How can we top that?
There are no top hats around at Royal Ascot this year but many would have been thrown in the air if there had been when Stradivarius swooped past his rivals in the straight and kicked clear for an electric performance to bag his third Gold Cup. It was a dramatic day all in all with the heavy rain, which was not meant to be in his favour, falling till well into the afternoon and then the hot favourite himself getting steamed up and getting all ‘coltish’ in the racing parlance before the off.
The display itself was the highlight of the Flat season so far never mind the week, though it always helps to have the showman Frankie Dettori on top. He did his best to whip up the hundred or so people there into a frenzy and in a way this was one for the racing aficionados as I remember the Royal Ascot crowd hardly getting into a lather when Yeats won his fourth Gold Cup a few years back.
Elsewhere it was about the talent atop the animals with Jim Crowley, the veteran rider who is having a quite simply superb week after steering home his sixth winner, and the irrepressible Hayley Turner winning the Sandringham Stakes for the second year running. I was at Ascot in 1987 when Gay Kelleway became the first female jockey to win at the Royal meeting on Sprowston Boy and never thought it would take until last year for a woman to emulate her.
It seems a lot of you are enjoying the action having been starved of sports action for so long as according to Alexander Kostin of americangambler.com the figures being bet are already the equivalent of last year. I don’t know how we’re going to top today but I hope you can join us tomorrow for the fourth day of the fixture. See you then!
Turner bags Ascot prize for second year running
Jockey Hayley Turner and trainer Charlie Fellowes sprang a 33-1 surprise in the Sandringham Stakes for the second year running when Onassis delivered the goods. Thanks Be supplied the shock 12 months ago and the same combination served up another stunner in this handicap for three-year-old fillies.
Turner was only the second female rider to win at the Royal meeting when successful last year, to emulate Gay Kelleway in 1987. She said: “It was the plan to repeat last year’s tactics. It was a testing mile today so I was able to tuck her in and let her find her feet, she did it really well. For us nothing really changes, it’s still great to have a Royal Ascot winner whether people are here or not.”
Last year’s victory garnered plenty of media interest given it was the first female success in the saddle for 32 years. The Group One-winning rider went on: “We don’t want a female winning at Royal Ascot to be a special event, we want it to be a common occurrence. I’m so proud watching Hollie [Doyle] winning more often than not.
“There’s so many girls in the changing room now compared to what there was so it is inevitable others will win, it is just going to take time. I don’t mean to feel like a mentor to the girls, but I’m the oldest and then next it is Josephine (Gordon) who is more than 10 years younger than me so I think I’ll have to accept that I am! What is nice is that I’m still able to ride at the top level and show them that I can still ride a bit.” PA Media
Updated
Sandringham Stakes (4.40pm) result
1 Onassis (Hayley Turner) 33-1
2 Waliyak (David Egan) 4-1
3 Dubai Love (L Dettori) 8-1
15 ran
Also: 9-4 Fav African Dream, 100-1 Tiritomba 4th
Non Runners: 3,4,7
A delighted @Hayleyturner123 lands the Sandringham Handicap for the second year running as Onassis wins the 2020 running for @FellowesRacing
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) June 18, 2020
🗣 “Hayley saved the day.” pic.twitter.com/rC6uBGed4n
Updated
Sandringham Stakes (4.40pm)
They’re off ... Dubai Love sets out in the lead ... Declared Interest is up there and African Dream is moving forward ... Onassis comes through for Hayley Turner! What a great result after last year!
Updated
It must have been John Gosden’s aftershave which got Stradivarius worked up!
