Royal Ascot - Wednesday

GOING: GOOD (GoingStick: Stands' side 8.9, Centre 9.0, Far side 9.1, Round 8.3) (Rail on the round course will be positioned approx 3yds out from 9f to the home straight, adding approx 6yds to old mile, 9yds to 1m2f & 12yds to races of 1m 4f and further). (Scattered thunder storms)

STALLS: Straight course - Centre; Round course - Inside

2.30 JERSEY STAKES (GROUP 3) (CLASS 1) (3yo) Winner £42,533 21 runners 7f Good CH4
Day two of the Royal meeting gets under way with the Jersey Stakes and the Aidan O'Brien trained GALE FORCE TEN is the worthy favourite after good runs in the French and Irish Guineas. The European Free Handicap winner Garswood runs for Richard Hannon and has good form with Toronado and Mars, 2nd and 3rd in the St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday respectively. Mutin is a very interesting runner from France. The colt is an improving type and is 4-4. Ajraam is another unbeaten colt winning twice including the Wood Ditton Stakes.

3.05 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES (FORMERLY THE WINDSOR FOREST STAKES) (GROUP 2) (FILLIES & MARES) (CLASS 1) (4yo+) Winner £77,375 11 runners 1m Good CH4
This race is headed by a number of fillies and mares with course and distance wins at Ascot. Duntle is the current favourite having been first past the post in the Group 1 Matron Stakes in Ireland last year. There wasn't much to seperate the Lady Cecil-trained Chigun and DANK for Sir Michael Stoute in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket in May and both should go close again here. Thistle Bird, third in that Newmarket race, is an an improving type and landed the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom last time out. Dancewiththedevil was a multiple Group 1 winner in South Africa and should be watched in the betting.

3.45 PRINCE OF WALES´S STAKES (BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES) (GROUP 1) (CLASS 1) (4yo+) Winner £283,550 11 runners 1m2f Good CH4
Last year's 2000 Guineas and Derby winner, Camelot, faces his Tattersalls Gold Cup conquer Al Kazeem. The Roger Charlton horse won well last time out and should prove a decent test for Camelot again. As we seen on Tuesday though with Declaration Of War, Aidan O'Brien knows how to ready horses for Royal Ascot so don't be surprised to see Camelot come of for that run. Maxios is a very good contender from France having beat the decent Planteur in a Group 1 event last time out. John Gosden runs top filly The Fugee who will run a good race but may find the colts too strong for her. Mukhadram won well at Sandown at the end of May and could go well at a decent price with RED CADEAUX, ridden by Frankie Dettori, will be looking to recapture his Dubai World Cup second place form.

4.25 ROYAL HUNT CUP (HERITAGE HANDICAP) (CLASS 2) (3yo+) Winner £93,375 30 runners 1m Good CH4
The Royal Hunt Cup is the first big handicap of the meeting and some of the leading ante post fancies haven't made it to post. Andrew Balding's Stirring Ballad looks to be the likely favourite. Jamie Spencer's mount Educate will be a popular choice as will last year's winner Prince Of Johanne. The John Gosden horse Trade Commissioner shown his best form in the summer months last year and will be primed to go. The only worry would be the draw. We saw on Tuesday that the stands side looked the better so it maybe worth looking for a high drawn horse. Frankie Dettori's mount Burke's Rock could be one to look out as could DIRECTORSHIP who won well last time out and has course and distance form.

5.00 QUEEN MARY STAKES (GROUP 2) (FILLIES) (CLASS 1) (2yo) Winner £56,710 24 runners 5f Good CH4
The Queen Mary Stake sees Baytown Kestrel run. The 2YO filly cost only £400 at the sales and bolted up on her only run at 50/1 at Lingflied by four and a half lengths. Adam Kirby takes the ride and the filly is currently 33/1 for a fairytale win. Beldale Memory currently is at the head of the market for Clive Cox after winning her two starts. Reroute won impressively at York last week but this may have come too soon. The aptly name Richard Hannon-trained filly FAST stormed home last time out and could be the one to beat in this race.

5.35 SANDRINGHAM HANDICAP (LISTED RACE) (FILLIES) (CLASS 1) (3yo 0-110) Winner £34,026 26 runners 1m Good CH4
John Gosden runs a very nice filly in WOODLAND ARIA in the final race of the day. The filly has won two of her three starts with her only defeat coming in the Musidora Stakes at York last month. Zurigha was a close fourth in the French 1000 Guineas and should be respected running for Richard Hannon. Nargys has decent two year old form with Irish 2000 Guineas winner Just The Judge and will be hard to beat if recapturing that form while Mango Diva goes for Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore. Trapeze could go well at a big price.

