Top tipster Hugh Taylor has four Thursday selections across three races for day three of Royal Ascot, live on Sky Sports Racing, with two running in the Britannia Stakes.
APIARIST’s profile suggests he’s an out-and-out all-weather specialist, but he might be the type to take well to a strongly-run race on the straight track at Ascot, and he’s worth a flyer at big odds in the Buckingham Palace Stakes (6.10).
His form took off when switched to the all-weather last winter, winning three times, but it’s worth noting that his two latest all-weather efforts represented a step forward on anything he had previously done, and although he’s clearly well suited by an artificial surface, he might just be improving fast as well.
His Southwell defeat of Royal Zabeel, the pair clear of some smart all-weather handicappers, was franked when the runner-up won a Listed event on the all-weather next time.
If anything, Apiarist ran even better when third in the All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap last time, making his challenge towards the centre of the track on a day when it seemed an advantage to be drawn high and race near the stands rail (the 1st, 2nd and 4th in that race were drawn 15, 16 and 12, respectively).
It has to be said that he was below that level of form when 10th of 22 in the Lincoln at Doncaster on his penultimate start, meaning he does need to prove that he can carry over his improvement to turf.
However, if he’s going to do it anywhere, it’s likely to be on this straight track, long since a haven for strong-travelling hold-up horses with a good record on an artificial surface. He’s a boom-or-bust selection but if he reproduces his all-weather form he’ll go well at big odds.
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The King, Queen and Prince William led the Royal Procession ahead of day two at Royal Ascot, with golfer Justin Rose in the third carriage
I thought almost as he crossed the line at Chelmsford last time that ARABIAN STORY would be one to be interested for the Britannia Stakes (5.00), as he has a not-dissimilar profile to Real World, who landed a gamble in the 2021 Hunt Cup over this course and distance.
As was the case with Real World, the handicapper has had only one British run – a win at Chelmsford – on which to judge Arabian Story, both horses otherwise kept to the dirt in Dubai.
Like Real World, Arabian Story is not at all dirt bred, so I’d be inclined to ignore his three runs in Dubai (the first of which came in an 800m trial race at Jebel Ali).
He came in for plenty of support prior to his British debut in a mile maiden at Chelmsford, which looks significant given that the two horses that chased him home both had some fair form, with River King, who finished third, rated 85 coming into the race, whilst it’s interesting that Competizione, who finished well held in second, renews rivalry here.
Arabian Story strode clear in the straight at Chelmsford having made all the running, well on top at the line, and his time was much quicker than the two other mile races on the card, acknowledging that the first division of the maiden was run at a much steadier pace.
He’ll need to be Listed if not Group Three class to win this off 97, but that was the case with Real World in the Hunt Cup and history might repeat itself here.
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Michael Owen has 11 chances to celebrate a Royal Ascot winner this week, headlined by Fitzella in the Albany Stakes on Friday
The other one I like in the Britannia is RAAFEDD (5.00), who left his previous form behind at Newbury last time and might have got in lightly.
A promising sixth on his sole run as a two-year-old, he was one of just two William Haggas colts to be given a 2000 Guineas entry in March this year. He left the impression he was still learning when sixth on his seasonal debut, however, but took a huge step forward next time at Newbury.
Perhaps the fitting of a first-time tongue strap helped on that third start, but the manner in which he shot clear in the final two furlongs was really impressive, and his rider was able to ease down in the final 100 yards, value for a couple of lengths more than the winning margin, and the placed horses both won next time.
Despite being eased, Raafedd recorded a significantly faster time than that of Montpellier (who was carrying a penalty) in the other division of that race. Montpellier holds an entry in Saturday’s Jersey Stakes, which is also the case with Raafedd, but it looks a good decision to come here instead to race of a mark of 92.
Merchant is the right favourite in the King George V Stakes (3.05), his strong York form as outlined in Wednesday’s column receiving another boost with Rahiebb’s fine run in the Queen’s Vase, and his entry last week in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes to be run over this course and distance next month does look ominous.
He’s clearly a big player, but odds of under 3/1 in a 20-runner field, with the possibility of trouble in running, is just a bit shorter than I’d like, so instead I’m siding with SING US A SONG (3.05) to give Ralph Beckett a third win in the race in five years.
Sing Us A Song made his seasonal debut over a mile-and-two-furlongs at Sandown, his trainer stating beforehand that it was a starting point and he’d appreciate further in time. He must have been delighted by what he saw, as Sing Us A Song looked like he might be swamped early in the straight before forging clear, shaping very much as if there would be more to come over this trip.
Subsequently purchased by Wathnan Racing, it shouldn’t be surprising if there isn’t plenty more to come as his stamina is drawn out, and although the ground will be different here, he coped well enough with it when third at Newbury on his second start.
HUGH’S BEST BETS (scale 1-5 points)
3.05 ROYAL ASCOT, THURSDAY – KING GEORGE V STAKES
1pt win SING US A SONG (13-2 general)
5.00 ROYAL ASCOT, THURSDAY – BRITANNIA STAKES
1pt win ARABIAN STORY (12-1 general)
1pt win RAAFEDD (10-1 & 9-1 general)
6.10 ROYAL ASCOT, THURSDAY – BUCKINGHAM PALACE STAKES
1pt win APIARIST (33-1 general)
