. This will be the fastest ground she has encountered. Usherette was winning her fourth race in a row when she took this last year but has not been in the same form lately and was below-par on fast ground in one run last July. Mix And Mingle is a big price for a filly who beat Qemah by two lengths last time but she had a fitness advantage that day and the extra furlong might not be good news.
Queen Mary Stakes (3.05) preview
Happy Like A Fool is destined to be a short-priced favourite, since she seems to have a confident following and her stable, that of the US-based Wesley Ward, had a winner on opening day. Remarkably, Ward has won this three times in eight years. But Mrs Gallagher makes each-way appeal at double-figure odds, in view of her battling course and distance success last month, when she rallied between horses after being headed. Bred for speed, she broke alertly that day and could get into the argument here. Heartache looked extremely quick in scoring at Bath last month, when the ground was at least as quick as this will be. Mick Channon’s Neola should be happier here than on the soft last time, when she was second in a Listed contest. Channon has also won this three times, though not for 12 years. Formidable Kitt has a big home reputation and is a daughter of Ceiling Kitty, who won this for the same trainer in 2012.
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Jersey Stakes (2.00) preview
A ninth Royal Ascot success seems within the grasp of Andre Fabre, whose Le Brivido looks a top-class horse slumming it in this Group Three. Unbeaten in two before the French Guineas at Deauville last month, he struck the front a furlong out and was only overhauled close home by Brametot, who has since also won the French Derby. The second-favourite, Dream Castle, is threatening to become frustrating, while the filly Daban must improve on her Guineas third. Whitecliffsofdover represents the Aidan O’Brien team, looking for a pick-me-up after nine losers on day one.
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The Guardian's tips for today
2.30 Jersey Stakes Le Brivido 7-2
3.05 Queen Mary Stakes Mrs Gallagher 16-1
3.40 Duke of Cambridge Stakes Smart Call 9-1
4.20 Prince of Wales’s Stakes Highland Reel 11-4
5.00 Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap) Tabarrak 25-1
5.35 Sandringham Handicap Bean Feasa 22-1
Ireland came late to the party on Day One, getting on the scoresheet only in the fifth race, thanks to a Willie Mullins favourite. But this will be a better day for the raiders, if I’m right, with Aidan O’Brien (Highland Reel) and Jim Bolger (Bean Feasa) tipped for success. Andre Fabre might also get a reward for the journey to England, with his classy Le Brivido in the opener. Adding to the international feel of this meeting, Smart Call is a South African by birth and did most of her racing there but is now with Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket. Tabarrak and Mrs Gallagher are interesting each-way options.
Ladbrokes Royal Ascot tipping competition
You could win a £50 bet from Ladbrokes by proving your tipping prowess on today’s races. All you have to do is give us your selections for all of today’s races at Ascot. As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price. Non-runners count as losers.
Please post all your tips in a single posting, using the comment facility below, before the first race at 2.30pm. There are six races at Ascot today and you must post a single selection for each race.
Our usual terms and conditions apply, except that this will be a strictly one-day thing. If we get a tie after all the races have been run, the winner will be the one who posted their tips earliest out of those with the highest score. If you don’t win today, don’t despair. We are running an identical competition on each day of the Royal meeting, up to Friday.
We’ll announce Tuesday’s winner on the blog later today. Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results. And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
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Morning update ...
The big news this morning is that Laugh Aloud is out of the third race, the Duke Of Cambridge, after she was found to have heat in a leg. That’ll take some wind out of Godolphin’s sails after their excellent opening day, as she was 3-1 favourite before her withdrawal. They still have Usherette, last year’s winner, at 7-2 but their Qatari rivals, Al Shaqab, have the new favourite in Qemah on 9-4. Smart Call is a 9-2 shot now.
The going at Ascot remains good to firm after 5mm of watering overnight. Temperatures will be around 30C at their peak again today, so the surface is sure to ride fast and we may again see a record time or two.
The non-runners so far
- 3.00 One Minute
- 3.40 Absolute Blast, Laugh Aloud
- 4.20 Nezwaah
- 5.00 Battle Of Marathon
It's Day Two of Royal Ascot ...
A day has made quite a difference to several confident betting-market predictions about how this year’s Royal meeting was likely to play out. Before the first race on Tuesday, Aidan O’Brien was a 2-5 chance to outscore the combined forces of the Godolphin operation over the meeting, but a 3-0 drubbing by the royal blue squad during the course of the afternoon has turned the market on its head. O’Brien is still odds-on to finish the meeting as the leading individual trainer, as Godolphin’s winners were spread around three different stables, but for the first time in a long time, his pre-eminence is looking a little shaky.
Normal service could easily be resumed this afternoon, of course, when the splendid Highland Reel represents O’Brien in the feature race, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, and will probably set off as favourite. This is a very competitive renewal of the Group 1, however, and plenty of punters will be backing Godolphin to maintain their excellent run in the meeting’s top races, after finishing 1-2-1 in the three Group 1s on Tuesday.
And there is a third big runner in the race too in the shape of Ulysses, who will attempt to make history for his trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, who equalled Sir Henry Cecil’s all-time record of 75 Royal Ascot winners when Dartmouth took last year’s Hardwicke Stakes. A 76th Royal winner would be one of the proudest achievements in Stoute’s 45-year training career, and a Group 1 contest, beating off O’Brien and Coolmore in the process, would be a particularly satisfying way to do it.
The first race of the day will be the Queen’s high-speed dash against the clock from Westminster to Berkshire after the State Opening of Parliament. It would take most of us at least an hour to pick our way through the traffic, but a police escort will probably ease her path to the track and ensure that the Queen is in place for the Royal procession at 2pm.
The card then kicks off with the Jersey Stakes, when Josephine Gordon will have a favourite’s chance aboard Godolphin’s Dream Castle to become only the second female jockey to win at the meeting. The hottest favourite of the day, meanwhile, seems likely to be Wesley Ward’s Happy Like A Fool in the Queen Mary Stakes. The money has been coming for Ward’s filly since yesterday afternoon, when Lady Aurelia, last year’s Queen Mary, bolted up in the King’s Stand Stakes, and she is currently top-priced at 6-5 with only Heartache, from the Clive Cox stable, at single-figure odds to beat her.
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