John Gosden on Stradivarius:
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) June 18, 2020
🗣 “He is quite a character. I must change my aftershave as he got quite coltish whilst I was saddling him. I must have overdone the aftershave or something.” pic.twitter.com/0pIzEfxIyK
Here’s Chris Cook’s quick report on Stradivarius’s Gold Cup romp, one of the Royal Ascot highlights for many a year
Sandringham Stakes (4.40pm) betting
- African Dream – 9/4
- Dubai Love – 4/1
- Waliyak – 6/1
- Declared Interest – 9/1
- Soffika – 10/1
- Huboor – 14/1
- Al Ramah – 18/1
- Odyssey Girl – 28/1
- Wejidan – 28/1
- Kalsara – 28/1
- Alabama Whitman – 33/1
- Onassis – 40/1
- Separate – 50/1
- Tiritomba – 50/1
- Night Colours – 50/1
- Mrs Upjohn – 66/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker
Sandringham Stakes (4.40pm) preview
This may not be its usual competitive self, as African Dream is a whopping, ridiculous 16lb well in after running second to a higher-rated rival in a Newbury novice recently. Such things do not always translate into victory but it certainly looks like a compelling case for John Gosden’s filly, who will be partnered again by Kieran O’Neill because Frankie Dettori hasn’t managed eight stone since the old King died. Soffika hasn’t been seen since a running-on second in the Sweet Solera in August and she would be of interest if she wasn’t carrying 17lb more than a rival like African Dream. Declared Interest has a penalty for making all at Chelmsford but that only leaves her 4lb well in, which doesn’t look like being enough on this occasion. Onassis is a well bred contender from the team who won this last year and might nick a place.
Britannia Stakes (4.10 pm) result
1 Khaloosy (Jim Crowley) 9-2
2 Finest Sound (Andrea Atzeni) 11-4 Fav
3 Cherokee Trail (R L Moore) 16-1
4 Enemy (Oisin Murphy) 6-1
22 ran
Non Runners: 15,17
Khaloosy - the definition of a Group horse in a handicap! ✈️ #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/GXNkxHPUxS
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2020
Updated
Britannia Stakes (4.10pm)
They’re off ... they’re all going down the middle to near side in one group with Shared Belief prominent ... Overwrite is up there with Harrison Point ... Khaloosy comes late and romps home under guess who ... Jim Crowley!!! That’s six winners at the meeting for the jockey. Amazing.
Updated
Great stuff in the Gold Cup – a proper horse and a great horserace, with a nervy build-up and a supreme staying performance. And we might see him in the Arc according to John Gosden.
John Gosden on Stradivarius:
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) June 18, 2020
🗣 “I think we’ll look at the @Goodwood_Races Cup & target a fourth win there.
“There’s talk of running in the Arc & that’s also possible.” pic.twitter.com/IYxFkul60G
Britannia Stakes (4.10pm) betting
- Finest Sound – 11/4
- Verboten – 11/2
- Khaloosy – 7/1
- Enemy – 9/1
- Great Ambassador – 12/1
- Starcat – 14/1
- Path of Thunder –20/1
- Dubai Mirage –14/1
- Ziggle Pops – 25/1
- Cherokee Trail –28/1
- Sun Power –33/1
- Toro Strike –40/1
- Overwrite –40/1
- World Title – 40/1
- Kondratiev Wave – 50/1
- Eshaasy – 50/1
- Amaysmont – 66/1
- He’s a Keeper – 66/1
- Harrison Point – 80/1
- Shared Belief – 125/1
- All You Wish – 125/1
- Glasvegas – 125/1
- Full betting here at Oddschecker
Britannia Stakes (4.10pm) preview
Since Paul and Oliver Cole didn’t make the breakthrough for ‘coupled’ trainers on Tuesday, perhaps Simon and Ed Crisford can do it with Finest Sound in this straight-mile handicap for three-year-olds. Well drawn in 17, he is half a stone well in under a penalty for a recent Haydock win, his first outing since he was gelded and had a wind operation. There’s every reason for him to be a short price but there are a lot of unknown quantities ranged against him, including the twice-raced Enemy. A John Gosden production, he was outpaced at a shorter trip on fast ground on his reappearance but finished well and, as a half-brother to Magic Wand, looks leniently weighted. Great Ambassador, whose uncle won a Listed race in this week 14 years ago, showed a lot of promise last year and looks handily treated. The first four from a Lingfield handicap have come here and the fourth, Verboten, shaped as though he would prove the best of them.