2.30 Race full of unexposed types with a smattering of ones with solid form at up to Classic level.Garswood and Gale Force Ten bring the latter to the fold,the former shaped with promise in the 2000 and that form was finally upheld in yesterdays feature but i thought that Faheys inmate wanted a step up in trip and not down.He is what he is,we know all about him and current odds are not generous.The latter ran a screamer in the Irish 2000 but that was a strange race with nothing really getting inot contention apart from the front three,he might have beaten nothing of note and he is far too cramped for a race of this nature.TAWHID interests me,solid juvenile form but he bombed out first time up as a 3yo.Ran back to his form in the German 2000 where he looked like winning but tired close home .This shorter trip and better ground will suit.Hes a working mans price to ew stakes.
 
3.05 Competitive renewal with plenty of similar form on offer.Chigun and Dank renew rivalry from HQ,there was nothing between them there and it might be the same here.The French filly has some nice form to her name but might prefer a slower surface.DUNTLE brings previous Royal Ascot form to the table,she won nicely at Leopardstown and is a Group one winner(thrown out in a stewards enquiry).She looks to be a solid bet .
 
3.45 A cracking heat with Al Kazeem and Camelot renewing rivalry.everything has been said and more about the Ballydoyle inmate,they so wanted him to be the next Nijinsky but it all went pear shaped last backend,in reality he has beaten absolutely nothing in winning three Classics(i said as much on these threads last year) and it would take either a massive leap of faith or crass stupidness to get invoved with him today.AL KAZEEM readily out gunned him at The Curragh and there is NO reason to think that he wont come out on top again.Of the others,The Fugue boasts very good top flight form but its asking a lot to come here first up,Maxios is a Group one winner but he really did beat nothing and is readily passed over and to be brutal the rest havent been good enough in this grade before and theres no reason to think they can find 7lb improvement today.Roger Charltons inmate is 5/2,if he was trained by Aidan O Brien hed be 2/5.Point and shoot,fill your boots.
 
4.25 Not the wide spread handicap it used to be,in effect its a limited handicap with a stone covering top to bottom.That plays to the better quality animals in my opinion.Draw and pace bias always play a huge part in this and it isnt a race i often get invoved in but i do like the topweight,SWEET LIGHTNING.He boasts some very solid Listed/Group Three form,strong pace and stiff track will suit.At a daft price hes worth a very small ew interest.
 
5.00 Looks a very solid renewal,Beldale Memory,Rizenna and Reroute bring some tasty loking form to the table but im a sucker for these American 2yos.pace at the gate can be vital and SWEET EMMA ROSE might be away and gone beyond recall by halfway.She dotted up on debut only to get bogged down in a quagmire at Pimlico second up.Better ground is a massive plus and she might just be different class.
 
5.35 More plots in here than an Agatha Christie novel,loads of unexposed types who have boundless improvement in them but purely on form ive got to with WOODLAND ARIA.AW win follwed by a solid Musidora run where she just didnt get home,won a muddling affair at Leicester where a handful if runners split into two groups!,she got no cover,ran free but still managed to win.This test of a strong pace on a sound surface will bring out a better filly.

A big thank you to Racing Nut. Following yesterday's review I had a decent ew investment on Aljamaaheer (got 12s).

I'm already on Al Kazeem as I agree with everything said about Camelot.

A great ride from James Doyle onboard Al Kazeem in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. It will be interesting to see where the horse goes from here? Roger Charlton has stated the Eclipse as a possible next outing while the Arc must be on the agenda now? It was a very good run by the runner up too.

It is also a good day for racingnut by the looks of things. Two winners in Duntle and Al Kazeem and Tawhid run a respectable third at a big price.

Brilliant day for James Doyle, after winning his first Royal Ascot winner in the Prince of Wales stakes, he follows by winning the next two races!!

time please wrote:Brilliant day for James Doyle, after winning his first Royal Ascot winner in the Prince of Wales stakes, he follows by winning the next two races!!

An 890/1 treble.

Backed Al Kazeem for the Arc before yesterdays event at 12s,he looks the ideal type.Future targets will be ground dependent as good to firm is as quick as he wants it.Camelot IS the great white hype,loads of promise but no substance.He has nowhere to go.The Eclipse is bubbbling up into what could be a cracker if Dawn Approach,Toronado and Al Kazeem all show up.