As with the opening day, we are splitting our Royal Ascot previews up for the second day of the meeting where the undoubted highlight on Wednesday is the Prince of Wales’ Stakes where all eyes will be on Magical to see if it lives up to its name.
There are two other tasty group races on the schedule too and we have picks in all three races. As well as our picks check out complete previews on all three races by reading below. Our preview for the remainder of the card will be up shortly.
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3.05 Royal Ascot: Queens Vase
Preview
Racing over 1 mile 6 furlongs, this Group 2 for 3 year olds is for the out and out stayers, and there are 13 of those looking to land this prize.
Aiden O’Brien and Mark Johnston have dominated this race having won 8 of the last 10 runnings and they are responsible for 6 of this year’s field.
Favourites
The 2 market leaders both hail from the yard of O’Brien in the shape of Norway and Western Australia. The former comes here off the back of a decent run in the Derby where his chances were compromised by racing too close to the pace whilst previous to that, he was 2nd in Chester Vase on easy going behind Sir Dragonet. He’s the mount of Ryan Moore so has to be feared especially with the recent rain in his favour.
Western Australia is O’Brien’s other fancied runner with Donnacha O’Brien taking the ride. He won a Listed heat last time out so has to step up but of more concern is his lack of a run on anything worse than good ground. The other 2 challengers from Ballydoyle are 2 of the 3 rank outsiders and shouldn’t be good enough.
Contenders
Godolphin have a strong hand with Jalmoud and Moonlight Spirit in the field. Jalmoud has only raced 3 times in his career, winning his last 2 including a Listed race in France but was beaten on his debut when just under 2 lengths behind stablemate and rival, Moonlight Spirit who himself has only lost 1 race but worryingly that was a Group 3 on softish ground.
Eminent Authority is trained by Aiden’s son, Joseph O’Brien, and is the dark horse of the race having only seen the track twice. He won on his debut but then was a close up last of 3. He’s sure to improve but was behind one of the Aiden O’Brien outsiders here so needs to come on a lot to land this. Nate The Great is not out of this based on formlines with Norway and a line through Anthony Van Dyck but the lack of big race experience for Hollie Doyle is enough to put me off.
Mark Johnston, who has landed this prize 3 times in the last 10 years, relies on 2. The first is Nayef Road who could improve now he’s stepped up 4 furlongs in trip but he does look thoroughly exposed.
Betting
Instead, I prefer the chances of his other runner Themaxwecan. In his 5 race career, he won his first 2 and looked destined by a big future. He’s been seen 3 times this year; first up, he was 2nd to the very useful Technician when giving him 10lbs before disappointing on his only run on soft behind Anthony Van Dyck in the Lingfield Derby Trial. However, the ground didn’t look to be a problem, it was more the fact that he raced wide throughout and the sharp track didn’t suit this thorough stayer.
There was improvement last time out when upped to this trip in a handicap where he was denied by a head. The winner has been out and won again since. Silvestre De Sousa takes the ride, which is another positive and his hold up style should be ideal in a race where a fast pace and doubts of others getting home seem assured. I’m still convinced that soft ground will bring about improvement, especially as there is some very strong bits of form on easy ground in his breeding. He looks a big price to build on his trainer’s excellent record in this race.
Tips
Back Themaxwecan (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 13.00 Skybet BOG (⅕ odds 1-4)
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3.40 Royal Ascot: Prince of Wales Stakes
Preview
Touted as the race of the whole meeting and with good reason, this is a Group 1 over 10 furlongs with just 8 runners lining up.
6 of the 8 strong field have won a Group 1 before and another has been runner up in 3 races at the top level so it looks incredibly competitive. 3 of the runners are priced at 50/1 or bigger and it’s hard to see any of Deirdre, Hunting Horn and Desert Encounter troubling the judge.
Favourites
The favourite is another for the O’Brien/Moore combination in Magical. She won the Champion Stakes over a mile and a half here at the end of last year and is 3 from 3 this term beating Flag Of Honour into 2nd on each occasion. She looks hard to beat but this is her toughest assignment to date.
Sea Of Class is from the in form Haggas yard and is a top class filly having won 4 on the spin last term including a pair of Group 1’s. She was then edged out in a tight finish in the Arc behind Enable but the worry here is that she’d prefer better ground and it’s her first start of the year.