Gold Cup (3.35pm) result
1 Stradivarius (L Dettori) 4-5 Fav
2 Nayef Road (R L Moore) 11-1
3 Cross Counter (James Doyle) 7-1
8 ran
Also: 40-1 Withhold 4th
😘 #RoyalAscot @FrankieDettori pic.twitter.com/hFvQg3J9vj
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2020
Updated
Gold Cup (3.35pm)
They’re off ... Nayef Road heads into the lead with Withhold close up ... Moonlight Spirit is in third with Stradivarius in fifth ... Cross Counter towards the back with Mekong ... Prince Of Arran is in fourth and they seem to be going a decent clip with the field getting strung out ... No change in the order ... Nayef Road leads the field wide off the rail ... Stradivarius being asked to get closer ... and starts to look dangerous ... Stradivarius kicks clear for an imperious win. Brilliant display!
Updated
Stradivarius’s behaviour in the build-up to the Gold Cup is causing quite the stir!
Oh put it away, Stradivarius.
— Victoria Goff (@vickyrcgoff) June 18, 2020
Stradivarius obviously prefers it Good to Firm
— Francis Keogh (@HonestFrank) June 18, 2020
Updated
Gold Cup (3.35pm) betting
- Stradivarius – Evens
- Technician – 16/5
- Moonlight Spirit – 11/1
- Cross Counter – 10/1
- Nayef Road – 14/1
- Mekong –33/1
- Prince of Arran – 40/1
- Withhold – 50/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker
Stradivarius is readied for action in the Gold Cup. He’s been getting frisky apparently, if that’s a tip. And I’ve just found out he’s known as Mighty Mouse by those close to him!
Stradivarius has arrived at #RoyalAscot! pic.twitter.com/a2RG8THXz7
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2020
Gold Cup (3.35pm) preview
Quite a few horses have won two Gold Cups but three is a different thing. Since the war, only Sagaro and Yeats (who won four) have been able to do that, so it is really significant that Stradivarius comes here as an odds-on chance to emulate them. It is also a pity for him that he couldn’t be given a more orthodox preparation because the possibility exists that being asked to go faster than usual in the Coronation Cup will undermine his run here, just 13 days later. While he has often won with authority, he has rarely done so by any great distance and there must be a risk that something can bridge the gap if he is not at his best. He has won on soft ground but the bulk of his form has been on a faster surface and the rain has probably made him more beatable.
Cross Counter won the 2018 Melbourne Cup and again ran well there in November. He was disappointing in Riyadh in February but has a weight pull with Mekong and Prince Of Arran, who finished in front of him. Given his experience, he has to be taken seriously. Three improving four-year-olds add a lot of spice. Moonlight Spirit could be the best of them, looking like a work in progress before a gelding operation last year. Technician ran him down in France in October and the rain has arrived in time to give him his optimum conditions. Nayef Road was brave to win the Sagaro when stepped up in distance but this is a lot to ask just 12 days later and the rain is a problem for him.
Chesham Stakes (3.00pm) result
1 Battleground (R L Moore) 11-4 Fav
2 March Law (S De Sousa) 18-1
3 Seattle Rock (David Egan) 80-1
8 ran
Also: 5-1 Golden Flame 4th
Non Runner: 8
Battleground powers home to win the Chesham Stakes at @Ascot and Aidan O'Brien chalks up yet another Royal Ascot win pic.twitter.com/zLVD2Ywq1V
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2020
Updated
Chesham Stakes (3.00pm)
They’re off ... Modern News and March Law prominent ... Golden Flame is ridden along and now Battleground goes for home and is going to hold them off ... that will make Ryan Moore, who has had a wretched afternoon so far, feel a lot better.
Updated
Here’s John Gosden with his latest thoughts as Stradivarius gets ready to slog around Ascot in his quest for a third Gold Cup in a row.
"At his age, slogging is not what he enjoys" - the weather hasn't been kind as Stradivarius bids for a Gold Cup hat-trick. John Gosden spoke with @hayleyjanemoore ahead of the big race at 3.35pm on Sky Sports Racing... pic.twitter.com/u6FlghQnwV
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2020
Chesham Stakes (3.00pm) betting
- Battleground – 11/4
- Modern News – 4/1
- Golden Flame – 9/2
- Bright Devil – 5/1
- First Prophet – 5/1
- Clarendon Cross – 20/1
- March Law – 25/1
- Seattle Rock – 80/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker here
Chesham Stakes (3.00pm) preview
Eight juveniles have been found who are prepared to attempt seven furlongs within a fortnight of their debuts in this Covid-affected season. It would be no surprise if an Aidan O’Brien-trained runner were best placed to cope with the unusual circumstances and Battleground is interestingly bred, as the first foal out of Found. He stayed on well in a big field to be fifth at Naas 10 days ago and the extra furlong plus that bit of experience could make a big difference. First Prophet, the only runner to have won at this distance already, stayed on well against a more fancied rival at Chelmsford and was sold within two days. He is one to fear. Modern News was well ridden to score at Newmarket but the runner-up looked the one to take out of that race. Bright Devil made all at Newmarket on a day when such tactics appeared to be favoured.
