Mike Cattermole previews Wednesday's action at Royal Ascot
It was a sparkling opening day for John Gosden at Royal Ascot and Mike Cattermole fancies him to dominate on Wednesday too.
John Gosden and Frankie Dettori, off to a blinding start to the Royal Ascot meeting with an opening day treble, look set for another great return on day two.
The Newmarket trainer could easily saddle another trio of big winners and Dettori may not be far behind him!
Cracksman brings the two together again in the featured Prince Of Wale’s Stakes and is so far ahead of his rivals on form that he is not likely to run to need to run to his best to land his fourth Group One. It would give his sire, the legendary Frankel, his second top level winner of the meeting after Without Parole’s win in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
Cracksman made heavy work at beating the vastly inferior Salouen in the Coronation Cup but a combination of being uncomfortable on the track and hitting his head on the stalls were surely mitigating factors.
In last October’s Champion Stakes over this course and distance, Cracksman was brilliant but that was on soft ground and this will be the first time he has encountered going on the fast side. That’s just a little red flag as the chances are that his great stride will be suited to it.
Poet’s Word is second favourite on the back of a recent win in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown but the horses he beat were well held in the Wolferton Stakes on the opening day and he was also no match for Hawkbill in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.
Hawkbill ran way below his best behind Cracksman in the Coronation Cup but he seemed to hate the track even more than the winner. However, he is now fitted with blinkers for the first time.
Perhaps Cliffs Of Moher, last year’s Derby runner-up, is the one for the forecast. This promises to be his best trip (he got knocked about in last year’s Eclipse) and he is suited by fast ground as he showed when a running-on second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, stolen by Lancaster Bomber, last time.
Eminent ran so poorly last time that he has to be watched this time.
Gosden and Dettori can also land the Queen’s Vase with Stream Of Stars who looked all over the type for this race when winning on the course last month. That was on good to firm and over a mile and a half but there is a lot of stamina still to call on for this longer trip and plenty of improvement.
The form of the race has a solid look to it, too.
Gosden can also take the closing Jersey Stakes and complete another treble with Emaraaty (Jim Crowley) who failed narrowly to give the progressive Society Power (reopposes) 10lb at Goodwood. The trainer thought enough of him to try him in the Dewhurst Stakes last term, a race in which he beat only the disappointing Expert Eye.
Expert Eye wasn’t disgraced in the Greenham Stakes on his reappearance and is now 5lb better with James Garfield for three quarters of a length.
But Expert Eye has it to prove again after failing in the Guineas and it is Emaraaty who seems to be going the right way.
Frankie gets the leg up on Wesley Ward’s Chelsea Cloisters in the opening Queen Mary Stakes and she could be way too fast for these, given the American trainer’s bold words.
However, Shades Of Blue won over the course and distance last month in the style of a filly with gears. She looked a natural as she quickened up from off the pace and the form looks solid.
Clive Cox won the race 12 months ago with Heartache and opted not to give her another run as he felt it wasn’t necessary.
Hydrangea can outclass her rivals in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes even though she has a 5lb penalty for a Group One win in the Fillies and Mares here last October over a mile and a half.
But she is versatile over trip and ground and also beat Winter over this trip of a mile in the Matron Stakes last September at Leopardstown.
Afaak won well at York on good to firm and is on the shortlist for the Royal Hunt Cup off a 6lb higher mark.
However, after seeing Accidental Agent and Lord Glitters finish 1-2 in the Queen Anne Stakes, the horse that chased home that same pair in the Challenge Cup here last October must be given some respect.
That is Raising Sand who is a two-time course winner and represents Jamie Osborne who won the race in 2014. I also like Jamie Spencer on the straight course he and the six-year-old looks a sporting 20-1 shot.
SELECTIONS: 2.30 SHADES OF BLUE, 3.05 STREAM OF STARS, 3.40 HYDRANGEA, 4.20 CRACKSMAN, 5.00 RAISING SAND, 5.35 EMARAATY
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