DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
THURSDAY JUNE 19
3.05 ROYAL ASCOT – KING GEORGE V HANDICAP
As the action on day one of the meeting reminded us, finishing late, fast and wide is often the route to success here on the round course and that is probably why 11 of the last 14 winners of this race have emerged from a double figure draw.
Because they are drawn high, jockeys tend to take their mounts back in the early stages and, as a result, they are in the best position to challenge when switched to race down the middle of the course in the home straight, whereas those drawn low are often forced to either make the running – which is difficult to achieve – or simply just do too much too early.
Predicting which one of the 19-strong field is going to show the most improvement for the trip and a race of this nature, however, is going to be tough, but there is a lot to like about the way GUNSHIP (best price 7-1) is progressing, and he scores high on plenty of stats for previous winners of this contest.
A big eye-catcher at Sandown two starts ago, where he was the only one to make up any discernible ground from the back of the field, James Ferguson’s backed up the visual impression of his display that day by scoring in taking fashion at Newcastle next time out and since then, the runner-up, War Chief, has gone on to boost the form twice over.
Seemingly still well treated off 89 and having the size and scope for future improvement, the son of Sea The Stars can make up for the stables near miss in this race three years ago with Deauville Legend.
GUNSHIP – 1-point each-way@7-1 (five places)
5.00 ROYAL ASCOT – BRITANNIA
Seemingly a nightmare of a race at first glance but it’s quite a punter friendly one with 22 of the last 34 winners housed in the first half dozen in the betting.
With that in mind, two who are situated towards the front rank in the market that catch the eye as potential winners are PAROLE D’ORO (best price 11-1) and RAAFEDD (best price 9-1) and they are taken against the field.
The former looks to have been saved especially for this race since finishing second here as a two-year-old on debut and he arrives here following a promising seasonal reappearance at Thirsk.
Up against the race-fit and previous winner, Teroomm, Michael Bell’s inmate was understandably a little fresh and keen after a 264-day break and, as a result, he didn’t quite see the race out as well as his main market rival close home having expended vital energy in the first half a mile.
That said, he left the distinct impression he could easily turn out to be the best of the pair in the long term and with the winner going on to land the Silver Bowl at Haydock next time out, he looks to have as good a chance as any on form.
The latter ran out a striking winner of a novice event at Newbury last time out and the data he posted pointed towards a colt of some quality. Not only was the overall time figure very good for a race of its kind, his final three-furlong split of 34.2 was only bettered by one horse on the seven-race card (Humidity with 34.1 in the 6f two-year-old maiden) and the way he strode out on the lightening fast ground, bodes well for him handling these quick conditions.
PAROLE D’ORO – 1-point each-way@11-1
RAAFEDD – 1-point each-way@9-1
5.35 ROYAL ASCOT – HAMPTON COURT STAKES
One of the most notable features about this Group 3 contest in recent times is quite a few of the winners have come here via a run in a Classic of some description and DETAIN (best price 7-2), third in the French Derby, can sprinkle a bit of stardust to proceedings.
The strongest finisher in the French 2000 Guineas according to the data (33.0 from three out compared to Henri Matisse 33.2), it was easy to see why John & Thady Gosden were keen to send the son of Wootton Basset up in trip at Chantilly a month later and once again, he came home to really good effect to finish a close-up third.
Once again, coming out well on the numbers, he left the impression a decent prize will surely come his way this season and having already taken the scalp of Trinity College at the French venue, there appears no obvious reason why he wouldn’t rubberstamp his superiority hailing from a stable in unstoppable form.
DETAIN – 1-point win@7-2
6.10 ROYAL ASCOT – BUCKINGHAM PALACE
The outcome to last year’s renewal might have a significant baring to how the race plays out twelve months on and it probably all boils down to whether Ed Walker has got English Oak back into top shape.
On a roll and seemingly well handicapped last season, he took total command once picking up the running a furlong from home but since then, the wheels have rather come off the son of Wootton Bassett.
At the prices, therefore, he rates a risky proposition, and the percentage call is look towards two that fared well in the same race, namely BILLYJOH (best price 16-1) and DIVINE LIBRA (best price 16-1).
As we saw yesterday, there isn’t too much between the far side and the stands side on the straight track, but it’s always best to have one either side all the same.
The former was a fast-finishing runner-up last season, and he has had his campaign geared around going one place better.
Upped to his optimum trip at Doncaster last time out after a couple of quiet runs over six furlongs on his previous two starts, he left the impression he is just coming to the boil and even though he has yet to win a handicap, it wouldn’t come a s a massive surprise if he were to snap that unwanted tag in this contest.
The latter was just behind the main players twelve months ago and considering he didn’t get the smoothest of passages, his effort in defeat deserved upgrading.
Undone by the draw at Chester last time, he did, however, come home to decent effect and it was a run that suggested he too, is peaking at the right time.
Of the rest, No Retreat also enters the mix on his promising start for George Scoot at Haydock last time out and this strong traveller is likely to find this strong-run seven furlongs right up his street despite his tricky draw in stall one.
BILLYJOH – ½ point each-way@16-1 (five places)
DIVINE LIBRA – ½ point each-way@16-1 (five places)