2.30pm - Group 2 Norfolk Stakes
Another very good two-year-old contest where we get to see some very well-bred types test their legs in Group 2 company, and although this can be a bit of a lottery in terms of picking the winner, this year's renewal could be fairly cut and dried with Whistlejacket coming into this race off the back of two runs so far this season, and he has gathered a real reputation already.
He could easily win this and land Aidan O'Brien just his fourth Norfolk Stakes success, but given the nature of how competitive the race is once again this year, I think he will most likely win the race but I will also be looking to side with one at a decent price who comes into this off the back of a decent effort on debut some 27 days ago.
Shareholder caught the eye when overcoming greenness on debut at Beverley, and although he won that day, it was just 12 days ago, so I think there might not be enough time for him to recover and put everything together in time.
However it is a Wathnan Racing runner I am siding with in the form of Archie Watson’s Aesterius, who made a nice winning debut at Bath over 5 furlongs last time. He was another Wathnan Breeze up purchase who fetched £380,000 at the sales, and like most of their two-year-olds he was pretty well forward and showed that when winning by a little under 3 lengths.
The form of that race is somewhat questionable, but he won in the manner that would suggest a step could be taken forward here, as he soon lengthened clear in the closing stages. I really like that debut performance, and given the fact he was a breeze up purchase, he will be forward enough to land a blow in this.
Usually siding with the retained riders choice is the way to go, but yesterday James Doyle did choose wrong in the Coventry, while the other two Wathnan Racing runners came 2nd and 3rd at decent odds, so hopefully the same can be done with Aesterius on Thursday afternoon.
For me he was one of the more interesting Wathnan two-year-olds this season, and now with a break under his belt, he can easily be fresh enough to take the step up in class in his stride and land a blow in this.
- Selections - Whistlejacket (5/4 Win) & Aesterius (10/1 Each Way)
3.45pm - Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes
I think this is a pretty good contest this season, with some nice-looking fillies heading to post for the Group 2 prize, and I am all over Diamond Rain for Charlie Appleby, William Buick and Godolphin, as she could quite easily become a real star.
The boys in blue form could be a little questionable at this stage, as they don't particularly have many runners this week and Notable Speech was pretty disappointing in the St James's Palace Stakes when not quickening up in the slightest after travelling nicely throughout the contest.
However, if there are no issues with the Charlie Appleby horses, then this daughter of Shamardal will win this contest and will win it nicely indeed. Her dam Dancing Rain was an Oaks winner a few years back, and was a talented filly/mare in her own right, so the fact Diamond Rain that has a talented sire and dam to boot should make her a nice horse going forward for Godolphin.
Just the two runs so far in her short career, that could be her downfall here, but the fact she has been persisted with (no runs as a 2yo and only the two runs so far at three) will suggest connections think a fair bit of her at home, and the fact that she was pitched into Listed company on just her 2nd start will also back that up.
She is a pretty big filly and quite leggy, so that might be the reason why she was not seen as a two-year-old, so it is a very good sign that they let her grow into her three-year-old mould ready for the season ahead.
She was a head winner on debut at Ascot, and although the form of that race has not really been backed up, she was a game winner given the fact that she did it all wrong really.
Charlie Appleby then decided to pitch her into Listed company at Newbury, stepping her up in trip in the process, and that worked out well as she won the 1m2f contest by 2 and a quarter lengths in the end, really forging clear in the closing stages despite lugging right slightly.
The one thing that catches the eye with that effort at Newbury last time was the subsequentform: the 2nd placed horse Ejaabiyah has since come out and won a pretty hot class 2 novice contest at Salisbury by a little under 5 lengths, really stamping her authority on the Irish Oaks race in a few weeks time, so I think the form of that race could be pretty good in the long run.
Diamond Rain looked like she was getting even better the further they went in that Listed Newbury contest, and as mentioned I think in the long run that could be some decent form, especially if Ejaabiyah goes on to run well in the Irish Oaks next month.
But ultimately, depending on how Diamond Rain gets on here, she could end up in the Irish Oaks next month, as she does hold an entry for the race.
I really hope all is well with the Godolphin horses, as I do feel that Diamond Rain could be the real superstar that they are calling out for, and given the fact she has to overcome the lack of experience compared to the rest of the field on Thursday, I think she could ultimately be the least exposed and improve enough from the last run to take this step up in class in her stride.
I am excited to see how she gets on, and fingers will be crossed she can confirm the promise she has shown on her two previous starts so far this season.
- Selection - Diamond Rain (13/8 NAP)
4.25PM - Group 1 Gold Cup
I think it is actually a pretty good renewal of the Ascot Gold Cup this year, and all eyes will obviously be on the 2022 Gold Cup hero Kyprios, who has had a bit of a torrid time of things since landing the stayers’ feature contest two years back.
He missed the Gold Cup last year due to injury, and was actually beaten twice last season when expected to go well in just the two runs he has had, so there are obvious question marks on his fragility, but all has been well with him so far this season, and he even comes into this race off the back of two victories for the staying star.
He arrives at this race off the back of a win just 34 days ago, where he landed a Group 3 contest at Leopardstown by a length, in pretty good fashion given the fact he is probably better seen over the further trip of 1m6f that he ran over then.
