Sun Chariot Stakes Tips & Betting Preview

Without a shadow of a doubt the best race of the day with challengers from England, Ireland, France, and even South Africa all set to line up for this Group One prize. As things stand Aidan O’Brien is responsible for the favourite with Alice Springs (6/4) who arrives here on the back of a very impressive Leopardstown win when she put three and a quarter lengths of daylight between herself and Persuasive with Coronation Stakes and Prix Rothschild winner Qemah a further length and a quarter back in third. Prior to that the well-bred daughter of Galileo had finished third to Minding in the 1000 Guineas and won the Falmouth Stakes from her seven outings this season and if she can repeat those runs now under jockey Ryan Moore then we can fully understand why she heads the early betting.

On official ratings she just about has the edge on South African raider Smart Call (18/1) at these weights though as big fans of International racing we really hope Alec Laird’s runs a huge race to encourage others to send their best horses over here – and vice versa of course. Assessing her form is impossible with literally no lines to look at but she has won her last four races, two of them at Grade One level, including a three and a half-length defeat of the top class Legal Eagle in the J&B Met last January, one of South Africa’s biggest races, and if she is race fit after her long lay-off (which has to be the biggest question), then she could get a lot closer than her price suggests this afternoon and we wish connections the very best of luck after their long (and expensive) journey.

Erveyda (4/1) is officially the best of the French challengers but in all honesty she has not looked at her very best so far this season. Her form last year was absolutely top drawer and included a length defeat of Found in the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but this season we have seen three starts without a success which suggests she is not at her peak. After a forgivable second to Vadamos on her return at Saint-Cloud in May she finished a four and a quarter length fifth to Tepin at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes and then a two and a quarter length third to Ribchester at Deauville in the Prix Jacques Le Marois which is decent enough form, but surely not enough to win this and she needs to get back to her 2015 form to have a serious chance.

Although she looks to have a bit to find on official ratings, ex jockey turned top trainer Freddie Head seems pretty confident of a big run from Siyoushake (33/1) and she fully deserves her place in our race preview for that reason alone. In our view she needs to improve considerably on what we have seen so far but seems to be getting better race on race, and she did win the Group Three Prix Quincey Barriere with plenty up her sleeve and showing a decent turn of foot last time out. That is nowhere near good enough to win this and she may well be facing the quickest surface she has ever raced on, but she is of interest at the very least and well worthy of a mention.

To end with an outsider and David Elsworth’s Arabian Queen (16/1) fits the bill. She hasn’t been seen at her best so far this season with a second to Usherette in May, a seventh to Postponed in June, and a third to So Mi Dar most recently the only outings she has had all season. Those efforts would not be good enough to get involved today but she did beat Golden Horn last year in the Juddmonte International at York and if she should repeat that effort this afternoon she would go mighty close or even win with Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle.