3 minute read
Racing and Sports preview day two from the Royal Meeting at Ascot.
Day one at the Royal Meeting was highlighted by Palace Pier and day two is set to be highlighted by the Prince Of Wales Stakes where a clash between star filly Love and last year's winner Lord North will hopefully result in another top class performance.
Love looks the one most likely to produce something special but the marketplace is well aware of that and Racing and Sports Pricing Model, which loves recent form, has some concerns about a 300-day layoff.
Of course, the same model was able to look past the same problems when it came to Battaash last night but his ratings edge was greater than what Love can boast.
In fact, there must be some little concern that, for all that Love won her three races in 2020 by an accumulated 18.3 lengths, there is very little substance to her form. The clock was repeatedly warm but the best horse to chase her home was not within 100 yards of the opposition that she faces tonight. In fact, the only horse that she has ever raced that was better than ~115 was Alpine Star who trounced her.
Love is a better model now, and how fast they run means a good deal more than who was chasing, but it's enough of a concern to sit out as she takes on six rivals that are all better than the best horse she has ever beaten.
Lord North is perhaps a little undersold given that he doesn't really fit the typical mould of a good horse in the eyes of British pundits and punters. He was a handicapper turned - and once we punters pigeon hole one we hate to let them out.
He's kicked the door down since, winning a Prince Of Wales, running about as well when placed in a Juddmonte International, and trouncing a Dubai Turf field that was light on but dealt with appropriately.
The other key market hope is Armory and in the author's view he is the one most tempting at prices around $4.50. He promised more than he achieved last season and his return win at Chester hinted at him being ready to come good on that promise now.
Edges there could only possibly be small but there might be a bit more going on in the race that preceeds it, the Duke of Cambridge for the mares.
Lady Bowthorpe heads the betting with her second to Palace Pier last time an attention-grabbing piece of form. It's also a strong piece of form and her place at the top of the betting is reasonable, but there are a couple of interesting angles around her.
Click here for free form, ratings and speed maps for Royal Ascot tonight
Lady Bowthorpe beat Queen Power and Lavender's Blue (among others) in a slowly run race at Newmarket where she did them with late pace. So she is versatile. That can be considered another tick for the favourite but margins were fine and it's not irrelevant that Lady Bowthorpe was priced up the least likely of that trio on the day.
Queen Power has since stepped out and improved, smashing up a small field at York from which third and fourth have come out and run well to be placed in Group Threes. Palace Pier's name aside, it's hard to see that Lady Bowthorpe is much better, if at all, than Queen Power who is 3-0 head-to-head with Lavender's Blue.
The other in the race with noteworthy head-to-heads is the Group One winner in the field, Champers Elysees.
She comes here as a double-figure chance having run two even (at best) races to start her campaign but both are easy enough to excuse. She was rusty first time out and then left with poorly placed settling back off a slow pace on soft ground last time. A very different scenario here could bring about a very different result and the best of her will be good enough to get involved.
Recommended Bets: Back Queen Power and Champers Elysees in the Duke Of Cambridge.
