15:40 Royal Ascot

Thursday 20 June 2019

All14:3015:0515:4016:2017:0017:35

Ribblesdale Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 2m 33.52s

(1)

Altair^p1²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: D O'Brien| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 93

40/1

A winner of two of her first three starts and still showed signs of greenness at Gowran last time when left out in front in a four runner contest. A step up in trip and first-time cheekpieces could see her improve.

Form: 151

(3)

Fanny Logan⁴³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 94

11/1

Behind talented stablemate on debut in October and won well at Wetherby on return. Too keen in the Cheshire Oaks when meeting that same stablemate again but she was first string that day and is in good hands; should improve.

Form: 2-13

(9)

Fleeting²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 110

7/4

Group 2 winner at Doncaster as a juvenile and while she was a no show in the 1,000 Guineas, she stayed on very well to finish third in the Oaks last time. Looks sure to kick on at this trip now. Yard have won three of the last five renewals.

Form: 1731-03

(4)

Frankellina²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: James Doyle| T: W J Haggas| OR: 105

6/1

Yarmouth winner on debut in sole start as a juvenile and stayed on well at York in her reappearance to dead-heat for second. Stayed on well again in the Oaks and still looked raw in the preliminaries (keen to post); should still have more to give.

Form: 1-26

(11)

Fresnel³⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Gary Halpin| T: J Davison| OR: 98

33/1

Maiden winner at Dundalk on debut but beaten three times at Pattern level since. While there's been some promise in some of those runs, particularly when 2L behind the subsequent Oaks second at Navan, this is tougher again.

Form: 1544

(10)

Love So Deep²⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: J F Egan| T: Jane Chapple-Hyam| OR: 95

66/1

Won a pair of Class 5 handicaps at the start of this season for her new yard but well beaten when upped to Listed class in two subsequent runs. Seemingly tilting at windmills here.

Form: 53-1173

(2)

Peach Tree⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Seamie Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 100

33/1

Listed winner at Navan in October and shaped okay on reappearance. Well beaten in Epsom Oaks and this is tougher than the Munster Oaks (Group 3) at Cork last time where she finished second. Down the order on jockey bookings.

Form: 201-402

(8)

Queen Power³³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: S De Sousa| T: Sir Michael Stoute| OR: 100

9/2

Unlucky not to be arriving here unbeaten, only narrowly denied here (1m) on reappearance in May and keen in the early stages. Still showed signs of inexperience when winning at Newbury (Star Catcher third) and should continue to improve up in trip.

Form: 1-21

(7)

Shambolic²⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 100| BF| C

25/1

Improved from debut to win here (1m) next time but found Group 1 company too tough towards the end of last season. Runner-up in a pair of Listed events this term and needs a sizable step forward here, up in trip. Second string on jockey bookings.

Form: 1147-22

(5)

Sparkle Roll³⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Oisin Murphy| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 92| BF

11/1

Two wins from four starts either side of the winter but beaten a long way in the Musidora behnid some of these last time out and this is tougher again. Up in trip.

Form: 51-17

(6)

Star Catcher³³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: L Dettori| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 98

4/1

Well beaten on debut as a juvenile but bolted up at Newbury on her reappearance. Only a ½L behind Queen Power at York last time when making her own running and stook to her task well. Should improve up in trip here.

Form: 6-13

Forecasts

Fleeting (7/4), Star Catcher (4/1), Queen Power (9/2), Frankellina (6/1), Sparkle Roll (11/1), Fanny Logan (11/1), Shambolic (25/1), Fresnel (33/1), Peach Tree (33/1), Altair (40/1), Love So Deep (66/1)

A tricky contest with a host of several improvers in the line-up but Aidan O'Brien's record in this race shouldn't be ignored and his filly FLEETING makes most appeal. Her Oaks effort is still fresh in the memory, making eye-catching headway from the rear of the field and this represents a drop in class. John Gosden's quartet are respected, most notably Star Catcher who shaped as if she would relish this extra distance behind Queen Power last time. That rival hinted that there was still more to come while Fanny Logan is another to consider.