Royal Ascot day three: Quotes from connections and Man On The Spot tips
Get the latest from connections and Man On The Spot's verdicts ahead of day three of Royal Ascot 2018, featuring the the Gold Cup.
2.30 Norfolk Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)
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Views from connections
Tim Easterby - Vintage Brut
"He's very fast, like a rocket, I'm sure he's going to run very well."
Richard Spencer - Rumble Inthejungle
"He won very well at Salisbury first time out and the form of that race has worked out well, I think two winners have come out of that race already. He's taken a big step forward from his debut and I think he'll run a big race."
Man On The Spot Verdict
Wesley Ward won this in 2013 with No Nay Never and there are high hopes for Shang Shang Shang, who drew clear of a subsequent winner when making all on debut at Keeneland. Konchek met interference when beaten only half-a-length behind VINTAGE BRUT in the National Stakes at Sandown but Tim Easterby’s unbeaten colt also had to be switched to find a run and showed a fine turn of foot when the gap came. This is another stiff 5f and the northern raider, recently sold for £280,000, can confirm the form and complete his hat-trick. The Paddocks, Charming Kid and Rumble Inthejungle are likely improvers and Land Force and Pocket Dynamo have already shown a decent level of form so can’t be ignored.
3.05 Hampton Court (Group 3)
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Views from connections
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Man On The Spot Verdict
Godolphin has won the last two renewals and Charlie Appleby runs two this year alongside one trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Nordic Lights was ahead of Crossed Baton when fifth in the Dante but Key Victory was a couple of places behind Hunting Horn in the French Derby, though it was a bunch finish at Chantilly. National Army made a winning debut at Doncaster and the step up in trip will suit while Fajjaj was second in last month’s German 2000 Guineas though Frankie gets off him to ride Main Street, who is still unexposed. Owen Burrows' WADILSAFA is also still very much an unknown quantity but he was impressive when landing a Newmarket maiden on his reappearance and the son of Frankel is out of a mare who stayed 1m6f so he should have no problem with the step up in distance. His wide draw is a worry given his inexperience but he has the potential to develop into a smart performer.
3.40 Ribblesdale Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)
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Views from connections
Charlie Appleby - Wild Illusion
"She lost nothing in defeat in the Oaks or 1000 Guineas and as a past Group One winner, she has a 3lb penalty to carry. We were confident going into the Oaks, but take nothing away from the winner at Epsom (Forever Together) who was better on the day and outstayed us. I felt there was a good distance between her and the third, and the rest of the field were left behind. I'm confident Wild Illusion stays the trip and probably being back on a sounder surface will suit as it was soft enough at Epsom when we were stepping her up in trip for the first time.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager - Sun Maiden
"She was really impressive at Salisbury, but it was only a maiden. She won that by 12 lengths and she looked a bit inexperienced there. Sir Michael has given her more time to mature both mentally and physically. She is coming on and, like everybody else will be saying, she is in good form and we are hoping for a good run. We are going to find out if her inexperience at that level will hold her back, but if she has got enough talent she will be all right."
Man On The Spot Verdict
Sir Michael Stoute often has one laid out for this and Sun Maiden is his entry this year. She is a half-sister to Midday and won in a canter stepped up to 1m2f at Salisbury. The extra quarter-mile here is unlikely to be a problem and she could easily take this step up in class in her stride given a few of her rivals were disappointing last time. One of those was MAGIC WAND, who was behind Wild Illusion when only fourth in the Oaks earlier this month. She is only 3lb better off with the Godolphin filly but a return to a quicker surface is in her favour given she’d beaten Epsom heroine Forever Together convincingly at Chester earlier and she looks the clear pick of the Ballydoyle quartet. Highgarden started favourite for the Musidora at York but finished a couple of lengths behind second Dancing Brave Bear.
4.20 Gold Cup (Group 1)
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Views from connections
Aidan O'Brien - Order Of St George
"Everything has gone well with him since his last run at Navan," O'Brien told At The Races.
"We are as happy with him going into the Gold Cup as we have been with him in any of the other years he has gone there."
