Donn McClean's five Irish horses to watch this week | Royal Ascot 2021 preview & tips

Serpentine (Gold Cup, Thursday)

Serpentine is a fascinating addition to the Gold Cup picture. We don’t know if Aidan O’Brien’s horse will stay the extreme distance of the Gold Cup, but he would be a top-class recruit to the stayers’ ranks and, if he does stay the distance, he has a real chance of de-throning Stradivarius.

Of course, that is a reasonably big if, but the fact that he is by Galileo is an obvious positive in that regard. Also, his dam finished second in the Oaks, and his full-brother Beacon Rock probably put up the best performance of his career in finishing second in the Hardwicke Stakes. And of at least as much relevance is the fact that his connections think enough of his prospects of staying the trip to supplement him to the Gold Cup field.

The 2020 Derby winner is the second highest-rated horse in Thursday’s field, and he should progress from his seasonal debut in the Tattersalls Gold Cup over 10 and a half furlongs at The Curragh on soft ground. We didn’t know that Yeats would stay either before the 2006 Gold Cup, and look how that turned out.

Measure Of Magic (Commonwealth Cup, Friday)

Measure Of Magic was all speed last season as a juvenile. Johnny Murtagh’s filly raced six times, five times over five furlongs, winning twice and running a big race to finish third in the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster in September.

But in her one race over six furlongs last year, the Ballyhane Stakes at Naas, in which she finished only seventh, she raced on soft ground and out toward the far side of the track from her low draw in a race in which the high numbers dominated. She burst clear on the far side on the run to the furlong pole, before getting run down by the stands-side horses late on.

She looks like a better and stronger filly this year. She beat Logo Hunter at Navan on her debut this season, and Logo Hunter has won his next two – Michael Browne’s horse is one of the stories of the season so far – and is well worth a shot at a Group 1 race now. Measure Of Magic then ran out an impressive winner of the Listed Polonia Stakes at Cork next time, after which her trainer nominated the Commonwealth Cup as her target. Her two races this season have been over five and a half furlongs, she has looked strong at the finish in both, and there is every chance that she will be able to stretch out to Ascot’s stiff six.

Sonaiyla (Diamond Jubilee, Saturday)

Sonaiyla will be of interest if she takes her chance in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday. A dual winner for Michael Halford as a three-year-old, the Dark Angel filly has continued her progression since she has joined Paddy Twomey, winning a listed race and a premier handicap last year, before finishing second in the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes and third in the Group 1 Flying Five.

Bought by Moyglare Stud at the Tattersalls December Sales last year, it is significant that her new owners kept her in training this term, connections obviously felt that there was more to achieve on the racecourse. And they were right, she put up one of the best performances of her career last time in winning the Ballyogan Stakes at The Curragh and getting her first Group race in the bag.

She did well to win that day, she was badly hampered at the start, after which Ronan Whelan did well to get her back balanced and moving into the race. She battled on well in the end to get home by a half a length from Romantic Proposal. She was well beaten on her only run at Ascot, but that was in the Champions Sprint Stakes last October, at the end of the season and on soft ground, and it could be worthwhile giving her another chance in a Group 1 race at Ascot.

Andreas Vesalius (Norfolk Stakes, Wednesday, or Windsor Castle Stakes, Thursday)

There was a lot to like about the performance that Andreas Vesalius put up in winning over five furlongs at Naas last month. Sent to the front from flagfall from his draw in stall one by Dylan Browne McMonagle, he showed a really willing attitude, quickening up nicely at the two-furlong marker and keeping on well all the way to the line. He left the impression that he had more in hand than the near two-length winning margin.

That race is working out really well, with the third horse Twilight Jet beating good fillies in Harmony Rose and Loveday at Tipperary next time, and the runner-up Silver Surfer winning at Fairyhouse on Friday. That Naas race was run on soft ground, but Joseph O’Brien’s horse is by Commonwealth Cup and Coventry Stakes winner Caravaggio, and he is out of a Raven’s Pass mare who recorded her only win on fast ground. He could be even better on fast ground.

Romantic Proposal (Wokingham Handicap, Saturday)

Romantic Proposal will be of interest if she takes her chance in the Wokingham on Saturday.

Progressive last year as a four-year-old, Eddie Lynam’s mare put up the best performance of her life last time when she finished second to Sonaiyla in that Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes at The Curragh.

She did better that day too than the bare form of the run suggests. She was held up early on and she raced towards the far side from stall seven, in a race in which the pace held up well and in which the near side runners dominated. The four other horses who, with her, filled the first five places raced, respectively, from stalls 14, 10, 13 and 12.

The handicapper raised her by 2lb for that run to a mark of 101, but she would get to race off her old mark of 99 in the Wokingham. A stiff six furlongs is close to optimum for the Raven’s Pass filly, her hold-up style of racing is ideal for Ascot, and for the fast pace that she should get in the Wokingham, and a drop of rain before Saturday wouldn’t do her chances any harm.

For more from Donn visit www.donnmcclean.com

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing columnists
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.