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Daily Punt Home - Royal Ascot – Day 4

Royal Ascot – Day 4

Hi all,

We’re entering the final furlong of this year’s Royal Ascot. The Day 4 highlight is the Group 1 Coronation Stakes (4:20). Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Tahiyra is set to go off odds on for the race. I really like the filly but on quick ground I think she might be vulnerable and I’m taking her on.

The meeting gets underway at 2:30 with the Group 3 Albany Stakes over 6f and its that juvenile race that comes under today’s big race microscope. As a bit of a bonus, I’m also previewing King Edward VII Stakes (5:35) inside today’s main piece.

Day 3: The Kings Of Ascot

Punters were on the floor after the first race on Day 3 as Valiant Force sent off 150/1 stormed home to win the Norfolk Stakes. Elite Status sent off the 7/4 favourite could only finish third. The Norfolk Stakes has become a bit of a graveyard for market leader, and you must go back to 2008 for the last successful one.

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On what was to turn out to be a memorable afternoon in the sunshine. King Charles III had his first Royal Ascot winner with Desert Hero landing the King George V Handicap.

You couldn’t keep King Of Royal Ascot Frankie Dettori out of the headlines. Frankie won his ninth Ascot Gold Cup on the 4-year-old Courage Mon Ami. Frankie came with long sustained run to win the feature race.  Taking it up inside the final furlong the winner he still had enough in the tank to hold the rallying favourite Coltrane. The runner-up went down on his shield, However, all credit to the winner who was having just his fourth career start and stepping up from handicap company.

Courage Mon Ami maintained the good recent record of 4-year-olds in the race. That’s now 9 winners from the last 16 renewals of the race for that age group.

Four year-olds, 12/1 & under who had one of their last three starts are now – 9 winners from 26 runners 35% +23.7 15 placed since 2008. Something to note for next year’s race.

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Finally, a few words on Frankel. What a week the stallion is having. He’s had the winner of three Group 1’s between 1m & 2m 4f – the Queen Anne, the Prince of Wales Stakes and now the Ascot Gold Cup. That’s some achievement by a horse who is becoming the King of the Stallions.

2:30 – Albany Stakes (Group 3) – 6f

Carla’s Way was a £350,000 Breeze-Up purchase who created a good impression when making all to win a Doncaster maiden 20 days ago. She produced a good speed figure in winning that day and the runner-up has gone since so the form has a solid look to it.  

Trainer Roger Varian has saddled the winner of this race in 2014 & 2019, and he has a live contender in Jabaara. The daughter of Exceed And Excel overcame trouble to win going away at Newmarket on her racecourse debut last month. There should be more to come from her, and she should go close.

There are couple of interesting Irish challengers in Porta Fortuna and Navassa Island.  The former won at the Curragh on her racecourse debut before just holding off Navassa Island in a Group 3 at Naas 33-days ago. There was plenty to like about the winners change of gear that day and she’s capable of better. Interestingly Navassa Island was making her racecourse debut in that race which showed she’s highly regarded by connections. Strong at the finish at Naas. She's open to further improvement and is worth her place in the line-up with Colin Keane booked.

Carla’s Way is the right favourite, but I’m torn between the claims of Jabaara and Navassa Island.

5:35 – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) – 1m 4f

King Of Steel put in a much improved performance when a ½-length 2nd of 14 to Auguste Rodin in Derby at Epsom last time. That’s the standout form on offer and the colt will be tough to beat if reproducing that performance here off a 20 day layoff. 

Arrest an impressive winner of the Chester Vase (soft). He didn’t handle the Epsom undulations when only 10th in the Derby. A return to a more conventional track is a positive. He remains capable of better although the colt may prefer more ease in the ground.

Of the rest Artistic Star was an 11 length 7th in the Derby. A winner of his first two starts. Like Arrest he didn’t seem to handle the track at Epsom. However, he was doing his best work at the finish that day and we likely haven’t seen the best of the colt just yet.

Whilst King of Steel will take some beating, I might have a couple of quid on Artistic Star.

Good luck with your Friday bets.

John

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