Well that’s it for another year at Royal Ascot. So put away your top hat and tails. What have we learned? Frankie Dettori can still ride. Sir Michael Stoute can still train. Cracksman may have gone dodgy. Alpha Centauri is the new kid on the (top-class racing) block and, as ever, while the more things change, the more they stay the same. Next year the Royal procession will appear at 2pm on 18 June and the carriages will roll down the famous Ascot straight ... see you then.
Queen Alexandra Stakes (5.35) result
1 Pallasator (J P Spencer) 11-2
2 Renneti (Andrea Atzeni) 40-1
3 Count Octave (Oisin Murphy) 4-1
Queen Alexandra Stakes (5.35)
And they’re off ... Guard Of Honour not looking keen ... Fort Jefferson leading and plenty are pulling hard in the early stages ... Glencadam Glory is second ... Light Pillar is third ... moving up is Meri Devie who has pulled her way to the front with Fort Jefferson ... A clear third is Glencadam Glory ... Five furlongs to go and the leaders are coming back to the field ... On the home turn Thomas Hobson tries to make ground but is banged into ... Pallasator takes it up but drifts badly before straightening up and winning ... Gordon Elliott wins with Willie Mullins second with Renneti ... it’s like the Cheltenham Festival out there!
Updated
Where it went wrong for Harry Angel ...
Where it all went wrong for Harry Angel...
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) June 23, 2018
Watch closely as his left-hind leg gets stuck on the stalls 😮
See more in racing replay from 6.45pm this evening. #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/FsOgmgjmdg
And there’s more on the Harry Angel situation ...
In Australia, Harry's Angel would have been backed out of the gates as well as the horses either side of it, and vetted. Given that he got hurt in the gates, would never have been allowed to run. Ascot starter needs a foot up the butt. #RoyalAscot2018 #ITVRacing
— Margaret Jordan (@MargJordan) June 23, 2018
There’s plenty of disquiet about the fiasco regarding the well-backed Harry Angel at the start of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes ...
Harry Angel should have been withdrawn there. Allowing them to jump knowing he's in full panic mode does racing no favours.
— Rory Delargy (@helynsar) June 23, 2018
Queen Alexandra Stakes (5.35) betting
- 11-8 Thomas Hobson
- 6-1 Count Octave
- 10-1 Pallasator
- 12-1 Nearly Caught
- Full betting here
Queen Alexandra Stakes (5.35) preview
When a fine second in this race a year ago, Thomas Hobson was running for the second time in five days, having won a handicap on the Tuesday of that Royal meeting. This time, he comes straight to this race, having had a good break since running sixth in the Melbourne Cup, and it is not easy to see what can hope to beat him from this ragbag of ploddy opposition.
Wokingham Stakes (5.00) result
1 Bacchus (Jim Crowley) 33-1
2 Dreamfield (James Doyle) 2-1 Fav
3 Major Jumbo (J P Spencer) 22-1
4 Tis Marvellous (A Kirby) 20-1
Wokingham Stakes (5.00)
And they’re off ... Flying Pursuit and Major Jumbo are prominent ... Dreamfield tavels well on the far side ... Dreamfield kicks for home with Bacchus challenging and Dreamfield is beaten. Bacchus, who Bob Monkhouse once joked was the God of Betting, has saved the bookmakers from an enormous payout on the red-hot favourite.
Updated
Wokingham Stakes (5.00) betting
- 5-2 Dreamfield
- 12-1 Gilgamesh
- 14-1 Mr Lupton
- 16-1 Growl
- Full betting here
Wokingham Stakes (5.00) preview
Having trained the winner of the Wokingham four years ago, Richard Fahey may be poised to do it again with Growl, who makes plenty of each-way appeal at 16-1. A veteran of classy and competitive sprints, he somehow gets in here on a mark half a stone below the one from which he was fourth in the Stewards’ Cup last summer, beaten just a length. He also failed by just a length in a Group One over this course and distance a couple of years ago and, going even further back, broke his maiden here. This looks like the plan, after he reappeared with a promising effort over too short a distance at Chester last month. From stall 29, he would at least have the option of coming to the stands’ rail if Paul Hanagan fancied going there. A similar manoeuvre proved helpful to Ostilio in the Britannia on Thursday.
