Good morning all,
In Monday’s column I gave you my four highlights from Saturday at Royal Ascot. Inside today’s main piece I focus on my two favourites of the five days. Plus, you’ll find three Royal Ascot horses for the tracker and I have looked at three races on this evening’s Newbury card.
Royal Ascot: Performances of the Week
Everyone will have their own favourite stand out performances from Royal Ascot. Mine happen to be Poetic Flare and Subjectivist.
Poetic Flare: The Best Three-Year-old Miler Since Kingman?
Poetic Flare is one hell of a tough horse. The 3-year-old was having his fifth race of the season and his fourth Group 1 and its only mid-June. Successful in the English 2,000 Guineas and going so close in the Irish version. The colt still managed to put in a career best when bouncing off the quick ground to win the St James’ Palace Stakes on day one.
On RPR’s his 4 ½ length success was as good as Palace Pier’s in 2020 and the best since Kingman’s win in 2014. The race was run in a good time and Poetic Flare is the best 3-year-old miler by some margin. This win sets him up nicely for potentially a “Duel On The Downs” with the stand out older miler Palace Pier. I say potentially because Palace Pier could well head to Deauville for the Jacques le Marois a race he won last season.
A New Staying Champion Emerges
Punters expected Stradivarius to succeed in his attempt at a fourth Gold Cup success. It wasn’t to be for the 5/6 favourite’s backers. Instead, a new staying champion emerged in the shape of the Mark Johnson trained Subjectivist.
Subjectivist. was having his first run since winning the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on World Cup Night. Given a lovely ride by jockey Joe Fanning. The 4-year-old was travelling nicely behind the leader before going for home 3f out. It was race winning ride as the colt held on for a 5-length success with Princess Zoe running on into second with Spanish Mission back in third and Stradivarius only fourth.
Princess Zoe ran a cracker on ground that would have been plenty quick enough for her. I bet connections wished that Friday’s rain had come 24 hours earlier. Spanish Mission ran as well as ever in third. However, he was just too far back when the winner went for home.
As for Stradivarius. He seemed to be going well three out but the gaps didn’t open for him there nor on the home turn. Once in the clear, he ran on but never looked like catching the eventual winner and wasn’t subjected too hard a race by Frankie Dettori in the final furlong. I don’t think he would have beaten Subjectivist, even with a clear run, but would probably have finished second.
The new king of the staying division is Subjectivist and he’s the one and not Stradivarius that they all have to beat in the Goodwood Cup.
Royal Ascot Eyectchers
I have plenty in the tracker after last week’s action. Here are three of them:
Beat le Bon – Richard Hannon
Did best of the smaller group who raced far side in the Royal Hunt Cup and his 7 ½ length 5th of 30 can be marked up. The 5-year-old whose last success came in the 2019 Golden Mile Handicap, goes well on quick ground and given he will be only 1lb above his last winning mark will surely bid for success in that race again. Provided he gets a decent enough draw I can see him going close at Goodwood.
Dubai Honour – William Haggas
Racing in the first-time tongue tie and for the first time since October, Dubai Honour showed the benefit of a winter gelding operation when a 2 ½ length 4th of 29 in the Britannia Handicap on Thursday. Despite not getting the best of runs 2f out, he still did best of those who raced far side. He remains open to further improvement and can win off around his present mark.
Gulliver – David O’Meara
Gulliver can never be ruled out in a big field sprint handicap. There had been plenty of encouragement to be taken from his strong finishing 6th of 18 at York. He built on that promise with a 1 ¾ length 5th of 21 in Saturday’s Wokingham Handicap. The 7-year-old’s best runs have come with plenty of ease in the ground and he’s lurking on a winnable mark when he gets his conditions again.
Wednesday Racing
As expected, Windsor was unable to race on Monday. Tuesday’s main meeting is at Ayr but there is a competitive looking card at Newbury this evening and there are three of interest at the Berkshire venue.
Newbury
6:30 – Navegaon Gate looks potentially well treated on his handicap debut. The 3-year-old was an 8 ½ 3rd of 8th over C&D last time. The two who finished ahead of him in that maiden contest were the very useful Manobo and recent Derby runner-up Mojo Star.
Toronto put in his best effort since joining the David Loughnane yard when a 3 ½ lengths 4th of 8 at Chester last time. The 4-year-old looks competitively weighted and Royal Ascot winning jockey Laura Pearson takes off handy 5lb. Yard going well which gives Toronto a decent shout here.
Amir Kabir had caught the eye when 3rd of 16 here (1m 2f) on his seasonal return. The 4-year bounced back from a below par run at Windsor when a ¾ length 3rd of 8 at Leicester last time. A winner on soft ground last year he shaped at Leicester that he was a try at 1m 4f.
7:30 – Top Secret was well beaten on his first start for the Muir & Grassick yard 15-days ago. He was sent off the 100/30 fav that day. Which suggests connections think they have got a well-treated horse on their hands. Finished a close-up 3rd of 15 over C&D last summer when with Clive Cox.
8:05 – Intrusive looks interesting in the first-time blinkers replacing the hood he wore when a 1 ½ length 3rd of 13 at Goodwood 16-days ago. Goes well on soft ground and looks on a winnable mark if building on his last performance.
Tuesday selection:
Newbury
8:05 – Intrusive – 8/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes.
Good luck with your Wednesday bets.
John
John Burke is the tipster behind the long standing Victor Value service you can join him here – https://victorvalue.uk