Top tipster Hugh Taylor tipped Britannia Stakes winner Arabian Story (12/1) on Thursday and now has three Friday selections for day four of Royal Ascot, all live on Sky Sports Racing.
It is unfortunate that MOUNT ATLAS has gone up 4lb after finishing fifth in the Ormonde Stakes last time, but he still appeals as the type to win a big handicap this year, and he should go well in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (3.40).
He overcame a steady pace to win the John Guest Handicap over this course and distance last year, and that race worked out very well.
He again went as if ahead of his mark for a long way in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket, just unable to cope with a big improver, but beating the remainder by a long way.
On his seasonal debut at Kempton, he arguably shaped best when fourth behind his stable mate (and all-weather specialist) Teumessias Fox in the Rosebery handicap, chasing a fierce pace and kicking clear early in the straight, but vulnerable to more conservatively-ridden closers in the final two furlongs.
He ran about as well as could have been expected in the face of a stiff task in the Ormonde Stakes last time, and although his subsequent 4lb rise to 102 makes life more difficult, it’s hard to argue with given the four horses in front of him were all rated 110 or more.
Mount Atlas has been favoured by a high draw and, if his jockey can time things right, he might be able to repeat that course-and-distance win from last year, despite his revised mark.
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Former champion jockey William Buick was delighted to finally add the Gold Cup to his CV after Trawlerman’s runaway success at Royal Ascot.
MISS NIGHTFALL has a slight question mark over her stamin for the 1m trip of the Sandringham Stakes (5.00), but she does appeal as just the right type for the straight track at Ascot and if her stamina holds out, she should go close.
On her last two starts at Goodwood over seven furlongs she hasn’t quite seen out the trip as well as she had promised after travelling strongly, but she had possible excuses both times.
On the first occasion the ground was heavy and the race turned into a real slog, and on the second occasion she was making her seasonal debut in a race that was dominated by race-fit rivals, and after travelling well she had her momentum checked at a crucial stage when encountering trouble in running.
It has to be said that her pedigree is all about speed, but she stayed the trip strongly at Doncaster as a two-year-old, recording the fastest final furlong in the race, so it’s not implausible that she could be suited by this trip as a three-year-old.
She’s very much the right type in terms of running style for this course and distance, being a strong-travelling hold-up horse, and if she stays, she should be a big player.
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Michael Owen has eleven chances to celebrate a Royal Ascot winner this week, headlined by Fitzella in the Albany Stakes on Friday.
The form of REGAL ULIXES falls some way short of what would be required to win the King Edward VII Stakes (5.35), but there’s a suspicion he hasn’t been able to show everything that he’s capable of yet, and so it wouldn’t be surprising if he shows much-improved form here.
He made a very promising start to his career last September when third in a hot Class 2 maiden over a mile at Goodwood, arguably shaping with most promise in a race that has worked out well, and he followed that up with a good win in the Haynes, Hanson & Clark Stakes.
That form isn’t the easiest to weigh up on the face of it as it was a four-runner event and the third had looked ordinary in two previous starts, but the time was good, as were the closing sectionals in comparison to other races on the card, and the runner-up (who was carrying a penalty) was an excellent second in the Feilden Stakes on his reappearance.
Those two runs last September were all the more commendable given that the BHA website indicates that Regal Ulixes only arrived at Andrew Balding’s yard at the end of July, and understandably after the Newbury run the trainer was talking in terms of the Derby trial at Epsom in April.
Clearly things didn’t work out as planned but he made his belated reappearance at Doncaster a fortnight ago. Relatively weak in the market beforehand, he almost certainly wasn’t seen to best effect, held up off a steady pace, but he picked up very well in the closing stages to run down Daiquiri Bay.
That run was over 10 furlongs, and he wouldn’t be absolutely guaranteed to stay 12 based on his stride patterns, but he shapes as if worth a try over this trip and he may indeed improve for it.
He might be the hardest horse to assess in the field, but it’s interesting that connections are prepared to come here rather than try to exploit his opening mark of 94. It’s perhaps a contributory factor in his placing that he probably lacks the experience for a big-field handicap at this stage of his career, but with Oisin Murphy on board, he looks worth chancing at biggish odds.
HUGH’S BEST BETS (scale 1-5 points)
3.40 ROYAL ASCOT, FRIDAY – DUKE OF EDINBURGH STAKES
1pt win MOUNT ATLAS (9-1 general)
5.00 ROYAL ASCOT, FRIDAY – SANDRINGHAM STAKES
1pt win MISS NIGHTFALL (12-1 & 11-1 general)
5.35 ROYAL ASCOT, FRIDAY – KING EDWARD VII STAKES
1pt each-way REGAL ULIXES (25-1 general)
ALREADY ADVISED:ALBANY STAKES, ROYAL ASCOT, FRIDAY 20 JUNE
2pts win FITZELLA (14-1 & 10-1 general)