Jim McGrath, late of Channel 4 and now on Sky Sports Racing, was not happy with Ryan Moore’s ride on Sir Dragonet in the Wolferton Stakes and was not afraid to say so
“I don’t know what Ryan Moore’s plan was” - @McGracing critical of the ride Sir Dragonet received in the Wolferton… #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/lCAU9AOUTA
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2020
Jersey Stakes (2.25pm) result
1 Molatham (Jim Crowley) 11-2
2 Monarch Of Egypt (R L Moore) 4-1
3 Symbolize (David Probert) 40-1
13 ran
Also: 9-4 Fav King Leonidas, 33-1 Ropey Guest 4th
Non Runners: 3,11
Jim Crowley is on fire! Molatham takes the Jersey Stakes at @Ascot, winning by a neck pic.twitter.com/AmwIe8fDqJ
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2020
Updated
Jersey Stakes (2.25pm)
They’re off ... Lord of The Lodge leads early ... King Leonidas and King Of Athens are close up ... Monarch Of Egypt struggling to go the pace ... Molatham going well and now Monarch of Egypt coming ... they fight out the finish and Molatham kept a straight line and won while Monarch of Egypt drifted and threw it away after leading till close home. And that’s five for Jim Crowley!
Updated
Jersey Stakes (2.25pm) betting
- King Leonidas – 11/4
- Celestin – 4/1
- Monarch of Egypt – 9/2
- Final Song – 7/1
- Molatham – 15/2
- Ropey Guest – 22/1
- Lord of the Lodge – 25/1
- Mystery Power – 25/1
- Symbolize – 33/1
- Mister Snowdon – 66/1
- Ventura Lightning – 66/1
- King of Athens – 80/1
- Above – 100/1
- Full betting here at Oddschecker
Jersey Stakes (2.25pm) preview
“Group horse in the making” was the tag immediately attached to King Leonidas when he won his second novice race at Newmarket 11 days ago, giving 7lb to some inexperienced rivals. This is a big step up in class and the market appears to be taking it as read that he will cope. His October win was on soft. Molatham beat Wichita at the Leger meeting and can be excused his Autumn Stakes flop, when a mile on soft was too much of a stretch at that stage for him. Monarch Of Egypt was ridden to track Siskin in the Irish Guineas at the weekend and immediately ran out of room when the winner made his move. In the circumstances, he may well be ready to go again just six days later and he got within a length of a Group One win last summer. Celestin was fourth at a big price in the French Guineas and this step back in trip may help. Le Brivido came from that race to win this in 2017. Rain would often be good news for a French raider and he won twice on heavy last year.
Wolferton Stakes (1.50pm) result
1st Mountain Angel 8-1
2nd Sir Dragonet (IRE) 15/8f
3rd Regal Reality 11-2
Wolferton Stakes (1.50pm)
They’re off ... Fox Tal and Forest Ranger get out of the stalls quickly ... with Forest Ranger now taking the lead ... Fox Tal is Keen ... Sir Dragonet towards the back ... Prince Eiji has moved much closer ... and takes it up ... Sir Dragonet stays on but it’s Mountain Angel who got first run and takes the prize.
Updated
Matt Chapman has just told ITV Racing viewers that Highland Chief, the winner of the first race, may now go for the Derby!
Highland Chief was an impressive winner of the opening Golden Gates Handicap at Royal @Ascot
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) June 18, 2020
A 33/1 shot for the Investec Derby at @EpsomRacecourse which is his next race according to the owner
🗣 Quotes from @whatcomberacing & @Rossaryan15
🗞 Report: https://t.co/PwBqxQbkvC pic.twitter.com/sUmLy8d5ns
Updated
It’s still squelching at Royal Ascot ...
