It’s not been the best week. Carravaggio got the job done at a short price and a small few quid out of Top Tug’s place wasn’t enough to steady the ship.

Here’s the last roll of the dice…

2:30 Match Maker E/w

3:05 Ayrad E/w

3:40 Wings Of Desire

4:20 Limato

5:00 Outback Traveller & Normandy Barriete E/w

5:35 Thomas Hobson

Beir bua.

Hitting the crossbar twice was frustrating but a few ew shekels out of Indian Dandy keeps the show on the road (just about).

Unfortunately I’m very stuck for time and won’t have time to type everything up. Here’s today in a nutshell:

2:30 Clemmie

3:05 Crystal Ocean

3:40 Caravaggio – v short but most exciting horse in training, in my opinion.

4:20 Forecast – Winter/Precieuse 

5:00 Count Octave

5:35 Top Tug  EW & Oasis Fantasy EW

Sin é.

Slán tamaillín,

T

The main man did us a reel favour. Onward…

14:30 Norfolk Stakes (Group 2): Wesley Ward’s tops the market but the eye is drawn to second fav, Santry, who’s winning form at York has been franked quite nicely as the second and fourth that day both went out and won next time up. 13/2 is quite tempting. Looking for one at a bigger price, Rock of Estonia has been operating at a much lower level than this but still managed to get the job done nicely at Bath last time when giving plenty of weight to the second, who has since come out and won. He could run a big race at 25/1 E/W.

15:05 Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3): Orderofthegarter was very disappointing when sent out in pursuit of a French Classic. 5^th in the Essai Poulains, 6^th in the Prix du Jockey Club. Not quite what connections had in mind, I’m sure. However, whilst this is a relatively hot Group 3 involving Classic performing horses, this is more his level and at 10/1 in a place he can hopefully outrun those odds.

15:40 Ribblesdale Stakes (Fillies Group 2): At the prices and considering there should be more improvement to come, Naughty Or Nice stood out for an each way bet at 12/1. She beat the boys in Navan and this drop in trip shouldn’t be a problem. Blinkers applied for the first time.

16:20 Ascot Gold Cup (Group 1): Good and all as he may be, I just can’t bring myself to back Order Of St George. Disappointing first time up this season and then only winning a middling Saval Beg, although beating a decent yardstick in Twilight Payment by two and a half, is not enough to warrant a bet at even money or odds on in places. I thought Torcedor had shown a new lease of life in his two starts for Jessica Harrington so far this term. Now this trip is completely unknown for him but he seems to gallop on strongly to the line like he’s a horse with more to give. At 16/1 he seemed a bit big, having beaten Order Of St George at Navan already this season and, on seasonal bow, Twilight Payment by over 5 lengths, and appeals for an each way bet.

17:00 Britannia Stakes (Handicap): This is about as wide open as it comes and so, with that in mind, my two for each way bets against the field are Horroob who is still unexposed and has to be forgiven the keen way of going at Goodwood the last day at 22/1 in a place. Indian Dandy is a horse that has been consistently competitive this term improving over a stone so far. He could have more to give at 33/1 in places.

17:35 King George V Stakes (Handicap): I was relatively impressed by Homesman at the Curragh the last day and did not expect him to pop up in a race like this at all. He stayed on quite well to the line to win the Group 3 Gallinule stakes by a head from Born To Play. Back in to handicap company and stepping up in trip, his chance fairly decent I would have thought. 14/1 about.

Sin é. Keep on keeping on, my friends.

Slán tamaillín,

T

A few bob out of Mutakayyef’s second place is a pitiful day at the office, to say the least.

However, in the words of the great Natasha Bedingfield, “The rest is still unwritten…”

If you’re racing on Wednesday… good luck. It’s going to be 33C…

14:30 Jersey Stakes (Group 3): Le Brivido is currently at the top of the market and his French 2000 Guineas second does probably represent the strongest form in the race. However, the one I like is Daban for John Gosden. Now, obviously she doesn’t benefit from a fillies allowance here, but she is a belting athlete in her own right beating Unforgettable Filly, a subsequent Classic winner, in the Nell Gwyn on quick ground at Newmarket and third behind Winter in the 1000 Guineas.

15:05 Queen Mary Stakes (Fillies’ Group 2): The Wesley Ward filly comes with a big reputation and her price reflects it. There must be value in taking on the favourite here however, and with that in mind, Treasuring E/W does catch my eye at 14/1 in places. She was second on debut and then followed up with a win in a Navan holding off subsequent Goff’s London Sale grad, Yulong Warrior (£360K).

15:40 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2): Mix and Mingle is a filly on the up and up, without doubt, fending off Qemah the last day at Lingfield. She’ll need to improve again, but at 14/1 has to be worth a nibble each way now literally in the form of her life on a career high official rating of 113.

