Royal Ascot is here and top tipster Hugh Taylor has a couple of selections for both the Coventry and Ascot Stakes, all live on Sky Sports Racing.
The Coventry Stakes (3.05) looks an open renewal this year in the absence of ante-post favourite Albert Einstein, with five of the front six in the market once-raced winners who recorded good – though perhaps not exceptional – times, but could progress plenty.
I don’t think any of them were more impressive, either visually or on the clock, than ANDAB had been on his debut at the Curragh, and he looks overpriced as there’s a suspicion he might be a bit better than the bare form of his subsequent third behind Albert Einstein in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh.
He found himself disputing the lead on the second start and raced a bit more keenly than ideal, and that probably impacted his finishing effort (his trainer indicated in a recent At The Races stable tour that he had also had “a little hold-up” following his debut).
The pace of that race was very moderate – the leaders would have been around seven lengths behind Balantina, the all-the-way winner of the fillies’ maiden that preceded it, at the halfway stage – and in pulling clear of the remainder whilst recording some quick closing sectionals, the front three probably all marked themselves as smart colts.
Runner-up Power Blue had the advantage of the rail and also had the benefit of two previous runs, so Andab might be able to improve past him, and he should go well.
The Sky Sports Racing team have named their fancies for Royal Ascot, all live on the channel from Tuesday, June 17 to Saturday, June 21.
I also think GAVOO, who finished second behind Andab albeit beaten some way, on his racecourse debut might outrun his odds in the Coventry Stakes – he looks worth an each-way bet on the evidence of his second run when winning at Listowel.
That first run was worth noting given that his trainer David Marnane has had just one two-year-old debut winner (from 78 runners) over the last 10 years, and he seemed to take a big step forward at Listowel.
The runner-up that day, Fresh Fade, was well backed and went with plenty of zest from the front, but Gavoo gradually reeled him in and was comfortably on top at the line.
Moreover, the time looked a very positive one – in most years at this meeting the six-furlong two-year-old races have produced significantly slower times than those featuring older horses over the same trip, but Gavoo’s time was 1.15 seconds faster than the race for older horses later on the card, despite the latter race being run at an end-to-end gallop.
This race represents a very different test in lots of ways, but I thought the evidence of the clock suggests Gavoo has a much better chance of making an impact than his odds suggest.
The front three in the market in the Ascot Stakes (5.00) – Reaching High, East India Dock, and Poniros – undoubtedly represent the “sexiest” profiles in the race, but it’s a shade of odds-on for one of that trio to win at the bookmakers’ prices at the time of writing, and I’d rather take a couple of each-way stab at bigger prices in the circumstances.
Trainer John Gosden discusses his Queen Anne Stakes hopeful Lead Artist.
This is potentially a stronger and deeper renewal of the Ascot Stakes than last year, but I thought that DIVINE COMEDY took very well to the demands of this idiosyncratic contest, finishing runner-up to Pledgeofallegiance, who very much had the run of the race.
She came from mid-division, was only really racing from just before the two-furlong pole, and put daylight between herself and the placed horses, seeing the trip out strongly and proving that she’s effective on fast ground as well as in the mud.
She didn’t build on that in three subsequent starts but has left the impression she has returned in form.
She failed only narrowly to peg back Al Qareem on her seasonal debut at Nottingham, and she again showed her liking for Ascot when a creditable third in the Sagaro Stakes, plugging on behind a pair of Gold Cup hopes.
At Chester last time, although she wasn’t badly drawn, she could never get in and raced three wide throughout, and in the circumstances ran creditably to finish nine lengths 10th of 15. Her subsequent 2lb drop in the weights did have the upside of making her eligible for this 0-100 handicap again.
She’s clearly vulnerable to less exposed, more lightly-weighted rivals, but a reproduction of her run last year would probably give her a good chance of making the frame at least, and her proven stamina and trackcraft might stand her in good stead.
The other runner I want to keep onside, who again makes each-way appeal, is MR HAMPSTEAD, who looks to have really found his niche this year.
He was often highly tried last year and didn’t run as badly as the distance he was beaten suggests in the Queen’s Vase at this meeting, making the running and still in contention turning for home before weakening.
He has looked a stronger horse this year and romped home on his seasonal debut at Goodwood on what was just his second run for his current yard.
If anything, I thought he ran even better when second over the same course and distance last time, and although he was beaten by today’s rival Marxman, I also thought he shaped much the better of the pair.
He disputed the lead at a good gallop and became involved in a protracted battle with fellow frontrunner Trooper Bisdee up the straight, the pair quickly pulling several lengths clear. He saw off that rival, but the duo had faced the brunt of the headwind in the straight and the pack closed down in the final furlong, Manxman being the chief beneficiary.
I thought Mr Hampstead shaped like the best horse at the weights, and off a 2lb higher mark he looks capable of another big run. There are other prominent racers in the field, but most of them are drawn outside him, so he should at least be able to take up a good early position.
HUGH’S BEST BETS (scale 1-5 points)
3.05 ROYAL ASCOT, TUESDAY – COVENTRY STAKES
1pt win ANDAB (11-1 general)
1pt each-way GAVOO (40-1 general)
5.00 ROYAL ASCOT, TUESDAY – ASCOT STAKES
1pt each-way DIVINE COMEDY (22-1 general)
1pt each-way MR HAMPSTEAD (14-1 general)
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