Paul Cole, the trainer of the first winner today, has some record at Royal Ascot as Greg Wood reminds us.
Highland Chief’s win in the opener at #RoyalAscot means that Paul Cole has now trained a Royal winner in six decades: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s. #durable
— Greg Wood (@Greg_Wood_) June 18, 2020
Wolferton Stakes (1.50pm) betting
- Sir Dragonet – 2/1
- Fox Tail – 3/1
- Regal Reality – 9/1
- Crossed Baton – 10/1
- Mountain Angel – 12/1
- King Ottokar –10/1
- Dream Castle – 25/1
- Prince Eiji –33/1
- Forest Ranger – 40/1
- Mountain Hunter – 50/1
- Extra Elusive – 50/1
- Cockalorum – 250/1
- Full betting on Oddschecker here
Those racing cliches always keep on coming and I’m going to keep a tally – “getting through the ground” is the first as the winning jockey told us after the first race there.
A mud-splattered @Rossaryan15 on the ground at Royal @Ascot:
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) June 18, 2020
🗣 It’s loose on top. It’s soft but they are managing to get through it.” pic.twitter.com/wKYImUFvxE
Wolferton Stakes (1.50pm) preview
This Listed contest is on its way to an upgrade, as its cast is again remarkably strong. Last year, Addeybb beat Magic Wand, Elarqam and Latrobe. This time, we have the Champion Stakes fourth (Fox Tal), the Eclipse third (Regal Reality) and a horse beaten less than a length in the Derby. The latter is clearly Sir Dragonet; I have to frame it as “beaten less than a length” because saying he was fifth is less impressive. He has been repeatedly disappointing since Epsom and, although he needed his March run, it is not impossible that he will need this too. But the ground has come in his favour and lots of people are hoping to see a reprise of the Chester Vase. Fox Tal was having just his second run of the year behind Magical here in October, when the ground was also testing, and Andrew Balding’s lightly raced sort ought to be more of a force this year.
Regal Reality got within three lengths of Enable at Sandown despite being fractious in the preliminaries, so there is a lot of ability there. His York fifth was less impressive, his latest win is more than a year ago and this rain has not helped him. John Gosden fields his Winter Derby winner, Dubai Warrior, though his sole run on turf was poor. Frankie Dettori will be on Crossed Baton, good enough for an ordinary Listed prize but possibly not this one. King Ottokar, third in a better race in this week last year, may have needed his reappearance run behind Lord North. Walkinthesand defied top weight in a July meeting handicap and has had excuses since. This morning’s rain is not good news for him and he was taken out of the Brigadier Gerard recently because of cut in the ground.
Golden Gates Handicap (1.15pm) result
1st 1 Highland Chief 20-1
2nd Tritonic 9-1
3rd Global Storm (IRE) 7-2 f
4th HMS President 33-1
Pinatubo form! Highland Chief wins the Golden Gates Handicap at #RoyalAscot for @whatcomberacing... @Ascot pic.twitter.com/CNIQW8m4Np
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2020
Updated
Golden Gates Handicap (1.15pm)
They’re off ... Grand Rock was well away ... Yoshimi taken wide ... Tritonic is also prominent ... Global Storm in midfield ... Gallaside just behind the leaders ... Highland Chief and Tritonic kick on with Highland Chief getting the upper hand close home.
Updated
Thought we might amuse ourselves at what Gold Cup day would look like if we had a crowd today in the rain ...
