Royal Ascot: Horses to note who were declared non runners for various reasons

THE BIG GUNS

• Lord North (Self-certificate – Prince of Wales’s Stakes)
• Trueshan (Going – Gold Cup)
• Primo Bacio (Going – Coronation Stakes)

Three horses really stand out when it comes to what might have been in some of the feature Group One races at Royal Ascot.

Firstly, there were obviously contrasting fortunes for connections of Trueshan and Primo Bacio.

The former, Alan King’s upwardly mobile stayer who had shaped with promise on his Chester comeback over an inadequate trip in the Ormonde Stakes, really burst onto the scene with a runaway success in the Ascot mud on Champions Day in the autumn.

Cruelly, the rain came just a couple of hours too late for him this week as he was taken out of Thursday’s Gold Cup (click for free video replay) on account of the lively conditions being reported on days one and two.

Take nothing away from Subjectivist, who positively bounced off the ground to take the crown off Stradivarius in no uncertain terms, but the race probably needed a horse like Trueshan to really help put the true merit of his performance into perspective.

For Primo Bacio, however, the writing was on the wall as ITV Racing’s Thursday show was coming to an end to the backdrop of steady rain.

The deluge that followed ahead of Friday’s Coronation Stakes sealed the fate of those who had piled into Ed Walker’s filly antepost after her impressive York success at the Dante Festival.

To see York third Snow Lantern – beaten five lengths on the Knavesmire – finish a length and a half second to Alcohol Free in Friday’s feature must have been extra-galling but there will be other days for Primo Bacio and Walker, who was also denied another massive chance to break his Royal Ascot/Group One duck on Saturday (more on that below).

No weather woe for Lord North, but a morning-of-race self-cert which ruled him out of Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes, leaving Love as the odds-on favourite in his absence.

Aidan O’Brien’s filly duly delivered with a hard-fought defeat of James Fanshawe’s mare Audarya, but there’s no doubt this would have had more gloss on it had last year’s hero been among the vanquished.

They might finally meet in the Coral-Eclipse so Sandown on July 3 – where St Mark’s Basilica, Mishriff, Palace Pier, Mohaafeth and Mac Swiney are also still in the melting pot at the time of writing – is eagerly awaited.

THE SPRINT SCENE

• Starman (Going – Diamond Jubilee Stakes)
• Supremacy (Going – Commonwealth Cup)
• Diligent Harry (Going – Commonwealth Cup)
• Method (Going – Commonwealth Cup)

It can take a while to sort out the six-furlong sprinting division, even in a typical year.

At this stage there is seemingly no real change at the top, the 2020 Sprint Cup winner Dream Of Dreams living up to his top-rated (and favourite) tag with a richly-deserved success at the third time of asking in Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee.

Beaten a head in 2019 and beaten a head again last summer, there was something comforting about his one-length defeat of Glen Shiel, who had ended last year with his own top-class triumph over course and distance in the British Champions Sprint.

At the same time, it was also hard not to feel for the aforementioned Walker, whose Starman had looked every inch the new kid on the block in winning the Duke of York Stakes last month.

He had Tuesday’s King’s Stand winner Oxted back in third at York that day and is surely on course for a G1 score at some point, but will that be in Newmarket’s July Cup?

With a bit of luck, Oxted, Dream Of Dreams and Starman will all make it to the starting line on the July Course but that race should, in theory, be even harder to crack with an array of three-year-old talent also gunning for the pot.

Wokingham winner Rohaan had beaten Dragon Symbol at Haydock en route to Berkshire and that piece of form now looks decidedly hot, which could bring a horse like Method into the July Cup mix as he was a promising fifth in the Sandy Lane having not been sighted since early-October.

And then there is the Clive Cox pair. Cox has won the Newmarket race with Lethal Force (2013) and Harry Angel (2017) in recent seasons and it seemed quite significant he was content to draw stumps with Supremacy and Diligent Harry once the rain arrived this week.

Adam Kirby was obviously willing to forgive Supremacy his comeback flop behind Rohaan in the Commonwealth Cup Trial so perhaps he remains the number one at the yard for now, and yet Diligent Harry’s sole reverse to date was an unfortunate (short-head) defeat to David Evans’ very same horse at Lingfield in March.

Throw in Jersey hero Creative Force, eventual Commonwealth Cup heroine Campanelle and in all likelihood something left-field from Ballydoyle (Battleground might fit the bill), and we’re looking at a typically fascinating summer sprint highlight. Only then will be know who is likely to be top dog.

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY

• Kyprios (Withdrawn, upset in stalls – Queen’s Vase)
• Tipperary Sunset (Going – Coventry Stakes)
• Gloucestershire (Going)

The market support for Kyprios (14/1 in the morning and fast-approaching 4/1 on the way to post) was fairly striking in the build-up to the Queen’s Vase and it’s hoped he’s none the worse for a potentially unsettling experience at the stalls.

Stepping up to a mile and a six, having contested the Lingfield Derby Trial when last seen, was evidently expected to suit, though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him among the Aidan O’Brien party in the Irish Derby field.

Interestingly, he remains 33/1 in places for the Cazoo St Leger.

John Quinn continues to punch above his weight on this sort of stage got his latest Royal winner in the Buckingham Palace courtesy of Highfield Princess, who may now be forced back up to Listed level for her next assignment.

However, it’s the juvenile department that has served Quinn so well at Ascot over the years (The Wow Signal, Signora Cabello) and it was a shame Tipperary Sunset was taken out of the Coventry Stakes.

He’s shown a liking for ease underfoot in sparkling victories at Hamilton and Beverley and, importantly, also looks to have that toughness and professionalism that’s also required to compete at a higher level. He could well prove to be among the better northern-trained two-year-olds this season.

Meanwhile, the wait goes on for the re-emergence of once-race, one-time Derby fancy Gloucestershire.

Trainer Martyn Meade has talked the talk with his horse and at some stage soon they're going to have to walk the walk. Friday's King Edward VII Stakes was deemed unsuitable and perhaps next month's Princess Of Wales's Tattersalls Stakes is the day. Though we'd best not hold our breath.

THE HANDICAPPERS

• Riknnah (Going – Sandringham Stakes)
• Repartee (Going – Wokingham Stakes)

Riknnah and Repartee are two from a whole host of runners withdrawn from the handicaps who are well worth keeping an eye on.

Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly had received a timely form boost the night before the Sandringham, Hala Joud – the horse she’d given 4lb and beaten a shade cosily at Lingfield – winning a Lingfield handicap with something to spare from a mark of 74.

Riknnah attracted a lot of money early on Friday morning but was among nine horses removed from the race in total. A rating of 82 could prove to underestimate the well-bred daughter of Shamardal by some margin and seven furlong or mile handicaps should be within her grasp this summer (holds Friday entries at Yarmouth and Newmarket).

Final word to Repartee, who wasn’t a shock withdrawal from the Wokingham having also been forced to miss last year’s Jersey Stakes after the rain arrived.

He has questions to answer at present after a couple of quiet runs in the spring (once in cheekpieces) but he’s had another break and a breathing operation to boot since then.

He gave King’s Lynn a good race when conceding 7lb at Doncaster last term and has slipped to a mark of 98 from a peak 103. Trainer Kevin Ryan can definitely be trusted to get the best out of him in the right circumstances before the year is out.

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