Catching Pigeons: Gossip and tips from the gallops
Our Catching Pigeons insider looks ahead to the first couple of days of Royal Ascot, with Poets Word given the vote to beat Cracksman.
GABR has been cutting an impressive figure as he gears up for the St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday and he looks a sporting selection for Sir Michael Stoute.
The son of Intello was a slow burner at two but signed off with a fine fifth in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and there were some pleased connections after his comeback effort at Sandown.
Left with plenty to do early on, he loomed up to challenge Without Parole and despite being out-fought on the run to the line, he showed more than enough to suggest he can be a force in top-class company this term.
John Gosden's horse tops the market on Tuesday but Gabr has flown in under the radar and can reward each-way followers.
The meeting kicks off with an open renewal of the Queen Anne and CENTURY DREAM can take the step up in grade in his stride for Simon Crisford.
He surprised one or two inside the camp with his commanding display at Epsom but has come out of the racing in sparkling form. There's a real hope he could have plenty more to offer as he continues to fill his frame and the stiff mile at Ascot is expected to suit.
Calyx could be hard to deny in the Coventry Stakes but he and Sergei Prokofiev make the market for the rest and DUBAI LEGACY is worth sticking with.
He did the column a major favour when bolting up on debut at Doncaster under Graham Lee and Christophe Soumillon looks the ideal man to come in for the ride for his next assignment.
He impressed onlookers with his preparatory work on the Watered Gallop during last week and looks a future top-level sprinter.
Fellow Godolphin representative BLUE POINT might be up to lowering the colours of the market principals in the King's Stand Stakes.
He's a proven Ascot specialist having finished third in last year's Commonwealth Cup and won the Pavillion - beating Harry Angel - last May and the return to Berkshire will suit him. It's safe to put a line through his run in Sha Tin when he was slowly away and never really in contention.
He had made a smart start to the year when just beaten a head at Meydan and on that evidence there are some nice races to be won with him at the minimum trip.
STRATUM has obvious claims of landing the Ascot Stakes for Willie Mullins. The Irish maestro has five strings to his bow in the staying handicap but this former John Gosden inmate has bags of potential back on the Flat after shaping well in novice hurdles.
LARAAIB looks a horse to follow in the second half of the season and is fancied to underline the point in the Listed Wolferton Stakes.
Owen Burrows has some some good-looking types housed at his Kingwood Stables operation overlooking Lambourn, and this is a really imposing type, who showed real ability last season winning, three of his four starts.
His only failure came out this level at Haydock in August, but he bade farewell to what was his first season that day, and he clearly showed he was improved when chasing home Poet's Word on his Sandown comeback.
With just five outings behind him, Laraaib can continue to climb the ladder and this looks an ideal opportunity to notch his first pattern success.
Stablemate POET'S WORD can cause Cracksman backers a few worried moments in Wednesday's Prince Of Wales's Stakes.
He's a tough customer when on song and has thrived since winning the Brigadier Gerard. He was seven lengths behind Cracksman in the Champion Stakes but looks a level up from that these days and wouldn't be the first five-year-old under Stoute to find a career-best at Ascot.
Clive Cox has a good record in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes and SHADES OF BLUE looks another worthy of investment.
The Beechdown trainer faces a big week with a few fancies to back up stable star Harry Angel (well and truly fancied) on Saturday, and hopes are high this filly can confirm the great promise she showed when winning over course and distance here last month.
Both second and third Queen Of Bermuda and Come On Leicester have boosted the form with three subsequent wins behind them, and Shades Of Blue's preparation has gone well.
Gosden took the Queen's Vase in 2017 with Stradivarius and should follow up with STREAM OF STARS in what looks an open renewal.
Brought along steadily in typical fashion by his trainer, he has seen action just twice so far. A solid second to Star Of Southwold on his debut over an inadequate mile and a quarter at the Newmarket Craven meeting, he went one better in style over an extra two furlongs at Ascot, and has continually pleased connections since.
A 25/1 show a couple of weeks ago, he has been well backed since a very strong piece of work on the Heath, and he looks sure to give the Aidan O'Brien team plenty to think about.
TRICORN - from the same yard - can land the Royal Hunt Cup in first-time blinkers.
Gosden has been working back from this race for a while with the gelded son of Helmet and ground conditions look to have come up ideal for him.
He was third to Bless Him in the Britannia last year and is now just 3lb higher in the weights. His latest third at Nottingham on bad ground was encouraging and it's hoped the headgear sparks him right back to life.
The Jersey Stakes looks as warm as it's ever been and HEADWAY looks worthy of support.
Everything went wrong in the 2000 Guineas and he basically blew his lid before the start. Dropping back to seven furlongs should yield a much better performance and if he handles the preliminaries better on this occasion (no guarantee, admittedly) he has the form to figure.
He's been spotted limbering up on the Watered Gallop and William Haggas seems very pleased with his homework.
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