Updated
It’s still persisting down at Ascot
The rain continues to fall steadily here at Royal @Ascot with the opening race of the day less than 20 minutes away 🏇🏻 pic.twitter.com/aMCMEtU8sp
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) June 18, 2020
Golden Gates Handicap (1.15pm) betting
- Global Storm – 4/1
- Acquitted – 11/2
- Hypothetical – 11/2
- Maori Knight – 11/2
- Tristonic – 9/1
- Grand Rock – 14/1
- Highland Chief – 14/1
- Bronze River – 20/1
- Ya Hayati – 22/1
- Cephus – 22/1
- Hms President – 33/1
- Yoshimi –33/1
- Gallaside – 50/1
- Tom Collins – 80/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker here
Golden Gates Handicap (1.15pm) preview
Here’s another of those handicaps invented to give more opportunities (to professionals and punters) at this Royal Ascot, a 10-furlong event for three-year-olds. It’s not a long run from the start to the first bend, so a wide draw can be problematic, yet Acquitted in 15 will be well fancied. He put up a big effort in defeat to the classy Palace Pier a dozen days ago and that attracted attention, but his mark has been raised and there are plenty of unexposed types with better draws. Global Storm is very slightly well in under his penalty for a win the day after Acquitted ran, when he beat Arthurian Fable, a close fifth here yesterday.
Hypothetical’s fourth in the Classic Trial looks strong form in light of what Pyledriver and Berlin Tango have done but he faded after taking a strong hold that day and this is a stiffer test on a very different surface. HMS President probably needed his comeback fifth at Yarmouth and this well-related colt who once had a Derby entry could do better here. But the pick is Tritonic, who had Acquitted four lengths behind when he scored at Newbury in September, looking like a nice prospect for this year. He has possible excuses for his final run beyond the ground but will clearly need to cope better with a wet surface today.
Non-runners update
1.15pm Golden Gates Handicap
3 Laser Show (Self Certificate, temperature)
12 Dogged (Going)
14 Cemhaan (Self Certificate, heat in leg) - replaced by reserve Bronze River who takes number 14
1.50pm Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
1 Dubai Warrior (Going)16 Bubble And Squeak (Going)
2.25pm Jersey Stakes (Group 3)
3 Fleeting Prince (Going)
3.00pm Chesham Stakes (Listed)
8 Concessions (Self Certificate, Going)
4.10pm Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
10 Johan (Self Certificate, (blood analysis not normal)
17 Grove Ferry (Vet’s Certificate, Lame)
4.40pm Sandringham Stakes (Handicap)
3 Festive Star (Going)7 Graceful Magic (Going)
Chris Stickels, Clerk of the Course at Ascot, says: “We have now had 16 millimetres of rain since racing finished on Wednesday and I have changed the going to Soft all over. The Straight Course is walking quite well, but this moisture is really starting to get properly into it now.”
“We have fresh ground on the Round Course from nine furlongs out today, and the Straight Course has taken the racing really well so far this week, it is simply the volume of rain we have received that is now really getting into it.”
“Low pressure has been circling us for the last seven or eight days and the weather has been difficult to predict. It does look like it should settle down for Friday and Saturday, with the chance of occasional showers. Once we are through today, we should be over the worst of it, although the risk of showers cropping up on Friday and Saturday remains.”
Ascot changes going to soft after heavy rain
There has now been 15mm of rain since last night and with the precipitation still persisting, the clerk of the course has returned from his walk of the track, taken his wellies off and declared the going to be ‘soft’. As our chief tipster Chris Cook warned in a tweet earlier today it may ride ‘heavy’ in places out there so adjust your betting accordingly.
Ground update ahead of day three at Royal @Ascot 2020
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) June 18, 2020
🌱 The going is now SOFT
🌧 There has been 15 millimetres of rain after racing yesterday up until 11:30am pic.twitter.com/kRhheJVFLO
Top trainers
John Gosden 3 wins
Aidan O’Brien 2
Charlie Hills 1
Roger Varian 1
William Muir 1
Mark Johnston 1
Andrew Balding 1
Owen Burrows 1
Richard Hannon 1
Alan King 1
William Knight 1
This is already the fourth best Royal Ascot of Gosden’s career and of course he’s odds-on to add to his tally today, thanks to Stradivarius in the Gold Cup. He has nine other runners, including the favourites for the Jersey and the Sandringham. Meanwhile, O’Brien has four confined to three races, although it would be no great surprise if he won all three. The Irishman will have a stronger hand on Friday and Saturday. William Haggas is having his patience stretched, as half of his six Ascot runners so far have finished second.
Newsflash: going now officially soft at Royal Ascot. More details soon.
