Racing
Royal Ascot 2020 Day 3 Preview
It’s already day 3 of Royal Ascot! Steven Dowler returns to deliver his Royal Ascot 2020 day 3 preview as he tries to take down the £10,000 Pick 6 pool. Read on and, if you agree with his selections, join his Syndicate here.
Royal Ascot 2020 day 3 preview
13.15 – Golden Gates Handicap – 1m1f
First up in my Royal Ascot 2020 day 3 preview is a horse who has been on my radar for quite some time and was selected in my 10 dark horses to follow article. It’s HYPOTHETICAL, trained by Mark Johnston and who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.
He won well on debut last year and shaped as though he needed the run in a Group 3 at Kempton on his seasonal debut, having travelled powerfully throughout. We can expect him to be fully fit for this easier assignment today off a lenient handicap debutant mark of 97 and I’m quietly confident he goes close to winning this.
CEPHEUS turned over the useful odds-on favourite Volkan Star when a runaway winner on debut at 25/1 before finding the 2,000 Guineas happening all too quickly for him. I actually thought he shaped well there in general from a poor draw, and he will appreciate this huge drop down in class this afternoon.
Jim Crowley has been booked to ride again whilst the Brian Meehan stable have been in red-hot form since the resumption of racing. Based on his two runs so far, I think the bookmakers have priced him up wrong because he should be at least half his current odds.
HIGHLAND CHIEF is a useful sort over the jumps and made his flat debut at Newbury last year where he won nicely before having his sights set at this meeting in the Chesham Stakes. He ran a brilliant race that day to finish third and only find Pinatubo and Lope Y Fernandez too strong. That form is exceptional as we know what the winner has achieved since including a third in the 2,000 Guineas whilst the runner-up finished second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas subsequently.
Selections: HYPOTHETICAL, CEPHEUS, HIGHLAND CHIEF
13.50 – Wolferton Stakes – 1m1f
FOX TAL should take all the beating in this race. He was last seen finishing a creditable fourth in the Group 1 Champion Stakes, and that is by far the strongest piece of form on offer. This unexposed four-year-old takes a big drop in grade for his return to action and a reproduction of his latest effort should see him in the winner’s enclosure.
Looking at those bigger priced runners, i would say look no further than FOREST RANGER for the Richard Fahey stable. He’s a dual Group 2 winner, Group 3 winner and on his only run at this track was when he finished a staying on fifth in the 2017 Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes over 7 furlongs which was much tougher than the race he will contest today.
The front four home that day were all rated 117+ at the time so it was a cracking effort over that trip considering all of his best form has been over further. He’s won on his reappearance three times previously so fitness will be no issue, and this represents a big drop down in class. For me, Forest Ranger makes plenty of appeal and is one of the best each-way bets of the day.
Selections: FOX TAL, FOREST RANGER
14.25 – Jersey Stakes – 7f
I’m really taken by the fact that MONARCH OF EGYPT is available at around 10/1. His form is really strong having chased home impressive Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Siskin twice as a two-year-old including the Phoenix Stakes when beaten less than one length. He ran well to finish fifth in the Dewhurst behind Pinatubo before keeping on well to finish seventh in the Irish 2,000 Guineas last week.
There is no doubt this experienced performer would have finished closer with a clear run, and this race is much easier. Monarch Of Egypt brings the best form to the table, and I think he’s got a cracking chance.
CELESTIN is interesting coming over from France. He didn’t finish out of the top-two on his first four starts and ran a career best race to finish fourth behind Victor Ludorum in the French Group 1 2,000 Guineas. A repeat of that performance under James Doyle here makes him a leading player.
REPARTEE should be suited by the step up in trip having shown a lot of promise on every start in his career and looks the type who could easily develop into a solid Group horse for connections. MISTER SNOWDON rounds off the four having won both his career races and could easily have gone down the handicap route but connections obviously feel he can make his presence felt at this level.
Selections: MONARCH OF EGYPT, CELESTIN, REPARTEE, MISTER SNOWDON
15.00 – Chesham Stakes – 7f
This isn’t an easy race to solve, but I do like the look of three who should be involved at the finish. GOLDEN FLAME looked professional on his debut despite being narrowly beaten. Once he was headed, the way he showed a good attitude to fight back and nearly force a photo was eye-catching. Frankie Dettori is booked for the ride, and we know he does well in these silks. This son of the high-class Golden Horn might lack that tactical speed, but we know he will stay 1m in due course. Therefore, Frankie Dettori will most likely use his assured stamina to try and turn this race into a stamina test which will hopefully see him thereabouts at the finish.
FIRST PROPHET showed an awkward head carriage in the final furlong of his debut success but he wasn’t stopping at the finish and with James Doyle remaining in the saddle, you would like to think he has improved loads from that success. BRIGHT DEVIL looked professional on debut when making all at 25/1. He’s clearly held in high regard by connections or else they wouldn’t be running him here, and I think he will run a big race with Oisin Murphy retained in the saddle.
Selections: GOLDEN GLAME, FIRST PROPHET, BRIGHT DEVIL
15.35 – Gold Cup – 2m3f
This race is all about the champion stayer STRADIVARIUS. This field looks a lot weaker than the races he has contested over the last few years, and he ran a lovely prep-race when third behind Ghaiyyath in the Coronation Cup last time out over a trip too short. That will have put him on the spot for today’s assignment, so it would come as a huge shock if he fails to deliver.
Even though the champion should win this comfortably being the clear top-rated at 122, I think MOONLIGHT SPIRIT has been overlooked in the market as he could represent some decent value. He’s only raced seven times but has won four of them and was staying on strongly to finish fourth in the Queen’s Vase at this meeting twelve months ago.
That was his first try over 1m6f so he was entitled to have been given a cool ride to prove he had the sufficient stamina required. He’s since won easily over the trip in a Group 3 and lost nothing in defeat when strong at the finish over the same C&D last time. William Buick has chosen to ride him over Cross Counter which bodes well for his chance. I’m hopeful he will benefit from the extra emphasis on stamina here and serve it up to the favourite.
Selections: STRADIVARIUS, MOONLIGHT SPIRIT
16.10 – Britannia Stakes – 1m
You could make a case for a few in the final leg of my Royal Ascot 2020 day 3 preview, with many of them looking very well treated, and this is arguably one of the hottest Britannia Stakes’ races in recent years.
One horse who has been on my shortlist for a while and was featured in my ten dark horses to follow this season was KHALOOSY. I was mightily impressed with the way he put his race to bed at Wolverhampton last time out having travelled powerfully throughout. The form of that race has taken a few knocks since, but I have a suspicion this is a Group horse running in a handicap, and with the presence of rider of the week so far Jim Crowley on his back, I am keen to take advantage of his current value.
Besides Khaloosy, I really fancy TORO STRIKE to run a huge race for Richard Fahey. The son of the high-class Toronado was last seen finishing 3rd of 20 runners in Doncaster’s big two-year-old event when beaten narrowly. An absence to overcome here should be no issue based on the fact he ran very well on his debut last year to finish fifth at Newbury, and the form of that race has worked out well as the horses who finished in front of him are all now rated 100+. Toro Strike runs in this race off a mark 94 so he’s clearly well treated and has plenty of experience under his belt to go well in a race of this nature.
VERBOTEN was given far too much to do last time out when keeping on to be fourth over 7 furlongs. The return to 1m here will suit a lot better and on his only previous race over this distance saw him finish a creditable 7th in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Stakes behind Kameko. This race might have more runners, but he’s drawn nicely in stall 18 with Frankie Dettori on his back.
Selections: KHALOOSY, TORO STRIKE, VERBOTEN
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