John Gosden - Stradivarius
"He's in great nick and he has come out of his win at York very well. It will be a helluva test - the two and a half miles. Once he goes beyond two miles, it is uncharted territory. We are very hopeful he will get the trip. If he doesn't, we know what we will do - we will go to a Goodwood Cup and prepare for a Melbourne Cup.
"Order Of St George is obviously a good horse, as is the Aga Khan's horse (Vazirabad) and the horse that won the Sagaro (Torcedor). It's got great depth in it this year. So often the Gold Cup can be a little bit thin on quality, but there is a lot of depth there and it's an exciting Gold Cup this year."
Jessica Harrington - Torcedor
"I first went (to Royal Ascot) when I was about 17. It's a great meeting, a fantastic week whether you are working or going for the fun. It would be lovely to have a winner there - if you are a trainer you want to win at Ascot, like at Cheltenham or Punchestown. They are the ones that matter."
"Torcedor is in great form. I think he's a better horse than this time last year. Physically he has done very well and he's good mentally. He's run very well every time he's been to Ascot; it's a case of courses for horses."
Man On The Spot Verdict
Order Of St George won this in 2016 but couldn’t get past Big Orange last year. However, he later beat Torcedor in top staying events here and at the Curragh and is two from two this season. Vazirabad beat Sheikhzayedroad when winning the Dubai Gold Cup in March for a third year running. He’s a regular visitor to Meydan but has never raced outside of France otherwise, though won the Prix du Cadran over 2m4f at Chantilly last year so should have no problems with the trip and shouldn’t be underestimated. STRADIVARIUS (NAP) won the Queen’s Vase here last year and that has been a sound stepping stone to victory in this race in the past. He was finishing best of all when just behind Order Of St George and Torcedor over 2m here in the autumn and showed Desert Skyline and Max Dynamite a clean pair of heels on his return to action over 1m6f at York – the third that day won a Grade 2 at Belmont earlier this month. Mount Moriah generally struggles to stay 2m and Scotland looks to be well out of his depth.
5.00 Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
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Views from connections
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Man On The Spot Verdict
The first of two impossible-looking three-year-old handicaps to end the day’s action. This huge field will almost certainly split into at least two groups and many of the fancied runners are drawn high, though likely favourite Crack On Crack On will come out of stall 17. He finished strongly to get the better of Completion, Finniston Farm and Simpson in the Silver Bowl at Haydock and a 7lb rise shouldn’t halt any further improvement. Lethal Steps could be interesting at big odds on his first run for Andrew Balding while the tough Vale Of Kent was ahead of subsequent winner Maverick Officer when third at Goodwood two runs ago. Bond Street never seems to run a bad race and George Of Hearts may well have caught Society Power over 7f here on his reappearance had he got going a bit sooner. CURIOSITY won over 7f here last year before taking his chance in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. In his first run since being gelded, he just failed to catch hot favourite Symbolization over this trip at Newmarket when subsequent Doncaster scorer Sam Gold was only third. That will have brought him forward and he may be able to go one better, despite a 5lb rise. Hugo Palmer also runs Corrosive, who is on a four-timer, but other recent winners First Contact and Ostilio need to up their game.
5.35 King George V Stakes (Handicap)
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Views from connections
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Man On The Spot Verdict
Godolphin-owned runners have won three of the last four renewals and the boys in blue had a 1-2 last year. The draw can be a factor on the round course in big fields here but Atty Persse came out of stall 22 12 months ago and Space Age was in stall 20 two years earlier. CROSS COUNTER has fared a little better than those two in stall 11 and William Buick’s mount looked to be crying out for step up in trip when second to Elwazir on his debut on Turf over 1m2f at Sandown. Still unexposed, he can get back to winning ways. Mark Johnston has half-a-dozen entries, including impressive Newbury scorer Communique, beaten earlier by Dubhe at Sandown, and Baghdad, who beat stablemate and subsequent winner Making Miracles at York. Lucky Deal and Baileys Excelerate are also recent winners. Irish runners have a poor record in this so Downdraft and Lucius Tiberius probably have it all to do but John Gosden’s pair, First Eleven and Cassini, shouldn’t be left out of calculations.
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