Merchant Navy off to stud after Diamond dazzle?
There are suggestions from Kevin Blake on ITV Racing that that might well be Merchant Navy’s last race and that he may be off to stud. And Aidan O’Brien has seemed to confirm that when interviewed on the same programme, although Chris Cook tells me he is hoping to persuade the owners to run the horse in the July Cup. The trainer has done a marvellous job with that horse since he came from Australia. O’Brien has had a mixed meeting and he also said he thinks the horses in his stable will be better in two or three weeks’ time.
Updated
Diamond Jubilee Stakes (4.20) result
1 Merchant Navy (R L Moore) 4-1
2 City Light (C Soumillon) 12-1
3 Bound For Nowhere (Joel Rosario) 16-1
Diamond Jubilee Stakes (4.20)
And they’re off ... and Harry Angel is left ... Bound For Nowhere leads ... joined by Spirit Of Valor ... Merchant Navy comes with a challenge and goes past the line neck and neck with City Light, who may have got there, according to the commentators ... now they think Merchant Navy may have got it ... Merchant Navy wins and confounds the commentators ... that’s a win for Ireland over France and a victory for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
Updated
What has happened to the Saturday card at Royal Ascot? This year’s has hardly been vintage. A couple of contests for two-year-olds, a Hardwicke Stakes and the normally wide-open Wokingham Stakes both featuring red-hot favourites and the anomaly that is the Queen Alexandra Stakes traditionally closing out the meeting. For this year’s meeting Ascot switched the Wolferton Stakes from Saturday to Tuesday and moved the Windsor Castle Stakes to the fifth and final day. They weren’t to know that the Hardwicke would be so uncompetitive. However, the switch looks like the wrong move and it’s a shame that the biggest crowd of the week on a Saturday now gets easily the poorest day on the track.
Not a fan of this Windsor Castle stuck in the middle of the Saturday card.
— Graham Cunningham (@gcunning12) June 23, 2018
Updated
Earlier this week I was thankful an American trainer had won as they are so good with the media. Sir Michael Stoute, who is the winningmost trainer at the meeting, isn’t.
Sir Michael Stoute was asked to compare Crystal Ocean with his other Hardwicke winners
— chris cook (@claimsfive) June 23, 2018
"They've never galloped with each other!" Hearty laugh, edge away from press
Diamond Jubilee Stakes (4.20) bettting
- 3-1 Harry Angel
- 4-1 Merchant Navy
- 9-2 Redkirk Warrior
- 8-1 The Tin Man
- 14-1 Librisa Breeze
- 16-1 Bound For Nowhere
- 16-1 City Light
- Full betting here
Diamond Jubilee Stakes (4.20) preview
It’s been a few years since the most recent Australian winner at Royal Ascot but Redkirk Warrior looks the business. Unlike most raiders from the southern hemisphere, he has already won at the track, when he was a 10-furlong horse with William Haggas four years ago. He has thrived as a sprinter and holds Merchant Navy on their Flemington form in March, his most recent outing. Librisa Breeze would have been the selection if there was any give in the ground but the grey may not be best suited by this dry surface.
Windsor castle Stakes (3.40) result
1 Soldier’s Call (D Tudhope) 12-1
2 Sabre (P Hanagan) 12-1
3 Dom Carlos (D O’Brien) 16-1
Windsor Castle Stakes (3.40)
And they’re off ... Hit The Track Jack is prominent on the far side ... Soldier’s Call clear on the nearside ... Soldiers Call has hung on to win ... a first winner at Royal Ascot for trainer Archie Watson.
Updated
There will be a delay to the Windsor Castle Stakes as one of the horses, James Watt, is having to be reshod.
As mentioned, there was quite a story behind Arthur Kitt’s success in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. Tom Dascombe’s charge is a son of the yard’s 2012 Queen Mary Stakes heroine Ceiling Kitty, who died after giving birth to this Camelot colt.
