Royal Ascot starts on Tuesday with more races than the usual fare. Plenty of opportunities for punters to get stuck into over the five days and with a couple of weeks of action in the books, there has been some time for all concerned to get their eye back in and get back into the swing of the racing life.
At a big festival, many punters like to follow a jockey so here are our three to follow for Royal Ascot 2020.
There are few men better when it comes to the big day than Frankie. The Italian starts the week with 67 winners at the Royal meeting under his belt, six behind Pat Eddery who leads the all-time list with 73.
He has got off to a flying start since lockdown, helped by the John Gosden yard firing in the winners. That yard will be integral to his success, notably with Stradivarius who looks for a hat-trick of wins in the Ascot Gold Cup on Thursday.
His links with Wesley Ward and what could be a prime ride on Sceptical for Denis Hogan can propel Dettori to the most winners this week once more.
Added handicaps this year should open up more opportunities over the course of the week for youngsters like Cieren Fallon. The 2019 Champion Apprentice, that title isn’t always an automatic precursor to further success but with a surname like Fallon, he should get plenty of opportunities.
A three-pound claim is going to be something that a lot of trainers will be looking to exploit in handicaps over the five days. He rode a winner for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin at the Guineas meeting to make it two wins and a fourth in three rides for Appleby. That could be a profitable relationship for both.
Winning female jockeys have been few and far between, Hayley Turner last year became the first to ride a winner at the meeting for thirty-two years. It is unlikely to be as long as that before another comes along, especially with Doyle’s start to the season.
She is an exceptional judge of pace, striking up a great relationship with the Archie Watson yard. That should ensure that she has plenty of opportunities in the two-year-old races this week and she’s likely to be popular with trainers in the big field handicaps.