Top racing analyst Mark Howard has nominated five Royal Ascot eyecatchers that it could pay to follow in the coming weeks.
Peggy Sioux looked set to provide Kevin Ryan with his ninth Royal Ascot winner only to be reeled in late on in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes, which concluded Friday’s card.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Hambleton trainer must have been delighted with the run of HALA HALA ATHMANI in the Commonwealth Cup. Returning from an absence of 272 days, the daughter of Dabirsim hadn’t been seen since finishing a close third in the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr in September.
Sent off at 80/1, her half-brother and former stablemate Hello Youmzain finished third in the Group 1 event three years earlier. Partnered by William Buick, she was berthed in stall 6 and moved well in behind the leaders. Staying on at the death, Hala Hala Athmani was beaten less than four lengths by the top-class Perfect Power. Given her lack of experience, it was a most encouraging start to her three year old career.
There are plenty of options in the coming weeks – if kept to six furlongs, the Group 3 Summer Stakes at York (8th July) looks an obvious route. Her stable won the prize with Queen Jo Jo in 2020. However, Kevin Ryan has also suggested that he feels the filly will stay seven furlongs which brings the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes for fillies at Goodwood (27th July) into the reckoning. Bred to be a smart filly, she looks capable of picking up a Pattern race in the near future.
Joseph O’Brien may be thinking Pattern races long-term – entered in the Irish St Leger in September – but it will be a surprise if the lightly raced OKITA SOUSHI isn’t strongly considered for the Sky Bet Ebor the previous month.
A son of Galileo out of a Grade 1 winner in Australia, the four year old was having only his fourth career start when a fast finishing third in the Copper Horse Stakes on Tuesday. Stepping up in distance having chased home his stable companion Raise You in a twelve furlongs Listed contest at the Curragh last month, Declan McDonogh’s mount was positioned in the rear early on and was faced with a mountain to climb turning for home.
Running on strongly on the outside, both Get Shirty and Cleveland had gone beyond recall but he did well to get within a couple of lengths of David O’Meara’s winner. Rated 104, his trainer could have his eye on Melbourne at some stage during his career and a step up to two miles is a possibility but the long home straight on the Knavesmire ought to suit him more than the Berkshire track.
Paul Cole won the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood (28th July) with Nomination (1985), Dilum (1991) and Sri Pekan (1994) and the six furlongs contest looks a logical target for ROYAL SCOTSMAN who filled third position in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday.
Already a winner at the Sussex venue earlier in the campaign, the Gleneagles colt was drawn on a wing in stall one alongside the winner Bradswell. Jim Crowley’s partner moved smoothly during the first half of the race before taking over before the two pole. Headed soon afterwards, he almost certainly would have benefited from being ridden with more restraint, a point Oliver Cole was quick to mention in the debrief afterwards.
Less than two lengths in arrears of Archie Watson’s winner, he was keeping on but has sufficient speed for six furlongs. If the Whatcombe team elect to step him up to seven furlongs – his dam was equally effective over six or seven furlongs – then the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at the same meeting next month (26th July) is likely to be his next port of call. Cole senior has also won that on three occasions but not since 2006.
It is also worth remembering Royal Scotsman looked very much at home on easy ground when winning in May.
It is fair to say those punters who supported STAR OF ORION in the Buckingham Palace Stakes which rounded off Thursday’s action didn’t get much of a run for their money.
Ralph Beckett’s four year old was something of a market mover beforehand and was drawn in the middle of the track in stall 16. Racing off a mark of 98, the Footstepsinthesand gelding had run well from a miserable draw in the Victoria Cup on his reappearance and appeared to have plenty going for him. Having travelled strongly under Rob Hornby, he held every chance until meeting trouble in running and was repeatedly denied a clear passage inside the final quarter of a mile. With his chance gone, his rider didn’t subject him to a hard race and that kindness will hopefully be rewarded later this year.
Five and a half lengths in arrears of bargain buy Inver Park, he holds an entry in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket (9th July) next month. A ready winner over that same course and distance in July last year, he is only four pounds higher and that looks a likely target. Alternatively, he could return to Ascot for the £150,000 Moet & Chandon International Handicap on King George day (23rd July) and bid to go one better than last year when denied by a short head behind Danyah.
William Haggas showed his class both on and off the track at the Royal meeting with Candleford destroying his opponents on his seasonal return in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes and publicly supporting Cieren Fallon following Maljoom’s luckless run in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
The yard’s YONAFIS lost his unbeaten record in the Britannia Stakes on Thursday only finishing eighth. Four and a half lengths behind Thesis, the son of Golden Horn was tapped for speed entering the business end of the one mile event before keeping on at the death. This was his first run on turf and his pedigree suggests further improvement will be forthcoming over a longer trip.
Out of a ten furlongs Listed winner, he is a half-brother to former stablemate Baarrij and Nearooz who were both winners over a mile and a quarter. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if he is another who heads to Newmarket’s July meeting for a £100,000 0-105 ten furlongs three year old handicap (8th July), in which another Somerville Lodge resident and subsequent dual Group 2 winner Dubai Honour finished runner-up twelve months ago.
Yonafis has got more to offer and can win a decent prize on grass this term.