What a poignant success for Arthur Kitt as he wins the Chesham Stakes at @Ascot
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 23, 2018
Watch LIVE on @ITV pic.twitter.com/tDnKqvDiK2
Andrew Black, of winning owners Chasemore Farm, told ITV Racing: “This is so special. I’ve been more emotionally attached to this horse than any horse I’ve ever had. The night he was born was such an incredibly difficult, painful night. We put the mare down within literally seconds of having the problem and then we had problems getting the foal out. He had a twisted leg at that point and it took a long time for that to heal.
“We had to go and find a foster mare with him straight away, we put the call out and managed to get one and we’ve still got her today. When they’re brought up by a foster mare they’re kind of different and have different personalities. He was much more friendly than your average horse. I always hoped he would be special and we always felt this was the race. I thought we would win the Chesham and that would make it right somehow. I’m massively emotional.”
Updated
More late jockey news ... Fran Berry now replaces Charles Bishop on Tempestatefloresco in the Queen Alexandra. No rider has yet been booked for Ice Age in the Wokingham.
Dame Helen Mirren, who presented the winning trophy for the Hardwicke Stakes, was just interviewed on ITV and Ed Chamberlin failed to ask her about playing the Queen. An open goal missed.
Windsor Castle Stakes (3.40) betting
- 11-2 Queen of Bermuda
- 6-1 Van Beethoven
- 7-1 Moonlight Romance
- 9-1 Mutawaffer
- 12-1 Junius Brutus
- 14-1 Kessaar
- 16-1 Sabre
- 16-1 Soldiers Call
- Full Betting here
Windsor Castle Stakes (3.40) preview
Thursday’s win for Shang Shang Shang seems like a pointer to the chance here of his stablemate Moonlight Romance, who followed him home at Keeneland and then won handily on her second start. Her trainer, Wesley Ward, has won this race twice before and has a fine record generally in five-furlong juvenile races at Royal Ascot.
Queen's Hat Stakes (2.00) result
1st Silver 5-1*
(*some bookmakers are also paying out on green)
Hardwicke Stakes (3.05) result
1 Crystal Ocean (R L Moore) 4-7 Fav
2 Red Verdon (James Doyle) 33-1
3 Cliffs Of Moher (J A Heffernan) 10-1
Hardwicke Stakes (3.05)
And they’re off ... Idaho leads from Crystal Ocean with Cliffs of Moher last ... Idaho travelling keenly in the lead ... Crystal Ocean going comfortably just behind ... on the home turn and Crystal Ocean comes to challenge the leader who is being asked to move up ... Crystal Ocean goes clear for a decisive enough win ... an 11th winner of the Hardwicke Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute ... rank outsider Red Verdon is second ... Matt Chapman on ITV suggests it should be the King George back at Ascot in late July next but Stoute, as is his wont, is not forthcoming. The bookies are in no doubt and have the winner at around 9-4 for the Ascot race.
Updated
Andrea Atzeni will partner Jungle Inthebungle in the 3.45 race today after Charles Bishop was banned from riding after failing a breath test.
Hardwicke Stakes (3.05) betting
- 4-7 Crystal Ocean
- 11-2 Idaho
- 7-1 Barsanti
- 11-1 Cliffs Of Moher
- 40-1 Red Vision
- Full betting here
Hardwicke Stakes (3.05) preview
Five runners is a thoroughly disappointing turnout for what is usually one of the strongest Group Two races of the year. Even so, it could be competitive, as both Idaho and Barsanti are suited by a fast surface and the latter is said to be a stronger horse this year. But it looks significant that Coolmore have let Ryan Moore off Idaho and Cliffs Of Moher to ride the progressive Crystal Ocean for Sir Michael Stoute and the favourite looks like justifying his status.
Breaking news from the track ... Charles Bishop, who could not have started the week on a better note than when riding a Group One winner in Accidental Agent in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday, has not been allowed to ride today after failing a breath test at the course.
