3 minute read

Royal Ascot day two looks a fascinating days racing

Royal Ascot’s Wednesday card is quieter in terms of stakes races with only three on the seven race card, but this does not divert from the quality and every race looks a mouth-watering feast for racing fans to sink their teeth into. 

The first stakes race of the afternoon is the Hampton Court Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) (1:50pm GMT, 10:50pm ACT) for three-year-olds and there is certainly some Australian interest in the Group 3, with multiple Australian Group 1-winning mare Atlantic Jewel’s (Fastnet Rock) third foal - Russian Emperor (Galileo) - set to line up in the 1m2f race. The colt by Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) was overturned by his stablemate Cormorant (Kingman) in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) on June 9. It is hard to know how good that race will turn out to be, but if the vibes from Ballydoyle are to be believed, Cormorant is deemed to be very smart and on that basis Russian Emperor would have a strong chance on Wednesday. 

He will clash with the Sir Michael Stoute-trained First Receiver (New Approach), who entered many people’s calculations as the likely leading contender for this race when he ran out an ultra impressive winner of maiden race over a mile at Kempton on June 2. Being by Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner New Approach (Galileo) and with stamina on his damside, which features Phantom Gold (Machiavellian), who won the Ribblesdale Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) and smart middle-distance gelding Fabricate (Makfi), the extra four furlongs should be problem for colt, who is owned by The Queen. Another interesting runner is the Kevin Ryan-trained Juan Elcano (Frankel) - who was last seen running a good fifth behind Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) earlier in the month, but there has to be questions marks surrounding his ability to see out the 1m2f trip. 

With the coronavirus pandemic playing havoc with the beginning of the European season, it makes the two-year-old races even more tricky puzzle to find the solution to and Wednesday’s Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) (4:10pm GMT, 1:10am ACT) is no exception to this, with 20 runners set to take their chance in the Listed contest. Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has one runner with Chief Little Hawk - who became the second winner for first-season sire and one season Coolmore Australia shuttler Air Force Blue (War Front) when he took out the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden (5f) at Navan on June 10 and he is one of eight runners to come into the race off the back of a debut victory. The two-year-old colt will be looking to hand his trainer his second win in the race, with his first coming when saddling Washington DC (Zoffany) to victory in the 2015 edition. Meanwhile, American trainer Wesley Ward will be looking for his third win in the Listed race having sent out Strike The Tiger (Tiger Ridge) to win in 2009, while he landed the 2014 edition with Hootenanny (Quality Road) and he will saddle Sunshine City (Creative Cause) in Wednesday’s race. The daughter of Creative Cause (Giant's Causeway) put herself bang in the picture for the Listed race when she made light work of her rivals in a Maiden Claiming Race (4.5f) at Gulfstream on April 30 and that form has already received a boost, with the fourth horse home subsequently going on to claim a race in May. The filly will line up alongside her stablemate Sheriff Blanco (Speightster), who finished second on debut at Churchill Downs on May 22. 

The race of the day is almost certainly the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) (3:00pm GST, 12:00am ACT) in which the William Haggas-trained Addeybb (Pivotal), who dominated the middle distance Group 1s in Australia this spring, will make his European comeback, in what looks like on paper, one of the races of the week. 

Addeybb
6 g Pivotal (GB)  - Bush Cat (USA) by Kingmambo (USA)
Trainer: William Haggas
Jockey: Tom Marquand
Owner: Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum
Breeder: Rabbah Bloodstock Limited
Sale: Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 2) V: Genesis Green Stud P: Shadwell Estate Company, 200,000gns
Australian fans will be familiar with the William Haggas-trained Addeybb (Pivotal), who proved too classy in both starts in Australia during the Sydney Autumn Carnival, beating Group 1 winner Verry Elleegant (Zed) in both the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). A dominant force on soft ground, the Haggas camp must have been bolstered to see the track receive a good dousing of rain on Monday night and throughout the day on Tuesday with more forecast overnight, which has to majorly boost the son of Pivotal’s (Polar Falcon) chances in the Group 1. The six-year-old gelding has shown his affinity for Ascot, winning two of his four starts at the Berkshire track, including beating globe-trotting Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Galileo) in the Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m2f) 12 months ago, while he also got within three-quarters of Magical (Galileo) in the Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) in October. Addeybb is out of Bush Cat (Kingmambo) making him a half-brother to Grade 3-placed Meer Kat (Red Ransom) as well as four other winners. Bush Cat herself is out of German Listed winner Arbusha (Danzig), making her a half-sister to Listed winner Busha’ (Mercer Mill) and Rip ‘N’ Run (Mercer Mill).  Further back this is the same family as Group 1 scorer Strategic Choice (Alleged) and Group 2 winner Nicholas (Danzig). 

Bangkok
4 c Australia (GB)  - Tanaghum (GB) by Darshaan (GB)
Trainer: Andrew Balding
Jockey: Silvestre De Sousa
Owner: King Power Racing Co Ltd
Breeder: Barronstown Stud
Sale: Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 1) V: Barronstown Stud P: SackvilleDonald, 500,000gns
Rated by many as one of the outsiders of the field, the son of Australia (Galileo) will be on the hunt for his third stakes race victory - first at Group 1 level - when he takes his chance in the race. Both of his stakes victories have been over the 1m2f trip he will tackle on Wednesday and will have no issues on that score. The colt is out of 1m2f-winning mare and Listed placed Tanaghum (Darshaan), making him a half-brother to some classy middle distance and long distance stakes winners; including this year’s Al Maktoum Challenge R3 (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Matterhorn (Raven’s Pass) and Listed-winning pair Tactic (Sadler’s Wells) and Yaazy (Teofilo). Meanwhile, further back this is the family of multiple Group 1 winner Ribchester (Iffraaj), who shuttles to Haunui Farm in New Zealand. 