Updated
Top jockeys
Jim Crowley 4 wins
James Doyle 2
Ryan Moore 2
Frankie Dettori 1
Andrea Atzeni 1
Oisin Murphy 1
Martin Dwyer 1
William Buick 1
Thore Hammer Hansen 1
After a brilliant opening day, Crowley got another win aboard Hukum yesterday. It’s already been an excellent week for him, considering he’s only had nine rides in total at Ascot and one of the losers was Maydanny, first home on the wrong side in the Silver Hunt Cup.
James Doyle had the biggest Wednesday, bagging the Prince of Wales as well as a win in the Queen’s colours, while Oisin Murphy and Andrea Atzeni got themselves on the podium. Meanwhile, Frankie Dettori has had a few frustrations since the exhilaration of Frankly Darling, being on the wrong Gosden runner in yesterday’s big race and getting done on the line aboard First Receiver. His chance of being top jockey this week has halved since Tuesday morning, according to the betting.
Top jockey, best odds:
6-4 Moore, 2-1 Crowley, 3-1 Dettori, 10-1 Doyle, 20-1 Buick, Murphy, 25-1 Atzeni.
Updated
Thursday's tips
1.15pm Golden Gates Handicap
Tritonic 15-2
1.50pm Wolferton Stakes
Walkinthesand (nb) 40-1
2.25pm Jersey Stakes
Monarch Of Egypt 9-2
3.00pm Chesham Stakes
Battleground 5-2
3.35pm Gold Cup
Moonlight Spirit 9-1
4.10 Britannia Handicap
Great Ambassador (nap) 12-1
4.40pm Sandringham Handicap
African Dream 7-4
Annoyingly, the price has crashed in the past 24 hours about Great Ambassador, who was a 20-1 shot at 4pm on Wednesday!
There will be full advice, with up-to-date analysis taking into account the crucial change in ground conditions, in our previews before every race today.
On Ladies’ Day, the traditional flutter for racegoers in the build up to the action is the colour of the Queen’s hat, and I’ve been told that in the absence of the Royal Procession, Bettingexpert.com have put together a fun set of odds for ITV Racing’s Francesca Cumani’s headpiece. The guide prices are 2-1 Purple, 3-1 Green, 4-1 Blue, 6-1 Red 8-1 White, Grey and Black, 10-1 Orange, 25-1 Union Jack and 33-1 No Hat. We’ll have the result soon after ITV Racing are out of the stalls at 1.30pm!
Hoofnote: the winner was Pink at 40-1!
Updated
There was some precipitation at the meeting in 1971 ... when Rock Roi won (this Pathe newsreel is a hoot) the Gold Cup but was later disqualified after failing a dope test.
Updated
Punters going a storm for Global after Ascot rain
There’s nothing like a bit of rain to send betting markets into turmoil and punters seem certain the 13mm that fell on Ascot this morning has made the Gold Cup more competitive. Technician, an 11-2 shot overnight, has shortened to a best price of 100-30 while Stradivarius has gone the other way, from 4-7 to 5-6, despite having some top-class form to his name on soft.
There have been interesting movements in the other round-course races, with Global Storm, a winner on heavy last year, going favourite for the opening handicap. And of course this is very much Sir Dragonet weather, the Irish raider having never looked so good as when sluicing through the Chester mud in spring last year. He’s taken over at the top of the betting for our second race, the Wolferton, and while some of that support will be the result of a ‘Pricewise’ tip in the Racing Post, he has tightened from 11-4 to 9-4 since 8.30am.
The effect of the rain will probably be less on the straight course but it’s interesting to see some opposition to the supposed handicap ‘good thing’ in the last, African Dream, whose ability to cope with soft must be taken on trust. Waliyak, who put up a big effort on heavy last year, is 13-2 from 10-1 since last night.
Stradivarius runs but Gosden fears soft ground
There will be a further update on the going at Ascot after Chris Stickels, the clerk of the course, has walked the track again at around 10.30, but it was still raining when he recorded his first report at 8.30am, which arrived on Ascot’s Twitter feed a few minutes ago.
“We’ve had 11m of rain since racing yesterday and it’s now about 8.30 in the morning,” Stickels said, “and the going has changed to good-to-soft. It’s still raining lightly so it will possibly go to good-to-soft, soft in places on the round course. We’ll update when I walk the course again at around 10.30 to 11.00.
