The 2021 Royal Ascot Festival of Racing promises to be one of the most exciting ever.
On day two(Wednesday) of the meeting, the three main races are Prince of Wales’ Stakes (Group 1) over 10 furlongs for four-year-olds and over, the Duke of Cambridge Stakes over one miles for fillies and mares, and the Royal Hunt Cup over one mile for three-year-olds and over.
The Prince of Wales’ Stakes is expected to be a fascinating match up between the four horses at the head of the betting. The ante post favourite is the Gosden’s Lord North. This five-year-old gelding is the defending champion in this race and after seeming to go off the boil towards the end of last season, returned with a bang in 2021 when running away with the Dubai Turf (Group 1) at Meydan at the end of March.
His main rivals are the 2020 champion three-year-old filly and Oaks winner, Love, who will be making her return to the races in this race; her stable companion Armory, who is still looking for his first win at Group 1 level however and the consistent globe trotter Addeybb, who was runner-up in this race last year but whose best form on soft going (as evidenced by his win in the Champion Stakes (Group 1) last year) would give him an outstanding chance. Of this quartet, Love oozes class and she is a confident choice to succeed.
The Duke of Cambridge Stakes is not as strong as last year’s edition with most of the leading contenders fairly well exposed. Ante post favourite is Lady Bowthorpe, on the back of her excellent second at 22/1 in the Lockinge. She is vulnerable, however, since she cannot be guaranteed to back up that form.
Queen Power and Angel Power are both owned by King Power Racing but with different trainers are likely to both take their chances with the four-year-old Angel Power who rattled off a beaver trick last year having more scope than her five-year-old owner mate. All three, however, could be eclipsed if Thundering Night who was recently second (on June 4) in the New York Stakes (Group 2) at Belmont makes a quick turnaround. If that filly does not return, Angel Power would seem the most likely beneficiary.
The feature races on day three of the meeting are the Gold Cup (Group 1) over 2.5 miles for four-year-olds and over and the Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) over a mile and a half for three-year-old fillies. Three-time Gold Cup winner, Stradivarius, returns in pursuit of his fourth consecutive win in the Gold Cup.
This evergreen horse in now seven years old but shows no sign of slowing down just yet. After a subdued end to his 2020 campaign in which connections sought (unsuccessfully) to make a 12 furlong horse out of him, he returned in 2021 to capture his Gold Cup prep, the Sagaro Stakes (Group 3) comprehensively defeating some of his likely rivals. It is hard to see any of those turning the tables here.
While Aiden O’Brien is mob handed in the race, the main challengers for the staying crown are likely to come from two new shooters – Subjectivist and Trueshan. The former has long promised to be an outstanding stayer and won the Dubai Gold Cup (Group 2) over two miles on his latest start; while the latter claimed the scalp of the champ when winning the Long Distance Cup (Group 2) over two miles on soft ground in October last year and returned with a highly satisfactory runner-up effort over a patently short distance of one mile six furlongs.
The challenge for both of those horses is they have never competed over further than two miles. This is what gives the champ the edge and while there would be a concern if the going came up soft on the day, Stradivarius is taken to join the greats by winning his fourth Gold Cup.
The Ribblesdale Stakes is expected to feature some very nice fillies who could take high rank later in the season. Heading the betting is Noon Star, the fabulously bred daughter of Galileo and Midday, who had to miss the Oaks at the last minute due to a minor setback. That may prove to be a blessing in disguise and she can return her trainer Sir Michael Stoute to the big time with a massive effort here.
Her chief rivals are the lightly raced and unbeaten filly Eshaada, who could be anything here, and the horse that one short headed in the Fillies Trial at Newbury, Gloria Mundi. Noon Star is a confident selection to hold them at bay.
Day four of the meeting features the Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) over six furlongs for the three-year-olds, the Coronation Stakes (Group 1) over a mile for three-year-old fillies and the King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) over a mile and a half for the three-year-old colts and geldings.
The Commonwealth Cup brings together challengers from all sides of the Atlantic with 2020 Queen Mary winner, Campanelle, returning in her first start since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Group 1); the unbeaten Suesa travelling over from France; the beaten English 2000 Guineas favorite, Battleground, dropping in distance; and 2020 Middle Park (Group 1) winner Supremacy, bidding to atone for a disappointing 2021 debut.
Given his proven ability to bring on his horses without a run, the Wesley Ward trained, Campanelle is taken to emulate her former stable companion, Lady Aurelia, by doubling up in one of the major sprints at three year of age following a romp in the prior year’s Queen Mary.
The Coronation Stakes is expected to feature the 1000 Guineas winner, Mother Earth; the Irish 1000 Guineas runner up, Joan of Arc; the unbeaten and unexposed Potapova; the rapidly improving Primo Bacio and a number of Guineas’ also rans.
In spite of that formidable line up, the one I like is Snow Lantern. This filly is a daughter of the great Frankel and a Guineas winner herself, Sky Lantern. She was disappointing behind Premo Bacio on her last start but there were excuses that day and she is confidently taken to turn the tables on her rivals.
The King Edward VII Stakes brings together Sir Michael Stoute’s Bay Bridge (but this one only won a handicap on his prior start), Aidan O’Brien’s one time Derby hopeful Sir Lamorak (another who won a handicap on his prior start) and two colts with Group winning form, Lone Eagle (winner of the 2020 Zetland Stakes -Group 3 - and 2021 Cocked Hat) and Alenquer, who defeated Lone Eagle and 2021 Epsom Derby winner, Adayar, when winning the Classic Trial (Group 3) at Sandown at 25/1. On that form alone, Alenquer is the horse to beat.
The final day of the meeting features the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) over six furlongs for four-year-olds and over, the Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) over 12 furlongs for four-year-olds and over, and the Wokingham Stakes over 6 furlongs (1200 metres) for three-year-olds and over.
The Diamond Jubilee features an interesting match up of proven and potential ability in a race that can sometimes throw up an upset. Antepost favourite is the Duke of York (Group 2) winner, Starman, who has won four of his five starts and could be anything.
Nahaarr, who finished a close second to Starman in the Duke of York is also strongly fancied in the betting. Splitting those two is last year’s runner up, the seven-year-old Dream of Dreams, who followed up that effort with a win in the 2020 Sprint Cup (Group 1) at Haydock and returned with a facile win in his 2021 debut in a three runner race.
The one I like however is Glen Shiel, who won the Champion Sprint (Group 1) at this track in October and returned to the races in 2021 with a fine effort when fourth in the Greenlands Stakes (Group 2) at the Curragh.
The Wokingham Stakes is the equivalent of the Royal Hunt Cup for the sprinters. Any number can call in this race and it often pays to side with one at the bottom of the handicap.
In this regard, the horses who stand out at Bielsa, Boardman and Commanche Falls while top weight Summerghand simply does not know how to run a bad race and has been in ripping form in 2021 when competing in Group races. I will go with Commanche Falls at a bit of a price.