Racing Tips: In-depth look at the big Royal Ascot handicaps

6.10 Copper Horse Handicap

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The Copper Horse Handicap was one of the new races introduced to the Royal Ascot programme in 2020 and it has to go down as an excellent addition.

Once again, it has attracted a strong field with 16 runners set to go to post with only 7lb separating the top and bottom weight.

How will the race be run?

The Timeform pace map suggests this will be run at a very strong tempo, with Cemhaan and Aaddeey likely to go forward, with a whole host of other runners who often race prominently.

The leading contenders

Surprisingly, Willie Mullins has only ever had one runner in this staying handicap, but he is responsible for the first and second favourite in this year’s renewal in the shape of Vauban and Absurde.

Vauban is a most intriguing runner having his first start on the Flat for these connections. He had some useful form on the level when trained in France, winning a listed event at Vichy on his final start in this sphere, and he has since developed into a high-class hurdler.

He notably won the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and he hasn’t been disgraced in Grade 1 company this year. It is notoriously hard for graduating juvenile hurdlers to make a mark in their first season stepping into open company and he ran one of his better races when finishing runner-up to stablemate State Man at Punchestown when last seen in April.

The pick of his form over hurdles makes him look potentially very well treated now returned to the Flat from an opening British mark of 101. The set up of this race should also be perfect for him, too, a strong-travelling type who has a touch of class and it is easy to see why a horse with his profile is so short in the betting, while Ryan Moore and Willie Mullins can boast a 33% strike rate when teaming up at Ascot. His claims are there for all to see.

Absurde is another who has been recruited from France and he also had some smart form on the Flat when trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias. He looked a good prospect when making a winning start for these connections on hurdling debut at Killarney last month, starting at prohibitive odds and never looking in any trouble.

Admittedly, that wasn’t a deep event and he was fully entitled to win in the manner he did, and he is another who is potentially well treated back on the Flat based on his best efforts in France. The booking of Frankie Dettori is also sure to make him popular.

Lively outsiders

At bigger odds, the Roger Varian-trained Postileo also makes a fair bit of appeal. He is now a six-year-old but he showed why connections have persevered with him when making a winning return from a 19-month absence at Hamilton last month. That was also his first start since undergoing a gelding operation and he proved that he retains all of his ability, while he won in a manner that suggests he might have even more to offer.

Postileo is very lightly raced for his age after all and the handicapper may have taken a chance by raising him just 3lb in the weights. The draw hasn’t been too kind to him, nearly widest of all in stall 18, and there isn’t that long of a run before reaching the first turn from the mile and six furlongs start at Ascot. However, he is generally ridden to come with a late and fast finish, so James Doyle will hopefully be able to slot him in midfield and, granted luck in running, a big run should be on the cards.

One more horse to add to the shortlist is Chillingham, who is another lightly-raced sort that has won three of his five starts so far. He is trained by Edward Bethell, who is enjoying a fine season and proving himself very adept at placing his horses, and it was hard not to be impressed by Chillingham’s return win over a mile and a half at Thirsk. That race was run in heavy ground and he landed good support in the style of a horse who is well and truly on a progressive path, drawing clear in the closing stages like a horse who will relish this extra two furlongs.

The return to a sound surface won’t be a problem (has won on good ground) and he may actually appreciate it better. Indeed, this is a much tougher test, but he shouldn’t be underestimated at all from 7lb higher given he had much more in hand than the bare margin suggests at Thirsk (he was eased close home).

Conclusion & selection

There is a strong chance that Vauban is thrown in now making his handicap debut back on the Flat, but he is taking a big chunk out of the market for a race of this nature, and with that in mind it may pay to side with one at bigger odds.

POSTILEO clearly hasn’t been the easiest to train, but he must be held in good regard at home and he still has an unexposed profile for a six-year-old. He has a wide draw to overcome, but he would have likely won with even more in hand with a clearer run at Hamilton and a subsequent 3lb rise looks lenient with that in mind. Odds of 14/1 are fair enough and he seems sure to outrun his price.

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