MAYBE it’s been swept away by football fever – although the appetite for Euro 2024 was quickly wiped away for some on Friday evening – but there’s some great racing at Royal Ascot this week that’s worth enjoying.
None more so than the St James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday. The winner of the English, Irish and French Guineas all look set to meet and kick off the five-day meeting that represents the best that British Flat Racing has to offer.
It looks like the race of the week as the big players are present and there are already encouraging signs that the Guineas is proving to be a strong format.
Notable Speech was a surprise winner, but there seemed to be no coincidence in his one and a half long success over Rosallion. The Charlie Appleby-trained colt is undefeated in his first four starts and is considered one of the most exciting prospects in training.
City Of Troy were beaten as favorites at Newmarket last month but recovered to win the Derby. The second won the Irish Guineas. The third, Haatem, came second in the Irish equivalent and will be a leading force in the Jersey Stakes later this week.
Inisherin finished sixth in the Guineas and then stormed Haydock in the Sandy Lane Stakes to propel him into Commonwealth Cup favoritism.
Notable Speech was a hugely impressive winner of last month’s 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket
Rosallion was defeated at Newmarket but prevailed in Irish Guinea at the Curragh
Metroploitan won the French Guineas and will also contest the St James’s Palace Stakes
Rosallion was a high quality two-year-old and has confirmed that he has continued to train with his fantastic performances in both Guineas. He has just overtaken stablemate Haatem with a well-timed, late burst of speed and tackling a corner at Ascot will suit him well.
River Tiber was left behind in third place, but he also looks good and is another player who will have a big chance in the Jersey Stakes.
He undoubtedly won a Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf and he acted as if he needed the point when fourth at the Curragh. Don’t rule out a bold run from him at a big price for Aidan O’Brien.
But the main standard bearer for Ballydoyle will be Henry Longfellow, who will have the opportunity to step out of the shadow of stablemate City Of Troy. It’s easy to forget that he was also a brilliant youngster.
He won the Group One National Stakes by a whopping five lengths and was unbeaten until a horror journey in French Guinea, where he finished eighth of fourteen in an overall finish.
O’Brien’s horses have done considerably well this season and Henry Longfellow looked unhappy and was left to be beaten by four lengths.
The French have sent one of their strongest sides to Royal Ascot in recent times, providing the international flavor this meeting craves.
Mario Baratti is a trainer very willing to try Britain’s big races and Metropolitan pulled off a 25-1 upset at Longchamp last month.
The prospect of faster terrain does not create any fear for the trainer and he will hope he has a strong pace to aim for, looking like a grinder throughout the mile ride.
The St James’s Palace Stakes looks like a delicious innovation and the highlight of the week. Inspiral against Auguste Rodin in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes also looks great.
The Commonwealth Cup is full of intrigue and support races such as the Hampton Court Stakes look very strong.
Notable Speech is showing well at Newmarket and is favorite for the St James’s Palace Stakes
The Albany Stakes and Coventry Stakes will once again be fantastic two-year-olds.
The handicaps look very competitive. Kyprios in the Ascot Gold Cup is the only odds-on favorite all week which is a refreshing change from a Cheltenham Festival that was full of odds-on shots that represented little value for punters to get stuck into .
So look out for the top hat and tails. Take a break from the football fever and enjoy all things Royal Ascot. It will be five exciting days of racing.
Nothing ever gets done in the corridors of power…
ALL changes are expected at Westminster next month and it is no different in racing’s powerhouses. A Labor government seems inevitable and Julie Harrington announced her departure as CEO of the British Horseracing Authority.
Harrington plans to retire at the end of this year. Her departure comes on the heels of The Jockey Club CEO Nevin Truesdale announcing his impending departure the week before.
BHA chairman Joe Saumarez Smith will leave in May 2025. The CEOs of the Racehorse Owners Association and Great British Racing left their positions earlier this year. The ability of people in power to sense trouble and walk away at the perfect moment seems uncanny. After years of slowly grappling with the Gambling White Paper, it looks like it’s back to square one, with a new government and new people as power brokers in racing. Labor mentioned gambling in their manifesto last week – unlike the Conservative Party, and is committed to making gambling safer.
What that means for racing is anyone’s guess. Expect more white papers to be drafted and more committees to be formed to discuss the same subject again. As this column has consistently emphasized on this topic for years, one thing is guaranteed. Still. Nothing. Gets. Finished.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK…
RYAN MOORE gave KLONDIKE a majestic ride to win the Grand Cup Stakes at York by a margin. There is no better jockey in the world to set the pace in tactical small-field racing than Moore. He gradually shifted up the gears on Klondike and the four-year-old had enough in the tank to hang on to the line.
SELECTION OF THE DAY…
TAMFANA (3-1, betfair) was a little unlucky when finishing fourth in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but David Menusier’s filly can make up for it today in the Prix De Diane (Chantilly, 3.05). Stall four is the perfect draw to attack and Oisin Murphy should be able to get into a handy position in a tight lane.