Contenders
Less than 2 lengths behind Sea Of Class in the Arc was French challenger Waldgeist but he is 4lb better off today. He’s also raced this term, winning the Prix Ganay by 4 lengths. His legendary trainer Andre Fabre has voiced concerns over the widest draw and thinks that genuine good ground is more suitable than the soft ground that is likely.
Crystal Ocean is the next top class challenger here but surprisingly is the only one of the leading challengers that’s never landed a Group 1. He’s not been out of the first 2 in his last 10 starts, winning 6 of those but interestingly 3 of his 4 defeats have come at the very highest level. He does however love Ascot although he’s better suited over slightly further.
Betting
The value in this race is Zabeel Prince. Unlike the other fancied runners, he’s going up in trip and I’m hoping that his turn of foot proves decisive. He’s a lightly raced 6 year old who loves soft having 3 of his 5 starts on such a surface.
He opened his 2018 campaign with a comfortable Listed win on soft before finishing down the field in the Lockinge on unsuitably firm ground. After a break, he was 2nd in a Group 2 behind this year’s Lockinge winner Mustashry. But it is this year that he’s really established himself; he started up by winning the Group 3, 9 furlong Earl Of Sefton Stakes by almost 3 lengths on ground too firm for him. What was impressive was the opposition that he dismissed; 111-rated Forest Ranger was 2nd and he won the Group 2 Huxley Stakes next time out, 3rd was 121-rated Mustashry who won the Lockinge next time out and 4th was another who won on his next start, Elarqam who won a Listed event at Goodwood.
He then went and landed his first Group 1 in France on good to soft despite racing keenly for much of the race. He looked better the further he went that day and this step up in trip and softer ground could bring about further improvement. The big worry is whether he’s quite good enough to get past Magical.
Tips
Back Zabeel Prince (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 13.00 Betfair Sportsbook BOG (⅕ odds 1-3)
Back Zabeel Prince in the ‘w/o Magical’ market for a 1/10 stake at 8.00 Betfair Sportsbook
Back it here:
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4.20 Royal Ascot: Duke of Cambridge Stakes
Preview
A race for the girls, 17 runners head down the straight track over a mile for the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge.
Good course form and, more important, form at this meeting last year is usually a good pointer in finding the winner. The other thing to note is that horses running under a Group 1 or Group 2 penalty don’t usually fare too well; Hydrangea went off at 7/4 last year but under her 5lb penalty finished well down the field.
Favourites
I Can Fly looks like being the 3rd consecutive favourite for the O’Brien/Moore pairing and she comes here well fancied especially judged on her neck 2nd to Roaring Lion here on soft at the tail end of last season. However, she carries a 3lb penalty which is a worry.
Rawdaa is one of 2 Sir Michael Stoute runners and is the ride of Dettori. She’s best judged on her neck 2nd to Lah Ti Dar in the 10 furlong Middleton Stakes but I suspect she’s better over further on a turning track. The winner of last year’s Sandringham, Agrotera is also well fancied having landed a Listed race on the all weather on her only start this term but she needs to improve to land this.
Contenders
Pretty Baby is from the in form Haggas yard and has won 5 of her 7 career starts including a pair of Group 3’s on her last 2 starts. She looked a real battler winning narrowly both times but she steps up to a mile for the first time here today.
At a bigger price, I couldn’t rule out soft ground lover Di Fede whilst Anna Nerium is feared having won the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth at Epsom last time out.
Betting
However, preference is for Sir Michael’s 2nd string Veracious at a good each way price. She is the 2nd highest rated runner in the field (accounting for I Can Fly’s penalty), 1lb behind stablemate Rawdaa.
She was beaten last time out by Anna Nerium in that Epsom race but she had a 3lb penalty to contend with and she should turn the tables today, especially on easier ground. That run represented a return to form and the first time tongue tie is retained today. Being out of Pivotal, I think we could see a different filly on her first run under soft ground conditions.
Arguably she brings the best form to the table from last term having finished 3rd in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes here 12 months ago behind the excellent Alpha Centauri before again finishing 3rd in another Group 1, this time the Nassau at Goodwood. She then took in a Group 3 at Sandown and landed that with the minimum of fuss.
It seems as though she’s been brought along steadily for this and I fancy her to run a massive race under Oisin Murphy.
Tips
PLACED – Back Veracious (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 11.00 BetVictor BOG (⅕ odds 1-4)
Back her here:
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