Barney Roy
6 g Excelebration (IRE)  - Alina (IRE) by Galileo (IRE)
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Eliza Park International Pty Ltd
Sale: Tattersalls December Foal Sale V: The Irish National Stud P: A T Bloodstock, 30,000gns, S: DBS Premier Yearling Sale V: Castletown Quarry Stud P: Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock, £70,000
Bred by Australian outfit Eliza Park International, Barney Roy (Excelebration) returned last season after a failed attempt in the breeding barn and he comes into the race off the back of a victory in the Jebel Hatta (Gr 1, 1800m) at Meydan in March. Barney Roy will be on the hunt for his third victory at elite level, having taken out the St James Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) in 2017. The gelding is out of twice-raced Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare Alina, who also produced Listed-placed Wisdom Mind (Dark Angel). The gelding’s second dam is Group 3 winner Cheyenne Star (Mujahid), while further back this is the same family of Group 1-winning globe trotting star Gordon Lord Byron (Byron). 

Headman
4 c Kingman (GB)  - Deliberate (GB) by King's Best (USA)
Trainer: Roger Charlton
Jockey: Jason Watson
Owner: K Abdullah
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms (east) Ltd
The son of Kingman (Invincible Spirit) comes into the race having not been seen since running fifth behind Magical (Galileo) in the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) in September, having taken out the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano Haras du Logis Saint-Germain (Gr 2, 2000m) and Prix Eugene Adam (Gr 2, 2000m) on his two previous starts. The four-year-old colt is out of winning King’s Best (Kingmambo) mare Deliberate, making him a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Projected (Showcasing). This is a top-class Juddmonte Farms middle-distance family, with Deliberate being a half-sister to multiple elite-level winner Flintshire (Dubawi) - with his dam being the Prix de Royallieu (Gr 2, 2800m) winner Dance Routine (Sadler’s Wells), who is herself is a half-sister to Concentric (Sadler’s Wells), who in turn produced champion mare Enable (Nathaniel). 

Japan
b c Galileo (IRE)  - Shastye (IRE) by Danehill (USA)
Trainer: A P O'Brien
Jockey: Ryan Moore
Owner: D Smith/Mrs Magnier/M Tabor/M Matsushima
Breeder: Newsells Park Stud
Sale: Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 1) V: Newsells Park Stud Ltd P: MV Magnier/Mayfair/P&R Doyle, 1,300,000gns
One of the best bred horses running this week at Royal Ascot, Japan (Galileo) comes into the Group 1 winner a big reputation to uphold, one of the standout colts of last season, winning two Group 1s, including when beating top-class colt Crystal Ocean (Sea The Stars) in the Juddmonte International Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) and he will be looking to win a race at the five-day meeting for the second year on the bounce having taken out the King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) in 2019. A 1,300,000gns purchase from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the son of Galileo is a brother to Group 2 winner Secret Gesture, who also finished second in the Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f), while he is also sibling to Group 2 winners Mogul and Sir Isaac Newton and a half-brother to Australian Listed scorer Maurus (Medicean). Further back this is the same family as 1998 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Sagamix (Linamix) and other top-flight scorers Saganeca (Sagaca), Sagacity (Highest Honor) and Sageburg (Johannesburg). 

Lord North
4 g Dubawi (IRE)  - Najoum (USA) by Giant's Causeway (USA)
Trainer: John Gosden
Jockey: James Doyle
Owner: HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing
Breeder: Godolphin
The son of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) comes into the race off the back of victory in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) and looks like he will improve on that performance and could well be set to grab his first Group 1 on Wednesday. The gelding is out dual winning Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) mare Najoum, who is herself a three-quarter sister to Listed winner Ferdinanda, while she is also a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Group 3 winner Discourse (Street Cry). Discourse herself is the dam of Listed-winning pair Hadith (New Approach) and Discursus (Dubawi). Najoum is also a half-sister to the dam of Grade 1 winner Out For A Spin (Hard Spun) who won last year’s Ashland Stakes (Gr 1, 8.5f) at Keeneland.

Mehdaayih
4 f Frankel (GB)  - Sayyedati Symphony (USA) by Gone West (USA)
Trainer: John Gosden
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Owner: Emirates Park Pty Ltd
Breeder: Rabbah Bloodstock Limited
Not seen since finishing fifth behind Magical (Galileo) and Addeybb (Pivotal) in the Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) in October, the Emirates Park-raced daughter of Frankel (Galileo) was also tipped to improve with age and many wouldn’t write her off to her spring a surprise in the Group 1 on Wednesday.  The four-year-old filly is out of placed mare Sayyedati Symphony (Gone West), making her a half-sister to two winners. Meanwhile, the filly’s second dam is the multiple Group 1-winning Sayyedati (Shadeed), who in turn produced Group 2 winner Almushahar (Silver Hawk). Further back this filly hails from the same family as multiple elite-level winner Golden Snake (Danzig).