Friday at Royal Ascot - Day Four

Friday at Royal Ascot doesn’t quite have the fanfare of the previous day’s attention, but there is still yet another strong card on, with The Coronation Stakes pitting the 3 year old Guineas fillies together once more, and it looks a wide open contest once more.

The Albany Stakes is a Group Three for two year old fillies over the extended six furlongs, and has a bumper field of nineteen runners this year. The Hannon and Noseda teams have some good juveniles, but the favourite is Newfangled, a New Approach two year old for the John Gosden team. She was very impressive on debut, but looks considerably short in this calibre of race, and has to be opposed. AMAZONAS looks a smart filly, winning a nice debut at Yarmouth for Ed Dunlop and Sir Robert Ogden, the so far luckless Johnny Murtagh, and she won nicely enough first time out. The Cape Cross filly looks a big price at around the 18/1 mark, and could be worth a tickle. Similarly SANDREAMER for the Mick Channon yard who have been firing on all cylinders. She won a maiden on good ground, but the Oasis Dream filly won’t be hampered by the soft ground, and the form of her Newmarket maiden has worked out well, with the second and third have both come out and won since.

The King Edward VII Stakes looks a class renewal, and is usually used as a race and a stepping to stone for potential St Leger horses, as well as further Group One winners. Last year’s winner Nathaniel went on to win The King George on the back of victory here. Astrology is fancied after a good third in The Derby, and is proven on soft ground, but Epsom runners have a poor record, as seen in yesterdays Ribblesdale Stakes, and as such, I can’t have him or Thought Worthy. There would be two I would take against the field, the first being SHANTARAM. He ran in two very good Newmarket maidens, before finishing second to Main Sequence in The Derby Trial at Lingfield, on a form line with Astrology, they should be similarly priced. He won a nice maiden last time, and should run a big race at a price. As should THOMAS CHIPPENDALE, who came there full of running in her first race of the season before tiring and clearly needing the run. She then made a mockery of her 86 rating, hacking up in a Newmarket handicap three weeks ago. She has been well backed, which is a good sign, and Fennell Bay, yesterdays King George V winner was in behind, and the form has already been franked.

The Coronation Stakes looks a muddled affair, with fillies with form all intertwined with each other, and as such, there is no real out and out favourite. The one I like who and looks to be so progressive is LAUGH OUT LOUD for the Mick Channon team. Since the 1000 Guineas, she has won a listed race at York and then went to Chantilly and beat Mashoora in the Prix Sandringham Stakes (Group Two). She showed she handles soft ground that day, and for my money, is the one to beat. Frankie Dettori takes the ride and will be bouncing after his Gold Cup win.

The Wolferton Handicap is another one of those typical Ascot tight handicap affairs, with some very classy horses running arguably below their class. In particularly MIJHAAR for Neil Callan and Roger Varian, who finished third here at the meeting last year behind Nathaniel when well fancied for the King Edward VII Stakes. He has had the year off, and ran well last time out at York when third behind Fury in a good looking handicap. Prince of Johanne was second that day has come out and won The Royal Hunt Cup, Navajo Chief came out and won a good race at York on Saturday, in the ground, and she looks open to further improvement. Gatewood is respected after two wins at York and Epsom and looks a good colt in the making. I will be having a little saver on him.

The Queen’s Vase looks a weaker renewal than most years, a race that Mark Johnston usually earmarks, and he has no entries, similarly anything from the supposed bigger stables of Gosden, Cecil and Godolphin operations. On breeding alone it is hard to not get drawn to REPEATER for the in form team of Sir Mark Prescott and Luke Morris. The well bred son of Montjeu has been gelded over the winter after good form at two years, never running further than a mile and a quarter, but breeding suggests he is likely toe excel over this trip. ESTIMATE is also respected after the manner of his maiden win last week at Salisbury. The Queen’s Monsun colt won over a mile and a half on soft ground, after previously being behind future black type winners on debut at Leicester. Out of an Irish Oaks winning mare, she is bred to excel over this trip, and is very much respected.

It isn’t really the most fashionable of selections but PRIMAEVAL looks to have strong claims in The Buckingham Palace Stakes, after a good listed win last time out. Trainer James Fanshawe chose this race as opposed to more financially lucrative alternatives, and that warrants respect. The Pivotal gelding should be suited by cut in the ground and Hayley Turner takes the ride, and has a good record with him. He should give another good account.

2.30 Ascot – Amazonas (Ew) & Sandreamer (Ew)
3.05 Ascot – Shantaram & Thomas Chippendale
3.45 Ascot – Laugh Out Loud (Nap)
4.25 Ascot – Mijhaar (Nb)
5.00 Ascot – Estimate & Repeater (Ew)
5.35 Ascot – Primaeval (Ew)

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

@JJMSports