14:30 Ascot - Hi Royal
Like a few, he didn’t run his race in the Lockinge last time and, in all honesty, it is hard to see last year’s Guineas runner-up winning this. But he ran well on his return in the Earl Of Sefton, and he also finished third to Paddington in the Irish Guineas last term, so maybe he can hit the board at a big price if bringing his A-game to the table. And the first-time blinkers could help.
15:05 Ascot - Camille Pissarro
He obviously made a very good start when winning on his debut at Navan and, although he was narrowly beaten in the Marble Hill last time, I think that is a strong line of form. We think he has improved and come forward since that run – he was still learning at the Curragh - and he has a good chance. He is a nice, big, well-related colt with a fair bit to recommend him, as do a lot of others in here, in truth. Cowardofthecounty looked very good when beating me on Whistlejacket at the Curragh in April and you’d have to fear him obviously, but you only have to look at the profiles of all of these in here to see that plenty of others can enter the winning mix.
15:45 Ascot - Twilight Calls
If he gets away on terms, which he didn’t on his return in the Palace House at Newmarket, then he probably has a good a chance as most in here. We know he has pedigree in this race, finishing second and fourth in the last two renewals – and those after far from ideal starts, too - and he clearly did exceptionally well to finish as close as he did at Newmarket given the ground he lost coming out of the stalls. If the ground remains decent, which it looks like being, then he looks to have a very solid each-way chance.
16:25 Ascot - Henry Longfellow
You don’t need me to tell you what a good race this is, with three Guineas winners in the line-up, and I think it will be tactical too, looking at the set-up. An unbeaten Group 1-winning juvenile, we went to the French Guineas full of hope but things obviously didn’t go to plan there and he probably did very well to get within 4 lengths of Metropolitan, who he faces again here. Any rain won’t be an issue, and we are hoping for the best, but this will take plenty of winning. Darlinghurst, who beat the subsequent French Derby second First Look at Chantilly last time, is a very interesting contender, stepping up in class, and our other runner, Breeders’ Cup winner Unquestionable, will be much sharper for his Irish Guineas fourth to Rosallion on his return. This is a very deep race.
17:05 Ascot - My Lyka
I don’t know much about him to be honest, but he is trained by Willie Mullins in a staying race at Royal Ascot so that will do for me. He didn’t race beyond 1m5f in France and was beaten, getting weight, in a novice hurdle at Killarney last month, but the trainer knows what he is doing. I have won this race for him three times, and hopefully this is number four. It’s obviously a hugely competitive handicap though.
18:15 Ascot - Fox Journey
You could argue that he showed his hand a bit too much when winning by such a wide margin at Newmarket, but I suppose the handicapper could have put him up by more than 9lb. And, if he hadn’t had gone up so much, then he wouldn’t have got in this race. This is obviously a much deeper race – I am not sure how strong that Newmarket handicap was – but hopefully he is as good as he looked last time and will be competitive.
