Royal Ascot selections Friday 21st June
The fillies take centre stage on Friday with several races restricted to the female gender. There is plenty of variety to enjoy however and perhaps the best bet comes in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap. In all I have selected four races to concentrate on this afternoon. We stayed in front for the week with a further two winners yesterday in Going the Distance (advised 12/1) and English Oak (advised 9/2), with further each-way places coming from Gasper de Lemos (advised 20/1) and Skukuza (16/1).
Ascot 3.05: Malc
This looks a sub-standard Commonwealth Cup with Vandeek already out of the race and Elite Status withdrawn overnight. As such this looks ripe for an upset and I can see MALC overcoming big odds.
I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet as he is a strong finisher in his races yet has largely raced either over 5f or on speed favouring tracks over 6f. His last run at Newbury was a case in point where he never seriously threatened to peg back Elite Status, yet stayed on nicely into fourth. For a seasonal debut that was a perfectly satisfactory effort and proved he has trained on.
We already know he handles this track and fast ground as he was an excellent second in the Norfolk Stakes on this card last year, again doing all his best work at the finish. There are plenty who like to get on with it in this race and I think this could set the race up for a horse who likes to close such as Malc.
Ascot 4.25: Ethical Diamond, Bague D’Or & Ziggy
Although I have three running for me here, there does look to be a real standout in ETHICAL DIAMOND.
Bought to go hurdling with Willie Mullins after scoring with ease in a maiden at Limerick for his small yard, the jumping did not go greatly to plan, albeit he held very high company. I suspect this horse might be very much ground dependent and require the fast ground he will enjoy today.
That Limerick win has worked out very well as the well beaten second Beechwood won next time and has been contesting listed races since and is rated 94, the same as Ethical Diamond races off today. He proved his ability on the level once more when beaten on the nod at Leopardstown last month by Saturn, who has since come out and won another big pot at the Curragh since. A return to 12f will be to his benefit as well.
If you don’t like short odds then BAGUE D’OR should be on the scene too. He did us a favour when winning at Newmarket on his seasonal return last month. Although his best form is at 14f, like that day, his proven stamina looks sure to come into play over this distance given the likely strong gallop from start to finish.
This horse remains unexposed as he has been so lightly raced over the years and has been freshened up nicely by a seven week absence since. He is another for whom fast ground is important. The widest draw of all is no issue around here as long as jockey Daniel Muscutt plays the waiting game.
One for whom the ground is a slight concern is ZIGGY, who has done most of his running on a softer surface. However he did win with ease on good-to-firm at Haydock a couple of years back and if he handles the fast conditions today he will be a big danger.
His two runs at Epsom after a long absence have both confirmed his well being and that he remains feasibly treated. He just bumped into one in Relentless Voyager last time but has only been put up 1lb for those two runs and is the very epitome of consistency.
Ascot 5.05: Indelible, Without Words & Rochelle
It is probably to keep wagers to a low level in the Sandringham as there are any number of unexposed types here with likely several pounds in hand of the assessor. I have three such horses to put forward.
One of the best bred horses all week here is INDELIBLE. This daughter of Midday, the multiple Group 1 winning mare and Shamardal a top stallion, has been given a typical steady introduction to racing by trainer Ralph Beckett.
She benefited from a gentle debut run at Salisbury where she was second to a horse who went on to contest the Guineas in Ten Bob Tony. She made no mistake at Lingfield next time and then won again despite being relatively unfancied at Doncaster last month. She is clearly progressing quicker than expected and ought to stay every yard of this stiff mile. The big concern is the low draw and faster ground, but that has been factored into her price and she is now a viable each-way bet.
WITHOUT WORDS made an eyecatching debut for Joseph O’Brien at Listowel recently. Held up out the back she had no chance of getting to The Liffey from that far out the back, but the way she cut through the rest of the pack bodes well for her chances today.
She had already won a fast ground contest in Bordeaux last season, so fast conditions should be no problem today and I expect a stronger performance today now she has qualified for a handicap mark with 92 looking a fair starting point.
ROCHELLE looks to have improved for a switch to Kevin Phillipaert de Foy and could be dangerous at her first attempt in handicap company. Well fancied for her debut on fast ground at Newmarket for Peter Chapple-Hyam, she ran a very sound race in third and built on that with two wins on the All Weather, including a 6l win on debut for her new yard last month.
She was thought enough of to contest a listed race in France recently where she was not disgraced in fourth. She has shown a decent turn of pace in her races and stamina should be no issue on breeding given the likely fast gallop here.
Ascot 6.15: Jubilee Walk, Shagraan & Vantheman
Another fiendishly tough handicap to finish over the flying five, worthy of another three stabs.
The key form line in this could be the York race at the Dante meeting where JUBILEE WALK defeated VANTHEMAN, both horses finding plenty for pressure on the fast ground.
Both horses had run with credit over 6f and beyond, but seemed to appreciate the speed test over the minimum trip. This race will require plenty of speed of course, but their stamina for further will come into play on this undulating track with a guaranteed fast pace throughout.
Jubilee Walk does have a low draw to contend with but there does seem enough pace low to get him into the race.
Vantheman is 3l better off today and has plenty of experience in big fields as he was fifth in the big sales race at the Ebor meeting last year, though found soft ground and an extended 6f against him when flopping in a similar contest at Doncaster.
An alternative is SHAGRAAN who ran a bold race for a long way over 6f at Newmarket last time behind the brilliant recent York winner James’s Delight. The 6f did seem to stretch him though and he is probably going to be best on a stiff 5f, just as when second on his debut for Mick Appleby at Sandown in April.
He showed good form for Clive Cox last year, notably when winning a fast ground Windsor novice and then finishing second on similar ground in a Newbury listed race, so ground conditions today are a definite positive.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Malc – 3.05 Ascot – 22/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt win – Ethical Diamond – 4.25 Ascot – 2/1 general
1pt each-way – Bague D’Or – 4.25 Ascot – 12/1 Bet365, William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 5)
0.5pts each-way – Ziggy – 4.25 Ascot – 14/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st5)
0.5pts each-way – Indelible – 5.05 Ascot – 5/1 William Hill, Betfred (1/5 odds 1st6)
0.5pts each-way – Without Words – 5.05 Ascot – 16/1 Ladbrokes (1/5 odds 1st 5)
0.5pts each-way – Rochelle – 5.05 Ascot – 18/1 Betfred (1/5 odds 1st 6)
1pt each-way – Jubilee Walk – 6.15 Ascot – 13/2 BetVictor (1/5 odds 1st 5)
0.5pts each-way – Shagraan – 6.15 Ascot – 13/2 William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 6)
0.5pts each-way – Vantheman – 6.15 Ascot – 17/2 William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 6)
