12.15pm Rain forces Time Test to miss Royal Ascot
Tony Paley: Trainer Roger Charlton has pulled Time Test out of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday owing to the rain-softened ground at the track.
The colt was an impressive winner of the Tercentenary Stakes at the meeting last year and made a successful return to action with a narrow victory in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown last month.
Charlton tweeted: “Time Test will not be declared to run in the Prince of Wales’s and he will be aimed at the Eclipse [at Sandown Park], hoping for quicker ground.”
Buratino is also unlikely to take his place in Friday’s Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot owing to ground conditions.
Charlie Johnston, son and assistant trainer to his father Mark, said: “The plan was very much to run Buratino in the Commonwealth Cup, but it would have to look doubtful at this moment in time unless the ground dries out considerably.
“He is very much a quick-ground horse. We were really looking forward to taking him back to Ascot where he put in one of his best performances in winning the Coventry and we were hoping to see a return to that level of form.
“He will almost certainly still be declared, he might even travel down to Ascot and a decision may be made at the last minute, but if it is soft ground he won’t run.”
Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Royal Wetscot is what we will be having this week, thanks to all the recent rain, more of which is in the air. The going at the Queen’s track is good to soft, soft in places but more telling for me is that GoingStick readings across the straight track and on the round course are all below 7, suggesting that conditions will provide a significant test for all these fancy-dan Flat racers.
Just to put the tin lid on it, there is rain forecast for Ascot every day this week with a next-to-unbelievable 20mm predicted for Thursday, followed by another 14mm that night. If they really do get that amount, you couldn’t take it for granted that the round course races would go ahead on Friday.
Richard Fahey might be the man to follow on this quiet Monday ahead of the main event. His In My Place (3.30) is surprisingly backable at 11-4 for a sprint handicap at Carlisle, having finally got off the mark in first-time cheekpieces a fortnight ago.
His late run from the back to score by just a neck means he’s only 3lb higher here. The going is a deal softer but he’s bred to cope well.
At Nottingham tonight, Fahey saddles Evangelical (7.40), another last-time winner, when she was running at this track on her handicap debut. She’s gone up 9lb but fully deserves it, having travelled strongly that day after a tardy start on what was her seasonal return. The extra furlong looks like good news and she’s 2-1.
Bunbury (7.50), a Richard Hughes horse that has been mentioned in this spot before, makes his handicap debut at Windsor tonight and the market has not missed his chance, since he’s 15-8. This full brother to a Group Two winner starts on what looks a very workable mark of 74.
In Nottingham’s last, Maoi Chinn Tire (9.10) might be over-priced at 8-1, given that he’s won four times from five visits to this track. He ran really poorly here last time but the race didn’t pan out well for him and he might now need some cut underfoot just to keep the others within reach. He’ll get that tonight.
Royal Ascot tipping competitions start tomorrow
Congratulations to Copshaw, who held on to win last week’s competition on a final score of +30 after a winnerless Friday, thanks to 72luca (+28) also having a winnerless Friday. Jakesnake1 (+24.75) finished strongly into third.
This week is all about Royal Ascot and, as ever, we’ll be having individual competitions for each of the next four days, with a total of four prizes up for grabs. Do join us in this space tomorrow for Day One of the great race-meeting.
And do also tell us if you’re planning any bets today or half-fancy anything by using the comment section below.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