Chesham Stakes (2.30) result
1 Arthur Kitt (R Kingscote) 13-2
2 Nate The Great (D Tudhope) 11-1
3 Duke Of Hazzard (L Morris) 25-1
There’s a poignant story behind that winner, which owner Andrew Black was recounting on television, as Arthur Kitt’s mare, Ceiling Kitty, died while giving birth to him. Arthur Kitt reportedly had to be resuscitated six times in his first few hours.
ARTHUR KITT ready to travel down to Ascot for his race tomorrow. Athletic type. pic.twitter.com/5YmLPnFUy6
— Andrew Black (@bertthebold) June 22, 2018
Chesham Stakes (2.30)
And they’re off ... Natalie’s Joy towards the rear early ... Aussie View leads ... Cardini also prominent ... Aussie View being tackled by Beyond Reason and Natalie’s Joy trying to get there ... Nate The Great and Arthur Kitt come out of the pack and Arthur Kitt wins ... The winning owner is Andrew Black of Betfair fame, who has never looked so smart ...
Updated
Kelly Brook ( the cluse is she’s on a lot of Ladbrokes ads by the way) is back at the meeting and Anna Hill Johnstone (costume designer for The Godfather) is the inspiration.
Going for that Italian American Godfather Look at Today’s @RoyalAscot 🚬🐴 pic.twitter.com/NRP9qjigZ2
— Kelly Brook (@IAMKELLYBROOK) June 23, 2018
Chesham Stakes (2.30) betting
- 11-8 Natalies Joy
- 7-1 Beyond Reason
- 11-1 On A Session
- 11-1 San Donato
- 12-1 Arthur Kitt
- 14-1 Cardini
- Full betting here
Chesham Stakes (2.30) preview
Mark Johnston has his usual strong team of two-year-olds and was given extra reason for faith in them as a group when Main Edition won the Albany yesterday. His Natalie’s Joy looks like another one to stick with, given the manner of her six-length debut success at Goodwood in a time that was 0.07 seconds outside the juvenile course record. She could also have run in the Albany but the trainer presumably feels she will be suited by an extra furlong on this fast ground.
Updated
William Hill are reporting money for Blue in Queen’s Hat Stakes ... Rupert Adams of William Hill is reported as saying: “Money today suggests that the Queen will decide to wear blue for the second time this week. Should punters prove to be correct it will be the first time that they have ever correctly predicted the hat colour for all five days of Royal Ascot. Blue is now favourite”
Updated
Royal Procession Stakes (2.00)
1st Carriage
THE QUEEN
The Duke of York
Lord Valentine Cecil
Mr. John Warren
2nd Carriage
Mr. Ian Balding
The Lady Emma Balding
Mr. Richard Hallé
Mrs. Richard Hallé
3rd Carriage
Mr. William Haggas
Mrs. William Haggas
Mr. Willie Mullins
Mrs. Willie Mullins
4th Carriage
The Lady Oaksey
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford
Lady Ford
Major Nana Twumasi-Ankrah
If you missed yesterday’s blog you will not have seen the item about the art instillation created by artist Mark Wallinger on the Royal Procession. As the critic Martin Herbert has observed, “What Wallinger’s synchronised footage reveals is the rigidity of the class system in tangible form: the event is surreally identical every day.” Meanwhile, let’s go back in time to 1992 when Princess Diana was among the carriages:
The announcement of the introduction of sectional timing earlier this week at Ascot was a potentially significant one and today comes news of an ‘Ascot World Pool’ for Royal Ascot in 2019, the track working in conjunction with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. You can read more details here.
Huge news! Takeout reduction for players in UK, huge liquidity, hope US can join. https://t.co/FfpsbyU2aH
— Pat Cummings (@PatCummingsTIF) June 23, 2018
Our snapper has been out and about over the last three days at Royal Ascot and has produced this great gallery:
Queen's Hat Stakes (2.00)
The pressure is on after pointing punters in the direction of where the money was for this now daily betting opener to the Royal meeting for the first four days – and getting it right.
