The Royal Ascot in England continues Wednesday with more competitive racing after Tuesday's start. The feature race Wednesday is the Prince of Wales Stakes (Grade 1) over 10 furlongs which was highlighted in part one in yesterday's column.
The next three days of the five-day meeting will be featured in Wednesday' column. Day five of the meeting which runs off on Saturday, will also see the President’s Cup taking place at our own Santa Rosa Park in Arima.
Day 3 – Thursday, June 20th
The feature race on day three is the Gold Cup (Group 1) over two miles and four furlongs. The favourite for the event is the 2022 winner Kyprios who is seeking to become one of the few horses to regain the Cup having been unable to defend his crown in 2023. While he is unbeaten in 2024, he does not appear as invincible as in his 2022 unbeaten season. His main challenge is expected to come from the Gosdens’ trio of Gregory (2023 Queens Vase winner), Sweet William (2024 Henry II winner) and Trawlerman (2023 Long Distance Cup winner and third in the 2024 Dubai Gold Cup); Coltrane (2024 Sagaro Stakes winner), Caius Chorister (2nd in both the Sagaro and Henry II).
Notwithstanding the stable form, Gregory brings the most potential into the race and is the selection. In the supporting features, Diamond Rain is taken to get the better of Kalpana in the Ribblesdale (Group 2) while Native Warrior should be tough to peg back in the Hampton Court (Group 3).
Day 4 – Friday June 21st
The feature events on day four are the Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) over six furlongs for three-year-olds and the Coronation Stakes (Group 1) over 1 mile for three-year-old fillies. In the Commonwealth Cup, Elite Status, Bucanero Fuerte, Inisherin, Vandeek and River Tiber stand head and shoulders above their rivals. Elite Status disappointed in the 2023 Coventry when only third but he is a strong selection to put the record right on Friday. He was twice beaten by Vandeek at the end of last season but that one did not look the same horse on his return in the Sandy Lane when well behind Inisherin and Orne.
The Coronation lost some of its lustre when the Irish 1000 Guineas winner, Fallen Angel had to be withdrawn due to a setback, but the race still brings together the 1-2-3 from the English 1000 Guineas, Elmalka, Porta Fortuna and Ramatuelle; French 1000 Guineas winner, Rouhiya; the unbeaten Devoted Queen and the beaten Irish 1000 Guineas favourite Opera Singer (3rd).
Opera Singer had a setback prior to his Guineas third and is strongly fancied to return to winning ways in the Coronation but she has some tough opposition. The English Guineas winner Elmalka is lightly raced and the speedier nature of the Ascot mile may find her out and it may pay to side with the Guineas third, Ramatuelle, who was only caught in the shadow of the post and for whom a mile on the round course may provide a better chance of staying the distance.
Day 5 – Saturday June 22nd
The feature race on day five is the Jubilee Cup (Group 1) over six furlongs in which Kinross, Mill Stream, Mitbaahy, Washington Heights and Shartash stand out. Should any of the King Charles III runners return on Saturday, they should not be left out of consideration. This is a very competitive race but Washington Heights is a sporting selection.
The other feature is the Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) over one mile and four furlongs. 2023 St Leger winner, Continuous, is expected to make his return in this event with his main challengers expected to be Emily Upjohn (a disappointing fourth in the 2024 Coronation Cup at Epsom but a top class filly on her day), her stable companion, Middle Earth (winner of the 2024 Aston Park) and possibly Godolphin’s globe trotter, Rebel’s Romance. At her best, Emily Upjohn should be too good for these but that is not guaranteed and Continuous is expected to return with a bang.
In T&T, the President’s Cup will also take place and the winner will come from the John O’Brien stable with the best horse in the country at the moment, Hello World is expected to face a challenge from his returning stable companion, Crown Prince, but the former should be too good and too fit for his stable companion.
