What a day we have ahead of us! Royal Ascot gets under way with exciting-looking renewals of the Queen Anne, King Charles III and St James’s Palace Stakes – live on Sky Sports Racing.
2.30 Queen Anne Stakes – Stellar Queen Anne Stakes kickstarts Royal Ascot
Last year’s St James’s Palace winner Rosallion leads the market after his third in the Lockinge Stakes. The horse has previous for coming on for his second run in a campaign, winning the Irish 2000 Guineas a year ago after just coming up short in the Newmarket equivalent prior. Connections appear confident that the star can step up again for this blockbuster clash in the Queen Anne Stakes.
The leading four in the market reoppose from the aforementioned Lockinge, where Lead Artist got the better of Dancing Gemini to notch his first Group One, bouncing back from bet365 mile disappointment in the process. Colin Keane made the trip to Newmarket on Wednesday to ride the Clarehaven contender in a piece of work, describing him as a “lovely, big uncomplicated horse” who is fit and well.
Notable Speech has been on a luckless run of form since landing the Sussex Stakes but shaped well on his comeback run at Newbury. The 2024 2000 Guineas winner will want to go three better here, with William Buick in the plate for Charlie Appleby.
Kieran Shoemark steps in for the ride on Dancing Gemini, who absolutely dominated in the Doncaster Mile when the jockey was last aboard Roger Teal’s flagbearer. He followed up with a taking triumph at Sandown in April before being seen off a neck by Lead Artist a month later. He arrives here rested and rejuvenated and rates as a huge player.
Sardinian Warrior – who is named after Royal Ascot legend Frankie Dettori – enters calculations for John and Thady Gosden. They could not have a jockey in better form following Christophe Soumillon’s three Group wins on Prix de Diane day at Chantilly.
Of the others, Aidan O’Brien’s Diego Velazquez is likely to see market support with Ryan Moore booked, while US supplementary Carl Spackler is somewhat of an unknown quantity on a straight track.
3.40 King Charles III Stakes – Aussie raider Asfoora returns to defend her crown
Henry Dwyer’s Asfoora returns to Berkshire looking to defend her King Charles III Stakes crown in our second Group One of the opening day. A successful campaign in Britain last year has tempted Australian connections back to have another tilt at this race, where she dramatically fended off the reopposing Regional last term.
The well-fancied Believing was fourth in this last year and is fresh off Group One success in Meydan. Trained by George Boughey, she is currently in foal to Frankel and this could be the last act of a memorable career.
Recent Wathnan Racing purchase Night Raider is an intriguing prospect, dropping down to five furlongs after being collared when trying to make all on his turf debut at York earlier this campaign.
Although unproven on good to firm ground, Ed Walker’s Mgheera goes to post with every chance of landing the hat-trick, while American Affair may be in the mix if he avoids the bad luck which saw the door shut on him when in pursuit of Mgheera the last day.
4.20 St James’s Palace Stakes – Classic clash of the 2000 Guineas winners
A blockbuster renewal of the St James’s Palace Stakes brings together the three 2000 Guineas winners from Britain, Ireland and France!
Field Of Gold will look to get revenge on his old rival Ruling Court who managed to slip away from him at Newmarket back in May. Since then, the Juddmonte-owned three-year-old – who is trained by the Gosden combination – showed his class to hose up in the Irish equivalent in the hands of Keane, who has since been appointed as the owners’ retained rider.
Irish 2000 Guineas winner Field Of Gold heads the market for the St James’s Palace Stakes
The duo were destined to not meet again after Ruling Court was declared for the Derby earlier this month, but unsuitable ground at Epsom caused him to be rerouted to lock horns again with Field Of Gold at the Royal meeting. He was beaten on the expected good to firm ground in York’s Acomb Stakes back in August but has progressed significantly as a three-year-old to be a real threat to the market favourite.
Ruling Court and William Buick returned victorious in the 2000 Guineas
Henri Matisse represents the juggernaut partnership that is O’Brien and Coolmore. Fresh off his French Guineas success at Longchamp, this son of Wootton Bassett really rounds off this mouthwatering clash of the Guineas winners and boasts the services of Ryan Moore in the plate.
Of the others, last year’s Coventry Stakes winner Rashabar holds each-way claims for Brian Meehan, who will be hoping his charge peaks on his third start this term. O’Brien fields Officer and First Wave under Wayne Lordan and Dylan Browne McMonagle respectively, while champion jockey Oisin Murphy rides Windlord.
Best of the rest – Royal Ascot
The Coventry Stakes (3.05pm) looks a typically open affair, with Gstaad topping the billing for O’Brien after his taking victory on debut at Navan, beating Ballydoyle stablemate True Love. Military Code, Postmodern and Warsaw should represent stiff opposition, whilst Kevin Ryan has recruited Jim Crowley to ride Rock On Thunder.
In the Ascot Stakes (5.00pm), Willie Mullins is set to saddle his first Royal runner in the beautifully bred Reaching High, who is by Sea The Stars out of Estimate. Chester Cup winner East India Dock has attracted the eyecatching jockey booking of James Doyle, while Triumph Hurdle victor Poniros takes his chance.
Enfjaar, Haatem and Military Order do battle in the Listed Wolferton Stakes at 5.35pm before Wathnan Racing’s French Master looks to follow up in the closing Copper Horse Stakes at 6.10pm.
Watch every race from Royal Ascot, live on Sky Sports Racing from June 17-21.
