Day four of the Royal meeting is upon us and today the three year olds’ take centre stage with four contests for the Classic generation, ranging from the six furlong Commonwealth Cup up to twelve furlongs with the King Edward VII Stakes. We have runner by runner guides for each of the six races and selections in our Royal Ascot Tips.
The previous day was was dominated by Frankie Dettori however there was a sign of a resurgence from Ballydoyle in the last race when O’Brien saddled the first three home in the King George V Handicap.
They’ll be looking for more success on day four with three warm favourites running in the shape of Japan, Ten Sovereigns and Hermosa. All high class juveniles, they have all shaped promisingly, and in the latter’s case decisively, in this year’s classics.
Attentions will of course be drawn to Dettori who again has a number of promising looking mounts today. He teams up with Simon Crisford once more in the first, under whose A’Ali he scored yesterday, with Last Surprise, has rides for Gosden with Private Secretary and Ben Vrackie, Stoute with Jubiloso, and Group One winning juvenile Advertise for Martyn Meade.
Ballydoyle have already had a winner at the meeting dropped back in trip from a previous arrangement with Circus Maximus, and that looks the key today with Ten Sovereigns, our Nap of the day. Well fancied for the 2,000 Guineas won by stablemate Magna Grecia, he just failed to stay on that occasion having shaped positively for a long way.
A drop back to six, over which he scored three times as a juvenile including in the Middle Park from Jash, will see him in a far better light. Under the expert guidance of Ryan Moore, he is hard to oppose.
Yesterday’s outsider Eminence hit the frame at 40/1 and we’ll be hoping for more big priced value today.
We’ve already had two maiden winners of the juvenile contests at this year’s meeting in the form of A’Ali and Southern Hills and Celtic Beauty looks overpriced to make it three.
She stayed on nicely from a slow start on debut to finish fourth, not far behind the second So Wonderful, before reversing that form in a Group Three last time, two lengths clear of that rival. Available at nearly double the odds of that runner, she looks massively overpriced considering that the graded form there is stand out in the context of this.
Whilst we’re more used to seeing the varied colours of Ballydoyle racing away to Ascot success, today could be a day for some of the less prolific Irish stables.
Ger Lyons runs Johnny Drama in the Duke Of Edinburgh who romped home by seven lengths on handicap debut at Roscommon in May. A rapidly progressive sort, who will appreciate a return to twelve furlongs, he could go well close despite the thirteen pound rise for that success, facing a field of runners who are decidedly more exposed.
He would certainly prove a poignant winner to new owners King Power, who purchased him after that impressive performance last month with exactly this contest in mind.
A double on these two Irish raiders pays out a massive 347/1.