“The forecast is for further possible showers today and then tomorrow and Saturday look like two drier days with only the occasional risk of a shower.”
The latest news on the going from Clerk of the Course, Chris Stickels, as we prepare for Gold Cup day#RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/PQbSnXkcQP
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 18, 2020
John Gosden, meanwhile, has been on ITV’s Opening Show to confirm – as only he can – that Stradivarius will definitely line up for the Gold Cup despite the softening ground.
“There’s little you can do about it but he loves to cruise … on fast summer ground and then put in that electrifying turn of foot which deals with his opponents,” Gosden said. “I think it’s a bit what Muhammad Ali said, he won’t be able to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee today, I’m afraid with the ground, it’s more likely to be rope-a-dope.
“We will be running, we’re not going to disappoint people. He’s on his way down on the van now. Last year [on] Champions Day was a huge decision to run, that again was very soft ground, we actually used the hurdles course which hadn’t been raced on since the previous National Hunt season. He’s not the same horse on that, it’s more of a slog and he can’t show that same ability to quicken after two miles.
“He got chinned there, but look, we’re game on. He had a run at Newmarket and it was a very fast-run race and one worries that such a strong race [13 days before], it’s close, but having said that, he’s been in good form and probably having a run under his belt is not a bad thing given the conditions.”
Updated
Betfair Royal Ascot tipping competition
You could win a £50 account credit from Betfair 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 1.15pm. There are seven races at Ascot today and you must post a single selection for each race.
Our usual terms and conditions, which you can read here will 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. You’ll have one more chance tomorrow.
Congratulations to melonk who won Wednesday’s competition ... for the second year in a row! The Talking Horses veteran had both the 12-1 shots that scored yesterday, Sir Busker and Hukum, for a final score of 19. That was impressive but not quite so good as 12 months ago, when melonk’s winners were Raffle Prize (18-1), Southern Hills (7-1) and Dashing Willoughby (6-1). BraileyC went close yesterday on +16.33, while MISTERCHESTER had three winners for +12.
Please post your tips or racing-related comments below.
Updated
Soggy starts threatens Stradivarius's Gold strike
The rainclouds that threatened but largely failed to deliver on Tuesday and Wednesday finally dumped some serious rain on Ascot after racing yesterday, and the effect on Stradivarius’s price to become only the third horse in history to win the Gold Cup three times has been dramatic.
So far, the course has taken 13.2mm of rain since midnight, more than enough to change the official going to good-to-soft all over with every chance of further deterioration as the day goes on. That is very bad news for backers of Stradivarius, who remains odds-on for today’s feature race – but only just.
It’s true that the ground was officially soft, good-to-soft in places when Stradivarius won his second Gold Cup last year, with a GoingStick reading of 7 on the straight course and 5.7 on the round course before racing, but it was drying all the time (and changed to good-to-soft all over after the Gold Cup).
The GoingStick readings today are almost identical (7 and 5.5, slightly softer than 2019, respectively) but heading down. By race time, the going is likely to be very similar to the ground on which Stradivarius’s 10-race winning streak was snapped by Kew Gardens on Champions Day last year.
Having been priced up at around 4-7 by most major firms this morning, Stradivarius is now available at 5-6 with Bet365, in the face of strong support for Martin Meade’s four-year-old Technician, who took the Group One Prix Royal-Oak on heavy ground at Longchamp in October. Oisin Murphy’s mount is now top-priced at 100-30, having been available at 5-1 overnight.
Stradivarius’s win last year was, memorably, Frankie Dettori’s fourth straight winner on the card, and he was only just touched off in the fifth. Having peered into the abyss of a six-timer, bookmakers are likely to be wary of his mounts again today, all but one of which sits in the first three in the betting.
Dettori, with one winner so far, needs this to be a moving day if he is to retain the top jockey title he won last year for the first time since 2004. He is now a 3-1 chance for the prize, behind Jim Crowley (2-1), who added another winner yesterday to stand on four, and Ryan Moore (2), the 6-4 favourite. James Doyle, also on two winners, is 10-1.
Chris Cook’s selections for the third day are here, and the action is underway at 1.15.