At the moment, my sources at Bettingexpert.com tell me punters are plumping for white and purple – 35% of wagers are on white and around 30% on purple. Our best form pointer is that, since 2005, the Queen has worn white 11 times whereas she’s ‘only’ topped off her outfit in purple seven times.
There’s always the suggestion of insider trading with this novelty bet and we understand Coral suspended on Tuesday after a substantial wager on yellow. What is undoubtedly true is that after the worst week on record for bookies in the hat stakes, they’re hoping the Queen will surprise us, allowing them to make up for some of their losses.
Today’s betting: 6-4 White/Cream, 2-1 Purple, 3-1 Orange, 3-1 Red, 5-1 Silver, 8-1 Yellow, 10-1 Blue, 20-1 Green, 20-1 Black.
Trainers' leaderboard
John Gosden 4 wins
Aidan O’Brien 3
Sir Michael Stoute 3
Charlie Appleby 2
Mark Johnston 2
Willie Mullins 1
Marco Botti 1
Eve Johnson Houghton 1
David Marnane 1
John Quinn 1
Simon Crisford 1
Wesley Ward 1
Jessica Harrington 1
David Elsworth 1
Ed Walker 1
You’d think weight of numbers would win this for O’Brien, since he has nine final-day runners, compared to three for Gosden, and would be in front if he got just one winner, since he already has more second places than his British rival. Stoute has just one runner today and while Crystal Ocean may very well win, it won’t be enough to make him top trainer. Gosden might be light on numbers but he has the hot favourite for the Wokingham in Dreamfield.
Jockeys' leaderboard
Frankie Dettori 4 wins
William Buick 3
Ryan Moore 3
Silvestre de Sousa 2
James Doyle 2
Andrea Atzeni 2
Oisin Murphy 1
Charles Bishop 1
Billy Lee 1
James McDonald 1
Joel Rosario 1
Jim Crowley 1
Jamie Spencer 1
Colm O’Donoghue 1
It was a fruitless Friday for our two heroes and, one would imagine a particularly frustrating day for Ryan Moore, who rode three favourites and finished unplaced on all of them. Dettori had a better day, finished third in both Group One contests on horses that started at double-figure odds. The Italian still has the lead in the race to be top jockey but he’s only had one winner in the last three days and has just three rides left. Moore, on the other hand, has six rides, including an odds-on favourite in the Hardwicke and the favourite for the final race. A couple of firms are offering even money the pair, with William Buick at 10-1. The Godolphin man has four rides, of which Beyond Reason in the opener is the most obvious at around 5-1.
Race-by-race guide
2.30 Chesham Stakes Mark Johnston has his usual strong team of two-year-olds and was given extra reason for faith in them as a group when Main Edition won the Albany yesterday. His Natalie’s Joy looks like another one to stick with, given the manner of her six-length debut success at Goodwood in a time that was 0.07 seconds outside the juvenile course record. She could also have run in the Albany but the trainer presumably feels she will be suited by an extra furlong on this fast ground.
3.05 Hardwicke Stakes Five runners is a thoroughly disappointing turnout for what is usually one of the strongest Group Two races of the year. Even so, it could be competitive, as both Idaho and Barsanti are suited by a fast surface and the latter is said to be a stronger horse this year. But it looks significant that Coolmore have let Ryan Moore off Idaho and Cliffs Of Moher to ride the progressive Crystal Ocean for Sir Michael Stoute and the favourite looks like justifying his status.
3.40 Windsor Castle Stakes Thursday’s win for Shang Shang Shang seems like a pointer to the chance here of his stablemate Moonlight Romance, who followed him home at Keeneland and then won handily on her second start. Her trainer, Wesley Ward, has won this race twice before and has a fine record generally in five-furlong juvenile races at Royal Ascot.
4.20 Diamond Jubilee Stakes It’s been a few years since the most recent Australian winner at Royal Ascot but Redkirk Warrior looks the business. Unlike most raiders from the southern hemisphere, he has already won at the track, when he was a 10-furlong horse with William Haggas four years ago. He has thrived as a sprinter and holds Merchant Navy on their Flemington form in March, his most recent outing. Librisa Breeze would have been the selection if there was any give in the ground but the grey may not be best suited by this dry surface.
