France can plunder Commonwealth June 17, 2021 THERE’S usually a good French horse that slips under the radar at Royal Ascot. Our friends across the Channel have bagged at least one winner at the meeting in four of the past six years and SUESA is fancied to complete a successful raid in the Commonwealth Cup (3:40pm). After a taking win first time up this [...]
Novemba to rain at Ascot June 17, 2021 WHEN the declarations were made for the Coronation Stakes (4.20pm) earlier in the week, I was desperately hoping that the German filly NOVEMBA would feature among the final field. The challenges of travelling anywhere in the world at the moment are tough for all of us, but pale into insignificance when you consider the difficulties of moving a [...]
Flotus can make it a Friendly Friday June 17, 2021 WHEN Frankie Dettori gets on top of a horse trained by the Crisford family, take note. The Italian operates at a 30 percent strike rate when teaming up with Simon & Ed Crisford and they’ve already had a Royal Ascot winner together with A’Ali in 2019. He rides FLOTUS in the opening Albany Stakes (2.30pm) on Thursday and based on her debut [...]
EP: 67 Royal Ascot – Friday – Day 4 June 17, 2021 It’s Day 4 of our special daily Royal Ascot podcasts, previewing each of the five days racing Trainer Clive Cox won the Commonwealth Cup 12 months ago and he runs Supremacy, Diligent Harry and Isabella Giles in this year’s renewal. Ed Walker has the exciting filly Primo Bacio in the Coronation Stakes and both trainers [...]
Forecast rain could derail Stradivarius’ shot at history June 16, 2021 WHEN Yeats won his fourth Ascot Gold Cup (4.15pm) in 2009, few, if any, thought his incredible feat would be matched. However, in Stradivarius we have a genuine contender who could match him. John and Thady Gosden’s star stayer bids to make it five Royal Ascot wins in a row – one in the Queen’s [...]
Time for a Divinely good Ribblesdale bet June 16, 2021 THERE has been no more impressive performance on the Flat so far this season than Snowfall’s 16-length demolition job in the Oaks. Yet while Frankie Dettori was out in the clear saluting the crowds as he sluiced up the stand’s side rail, DIVINELY was withering her way through a mud-splattered field late on to finish third. Jockey Seamie Heffernan [...]
Sir Lamorak to arise to the occasion in King George June 16, 2021 WHEN trainer Aidan O’Brien saddled the 1-2-3 in the King George V Handicap (5.35pm) two years ago, I made a mental not not to underrate his unexposed three-year-old colts in this contest ever again. The pandemic prevented Irish trainers from travelling horses for handicaps 12 months ago, so that wasn’t a factor last year, but [...]
EP: 66 Royal Ascot – Thursday – Day 3 June 16, 2021 We continue our special daily Royal Ascot podcasts, previewing each of the five days racing. Trainer Clive Cox runs his once-raced Instinctive Move in the 5-furlong Norfolk Stakes on Thursday. We speak to Clive about his chances in this Group 2 contest. City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews all of Thursday’s racing action alongside [...]
What’s The Hunt Cup Story, Matthew Flinders? June 15, 2021 THERE are puzzles and then there is the Royal Hunt Cup (5.00pm), a 30-runner cavalry charge up Ascot’s straight mile. As is often the case in this race, there are a number of unexposed four-year-olds towards the head of the market which is no surprise with five of the last six winners coming from that [...]
Queen Mary crown still Gleaming June 15, 2021 WHEN it comes to five furlongs and two-year-old fillies, you need look no further than Wesley Ward. Campanelle, Lady Aurelia, Acapulco and Jealous Again all burnt themselves into our memories with electric performances in the Queen Mary (2:30pm) over the past decade or so, and the American trainer appears to have another top class act wound up [...]