We all know that this Gold Cup trip is very much his wheelhouse, as he showed when landing the contest two years back, so there is no need to look into the fact he was not that flashy when winning this year - all we need to know is that he is fit and ready to go for the feature contest of the week come Thursday afternoon.
Looking at ratings, he is some 5lbs below his peak ratings when winning the Group 1 races a few seasons back, but if he were to win this, then he would obviously be right back up there soon. I just think he is the best horse in the race and is a real Group 1 animal, and should all be ok with him, I just can not see him losing this here.
It is a real shame last season was hindered by injuries, as he could have won it a year ago, then he would have been looking to emulate Yeats and Stradivarius with three Gold Cups in a row. However he did not make it, but he is here and ready to go once again this season.
I think it would be a little harsh to go about this and not mention Coltrane, who just seems to still be getting better now he is a real stayer, and if he can replicate that 2nd in this contest last year, he could be the one to serve it right up to Kyprios.
A winner of the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes at Ascot last time, he had to be very game in the closing stages, fending off younger legs. As mentioned, he was a fantastic 2nd in this race last year, only beaten by three quarters of a length to Courage Mon Ami, who just seemingly had a little bit of more speed than the Andrew Balding runner, but Coltrane was keeping on well still, just seemingly at the same pace in the end.
He is a very likeable sort who always runs well in these staying trips in the UK, and if in a good position coming around the final bend, he will no doubt be plugging on well coming to the line. I think it could be Kyprios who wins, and Coltrane a pretty close 2nd in behind.
- Selections - Kyprios (6/5 Win) & Coltrane (14/1 Each Way)
5.05pm - Britannia Stakes
My selection is a lot like a horse called Thunder Ball for Paul and Oliver Cole, who is a real cliff horse of mine, and I am convinced that he and Involvement will win a big handicap soon, and given the fact he has only raced four times in his career, it does seem a little strange to say.
But the fact that Simon & Ed Crisford pitched him into the Silver Bowl on just his 4th ever start off the mark of 91, I am absolutely convinced that his current mark of 96 is a little below his true talents (he was raised 5lbs in the weights after that 2nd in the Silver Bowl last time).
He was a very nice winner of a Redcar maiden back in September, as he blitzed the field by an easy 4 lengths in the end, and he then backed that up with a 2nd placed effort next time out at Newcastle, and although he was beaten at odds-on, he had to give the eventual winner Daarkoom a massive 10lbs in the weights.
That earned him a mark of 91 which could seem a little high after just the two career runs, but what he showed in those novice races was that there is plenty of talent in the locker. He was then pitched into another novice race, this time at Epsom where he ran on well in the closing stages, and I just feel that Epsom was not ideal for him that day.
I think the reason connections used those novice runs was because this horse was still learning on the job, so they utilised those as a learning experience for the horse ready for the Silver Bowl at Haydock in May, where he came a very good 2nd, and although a few lengths behind the eventual winner, he then pulled 4 lengths clear of the 3rd placed horse in the end, running on well in the closing stages.
I think ultimately a step up in trip might suit this horse somewhere down the line, but he is good enough to run at the mile trip, and given the fact he comes out of stall 19, that will suit as the race has been won by the higher draws lately (only one single figure draw winner since 2012, which was Bless Him back in 2017 coming out of stall 3).
Also the race was won at a very quick pace last time, and that seemingly suited this horse, so I am sure he will get that here on Thursday for the Britannia. He might just become one of these horses that runs well without winning in all the big handicaps he runs in, but I firmly feel there is a big race win in him somewhere, and now with four runs under his belt, that could come at the Royal meeting on Thursday.
- Selection - Involvement (14/1 Each Way)
5.40pm - Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes
I am a huge fan of King’s Gambit (that might be partly down to the fact I tipped him up to win the London Gold Cup last time) for Harry Charlton, who could have a Time Test on his hands, who won the London Gold Cup for his father Roger Charlton in 2015 before going on to land the Tercentenary Stakes next time out, which is the old name for this contest.
Time Test then went on to then land a few other Group races later on in his career, and although he was not a Group 1 animal, he was rated 121 at his very peak. Granted you can not compare previous horses, as we all know they are not robots, but the manner in which King's Gambit won the London Gold Cup at Newbury last time would suggest to me that there is plenty more to come, and that he was a Group horse running in a handicap.
He did look to be in a little bit of trouble in that race last time, but the further they went, the better he was, and it was very clear the mark of 93 at that time was way below his actual ability. He does have the obvious step up in class to Group 3 company for the first time to deal with here, as well as a 14lb hike in the weights, as he now runs off the mark of 107, but the hike up in weights was to be expected.
I really like this son of Saxon Warrior, he is a very good-looking type and I feel there is plenty more to come from him. Harry Charlton has trained him very well, and I am sure he and the horse's connections are very excited to see how King's Gambit gets on in the Hampton Court Stakes this Thursday. Granted one or two of these have some black type to their name already, but I think he is the one who could be a class above the rest of these.
- Selection - King's Gambit (5/2 Win)
Royal Ascot Day 3 selection summary:
- 2.30 - Wistlejacket (to win) & Aesterius (EW)
- 3.05 - Gilded Water (EW)
- 3.45 - Diamond Rain (to win NAP)
- 4.25 - Kyprios (to win) & Coltrane (EW)
- 5.05 - Involvement (EW)
- 5.45 - King's Gambit (to win)
- 6.25 - English Oak (to win)
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell