DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
FRIDAY JUNE 19
2.30 ROYAL ASCOT
Sun Goddess looks the standout candidate in this quality Group 2 for fillies and it is hard to make a solid case for not being a short price favourite.
She created a very favourable impression behind stable mate Carry The Flag on her debut and she went on to duly bolt up at the Curragh last time out, this time showing a good deal more professionalism in getting the job done in tidy fashion.
The fact Victorious ran in the Queen Mary and the daughter of Sioux Nation does duty here strongly suggests she is the number one filly for Ballydoyle over this trip and it will take a good one to beat her.
So strong is Aidan O’Brien’s inmate, it is probably wiser, therefore, to look in the ‘without the favourite’ market to seek some value and KING’S PRIZE might well be the one chase home the jolly.
Well touted prior to her debut at Nottingham, Ralph Beckett’s filly justified her position in the market with a degree of comfort and her winning speed figure strongly pointed towards a juvenile who take even higher rank.
Surprisingly quick for a horse with such a stout pedigree, the stiffer track than the one she encountered on her opening bow will play more into her strengths and she can give the King & Queen something to cheer about.
KING’S PRIZE – 1-point each-way@9-1 without Sun Goddess (bet365)
3.05 ROYAL ASCOT
Once again, another totally dominant and worthy favourite in the shape of Venetian Sun and she would only have to run to the level she did at Haydock last time out (very fast time figure) to add to her victory in last season’s Albany over the C&D to collect.
Similar to the advice in the opener, the safest option is to look in the exotic markets for the value and it was a toss up between COPPULL and Division who gets the vote without the favourite, with the former just getting the nod on account of his better draw (on the evidence what we’ve seen so far this week).
A worthy winner on the day of the Pavillion Stakes over the C&D, Clive Cox’s gelding supplemented his effort in last season’s Coventry when third to Gstaad and with stall 14 seemingly more favourable than box 3 in the ballot than Division, he is fancied to be In the mix when the medals are dished out.
COPPULL – 1-point each-way@8-1 without Venetia Sun (bet365)
3.40 ROYAL ASCOT
The perceived wisdom is a high draw is more beneficial over the 1m4f at the Berkshire venue, but the last three winners were housed in stall 9, 4 and 7 respectively so that offers a bit of hope for INSANITY defying the stats from stall 3.
On form there is no way Alan King’s gelding should be the price he’s be quoted and add into the mix his solid C&D runs and there is every hope he can emulate Scarlet Dragon, who landed this prize for the Wroughton handler back in 2020.
Runner-up to the useful Mount Atlas on his first outing at the Berkshire venue, he went one place better on his return visit a month later and on his latest encounter, he filled out third in the same contest on Shergar Cup day.
Arriving here following a promising start to the campaign over an inadequate trip at Pontefract, the time figure he posted in defeat was a career high and now back under his optimum conditions, it is only the draw that prevents me from saying he is maximum stakes material at the prices.
INSANITY – 1-point each-way@33-1 (five places)
6.10 ROYAL ASCOT
Races such as the Coronation Stakes and King Edward, where both Precise and Water To Wine should justify favouritism make little appeal for betting purposes on this column but the final event on the card is hard to resist a couple of darts at the board and DICKENSIAN and SIMPLIFY, 1-2 from a race at York recently, are the two suggestions against the field.
The former just got the better of the argument on the Knavesmire but it was a fair effort by Kevin Ryan’s inmate considering where he was at halfway and his performance deserves to be upgraded accordingly.
Runner-up in last season’s Windsor Castle over the C&D, he will appreciate the return to a stiffer test and from his favourable draw at stall 19, he has more positives than negatives.
The latter is an extremely pacey filly and she only got nutted in the closing stages at York after being on the speed throughout.
Prior that smart effort, Andrew Balding’s filly had accounted for many progressive types in a well run affair at Thirsk and all her data points towards another solid effort from this extremely talented and progressive filly.
DICKENSIAN – 1-point each-way@12-1 (six places)
SIMPLIFY – 1-point each-way@18-1 (six places)