5.00 Wokingham Handicap Having trained the winner of the Wokingham four years ago, Richard Fahey may be poised to do it again with Growl, who makes plenty of each-way appeal at 16-1. A veteran of classy and competitive sprints, he somehow gets in here on a mark half a stone below the one from which he was fourth in the Stewards’ Cup last summer, beaten just a length. He also failed by just a length in a Group One over this course and distance a couple of years ago and, going even further back, broke his maiden here. This looks like the plan, after he reappeared with a promising effort over too short a distance at Chester last month. From stall 29, he would at least have the option of coming to the stands’ rail if Paul Hanagan fancied going there. A similar manoeuvre proved helpful to Ostilio in the Britannia on Thursday.
5.35 Queen Alexandra Stakes When a fine second in this race a year ago, Thomas Hobson was running for the second time in five days, having won a handicap on the Tuesday of that Royal meeting. This time, he comes straight to this race, having had a good break since running sixth in the Melbourne Cup, and it is not easy to see what can hope to beat him from this ragbag of ploddy opposition.
Quick guide to Saturday's tips
2.30 Chesham Stakes Natalie’s Joy 7-4
3.05 Hardwicke Stakes Crystal Ocean 8-13
3.40 Windsor Castle Stakes Moonlight Romance 11-2
4.20 Diamond Jubilee Stakes Redkirk Warrior (nb) 4-1
5.00 Wokingham Handicap Growl (nap) 16-1
5.35 Queen Alexandra Stakes Thomas Hobson 6-4
With the exception of the ‘take your chances’ Wokingham, this doesn’t have the feel of a day for outsiders. The Guardian is hoping to see further success for several trainers who have already been on the mark this week, including Sir Michael Stoute, now the most successful trainer in the history of Royal Ascot. But most of all, we hope to see Growl sticking his neck out in the closing stages at about 5.01pm …
Many thanks to all who took part in our tipping competitions this week! Our winners will be contacted by email by Monday at the latest. We’re not running a competition today.
Preamble
Can an Australian sprinter win at Royal Ascot? There was no question about it from 2003 to 2012, in which time six of their number won Group One sprints at the Royal meeting, but things have gone a bit quiet since then. Some have taken the view that a tightening of the rules on steroid use has been a contributing factor.
But Australian racing still has a strong sprinting culture and there is no doubt about the fact that the country produces racehorses worthy of respect internationally, which is why Coolmore makes deals like the one that brought Merchant Navy to its Tipperary yard in the spring. A Grade One winner in Australia in November, he won on his first start for Aidan O’Brien, is said to be sharper for the run and gives the master trainer a big chance of closing out Ascot week with a top-class success in the Diamond Jubilee. But to win that, Merchant Navy must turn around March form with Redkirk Warrior, who is still trained in Australia and has a big chance of snapping that country’s losing streak here. When he won the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, he was carrying 12lb more than Merchant Navy, who was beaten a neck. Today, they meet at level weights and Redkirk Warrior has the assistance of Frankie Dettori.
The British defence is led by Harry Angel, who is favourite despite a remarkable aspect to his form so far: he’s 0/4 in races at Ascot and 5/5 at all other tracks. Admittedly, he has run some excellent races at the Queen’s track and has twice got within a length of victory, but this is a really hot race and it doesn’t help that his stable’s recent strike-rate is just 7%. It’s a fascinating central drama for Royal Ascot’s closing act.
Elsewhere, the card looks an attractive option for that kind of punter who likes to bet big at short prices, since Crystal Ocean will be odds-on in the Hardwicke and Thomas Hobson will surely be a warm order for the Queen Alexandra at the end of the card. Incidentally, all six races will be live in the US on the main NBC channel and one has to wonder what on earth the average American punter will make of the Queen Alex, to be run over two miles and five furlongs and therefore about a mile longer than a race that would be considered a marathon in the States. It’s not a strong race and, despite tradition, one has to wonder if it still holds its place at this race-meeting.
Updated