16:20 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1): Highland Reel is probably one of the most likeable and versatile flat horses in training. Maybe it’s just because he’s been around the block, but he does seem to have an iron constitution. Whilst some may say the slightly truncated 10f might be a bit sharp for ‘the Reel’, he is a Secretariat Stakes winner over this trip and second in a Frnch Derby. Of course, Jack Hobbs has form over this trip too with a fine run in the Champion Stakes behind Almanzor last term, but I’ve sided with the Ballydoyle charge.

17:00 Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap): The nap of the day is that you’ll hear the words “cavalry charge” more than once. I’ll throw two Each Way darts against the field here with Hors De Combat who’s bag really is a mile on quick ground. Although winless since 2014, he’s been competitive in mile handicaps of late and just looked tapped for toe over 7f the last day. The other is Withernsea who arguably mightn’t want the ground rattling but he catches the eye at 40/1 in a place. Weight, draw and Fahey all positives, although will need to improve from his win last time out.

17:35 Sandringham Handicap (Fillies’ Listed): The rapidly improving Tisbutadream has gone up a full 30 pounds since January of this year showing plenty of ability when winning her Gr3 black type in thrird place at Epsom earlier this month. I see she’s changed silks since, possibly sold with a big day out in mind?? Regardless, I think there could be more to come from this filly and it will be interesting to see what the market does. She’s an each way bet at 25/1 in places for sure.

So that’s it for Day 2! Here’s hoping!

Slán tamaillín,

T

After the continental kick in the hole that was the 2017 Cheltenham Festival, I’ve only just picked myself up off the ground and decided to give this old beast a reminder.

A few winners and all will be forgiven… eh?

I’m writing from a sweltering (mid 30s) London suburb and I can promise you it is hotter here than that photo someone sent you of the temperature on their dashboard (nap).

To paraphrase a man we all know; “#Sweatingbydabollox lads.” No, seriously. It’s quite bad…

Anyways, Royal Ascot creeps up on us once again, so without any further bullshit…

14:30 Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1): It’s been less than plain sailing of late over on the good ship Godolphin and Ribchester would be a nice way for them to start the week. It’s been well recorded at this stage that things obviously didn’t go to plan in the Lockinge but he did the job anyway. However, at odds on, in what is probably not a Queen Anne for the ages, the Lockinge wasn’t amazing either and I’d be opposing the fav. Mutakayyef is the one for me here, each way, at the current prices (15/2). His run in the Dubai Turf is an eyesore in the form figures alright, but his run behind Tepin, one of my favourite Yank horses, was solid form. He is proven to act on a faster surface over this course and distance having won the Summer Mile last term and will hopefully be in the shake up.

15:00 Coventry Stakes (Group 2): Brother Bear has been the one I’ve been chirping about for a while now. Partially because I’ve seen him win both times in the flesh, both on very different days. Leopardstown was impressive on quick ground beating one of Aidan’s (Sioux Nation) who was odds on, and then grinding away in the wind and the rain to win the Marble Hill by three lengths. He’s just a horse I like and would seem to be tough. I backed him after Leopardstown and will be hoping for him to be bang there. If you were looking for one at a bigger price for an each way bet, I thought Romanised won well in Navan back in April, winning a decent maiden including the likes of Declarationofpeace, Wolfofbaggottstreet and Another Batt in behind.

15:40 King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1): Marsha is currently trading as favourite for this at around the 10/3 mark. I assume that price is given she won the Abbaye and the Palace House on her last two starts. Now, on both of those runs Washington DC was second to her, within a length each time. Obviously, Washington DC was the busier of the two horses heading to exotic places like Meydan, Santa Anita and Navan… but to my thick brain 16/1 does not reflect Washington DC’s ability to get close to Marsha. I have no major opinion on the race, but that formline and those prices could be an interesting angle in hindsight. I’ve forgiven his Haydock run and had a minor each way bet.

16:20 St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1): As I’m sure you’ve read in the papers, this should be good. I’ll be shouting for Churchill but won’t be backing him. He possibly still doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Maybe this would finally get it for him.

17:00 Ascot Stakes (Handicap): I thought Who Dares Wins travelled like the winner for a good portion of the Chester Cup and only went up a pound for it. Handles this ground and should stay on well.

17:35 Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed): Declarationofpeace won like a decent horse winning a Dundalk maiden last month, the second placed of which has won since. He was just bested in a Navan maiden on debut, as mentioned earlier, but the penny looks to have dropped with him now and he seems to have been well supported in the market, now the 7/2 fav. Market vibes will be intersting from the Wesley Ward camp. One of those two horses will likely go off quite hard making it a fair gallop.

So that’s it for Day 1 folks. Hopefully there might be something in there to keep us going.

Slán tamaillín,

T