3 minute read
It's twenty years since Choisir came storming up the track at Ascot.
And there's a couple of Aussies hoping to emulate this feat in the King's Stand.
Racing and the Royal Ascot kick off with the Queen Anne G1 over the straight mile and here we think favourite Modern Games should kick off a good meeting for Godolphin. Appleby-Buick and a price of 7/4. Stablemate Native Trail will have James Doyle aboard and could provide the quinella for Godolphin – he's value at 6/1. Inspiral is on 15/8 but hasn't raced since last year and the Dettori factor is going to shorten the price on all his mounts. We have a roughie here in Berkshire Shadow from Andrew Balding's in-form yard with Oisin Murphy riding.
The Coventry Stakes is G2 for the 2yos over 1200m and we don't know much about a lot of these and usually don't bet in these races but we can give you the market which has the Aidan O'Brien-Ryan Moore River Tiber on 7/4 – he's by Wooton Basset. Givemethebeatboys is on 10/3 with Dettori riding the Jessica Harrington son of Bungle Inthejungle. William Buick rides for George Boughey on Asadna by Mehmes and they are on 5/2.
The King's Stand G1 over 1000m is always a great contest and it has attracted 19 runners. The locals are sticking behind Highfield Princess who is hoping to maintain an unbeaten record and is on 2/1 for John Quinn and Jason Hart. However here come the raiders headed by Coolangatta for Maher-Eustace and J Mac riding – they are on 4/1 in the UK. Reports are the horse travelled well and enjoyed a run at Ascot the other day. Stable VERY confident.
Manaccam is on 13/2 probably because Dettori rides here – we would put a couple above such as Dramatised on 13/2 as we liked his recent run – Karl Burke and Daniel Tudhope, and our own Cannonball 14/1 who is now with the Snowdens. A somewhat unusual jockey choice in Brett Prebble but then J Mac is booked for Coolangatta.
Wesley Ward is a very regular contributor to Royal Ascot and this year he is sending Twilight Gleaming and top jockey Irad Ortiz to this race. The horse is very lightly raced and has had long breaks in between races so there could be an issue but he's on 18/1 and we shall see.
The St James's Palace Stakes is for 3yo colts and is generally the next start for the Guineas runners so the market is headed by the winner of that race Chaldean with Dettori riding for Andrew Balding and they are on 13/8. We prefer Paddington – Aidan O'Brien-Ryan Moore – who is on the up and on 9/4 better value. We have a bit of a roughie here in Isaac Shelby who won the Greenham (after Chaldean parted company with Dettori) and was second in the French Guineas and 15/2 is good value with William Buick riding for Brian Meehan.
