Royal Ascot tips: Mark Howard's five horses to follow next week

MOSTABSHIR is a fast improving colt tackling Group 1 company for the first time in the St James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday.

A half-brother to the stable’s former Royal Ascot and dual Group 1 winner Nazeef, he is also a younger sibling to their Hardwicke Stakes runner-up Mostahdaf. Rated 108, the son of Dark Angel was an impressive four lengths winner on his sole start at two – a mile novice stakes at Kempton – beating the likes of Davideo (rated 92), Amleto (90) and Wonder Legend (94).

Only fifth in the Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket in April, his stable’s runners didn’t fire at that meeting (Gosden runners were 1 from 19 at Newmarket & Newbury that week, including the Oaks winner Soul Sister who finished last of 12 at the latter venue). Returning to novice company at York (1m : Good/Firm) a month later, William Buick's mount dictated a steady pace before quickening in the home-straight.

The Shadwell-owned runner covered the last three furlongs in 11.10 seconds, 10.76 and 11.48 (33.34 seconds) to win easily by five lengths. The form has been franked, too, with the second (rated 88) and fourth (87) scoring since. John Gosden has won this three times, including twice with thrice-raced runners, namely Without Parole (2018) and Palace Pier (2020) – they were both rated 109 beforehand.

CHESSPIECE is a progressive type who looks ready for a step up in grade and distance in the Group 2 Queen's Vase Stakes on Wednesday.

Successful in his only outing last year, he won over ten furlongs at Newcastle in November in a race, which has been won previously by English King (2019) and Teona (2020). A running on third behind the subsequent Lingfield Derby Trial winner Military Order in a novice stakes at Newbury (1m 2f; Soft) in April, he relished the step up to a mile-and-a-half on his handicap debut last time.

Racing off a mark of 96, the Nathaniel colt conceded nine pounds to the runner-up when powering clear to win by a length and a quarter. The Crisford yard is in fine form and he should go well.

LEZOO is bred to be a sprinter being by Zoustar out of Tim Easterby’s Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes (Soft) winner Roger Sez and drops back to six furlongs in the Commonwealth Cup on Friday having failed to stay a mile in the 1000 Guineas (8th).

A €110,000 purchase at the breeze-ups, she won 4 of her 5 starts as a juvenile. A winner over C&D in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes in July, she gained her biggest success in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes when defeating Meditate and subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Mawj by three-parts-of-a length.

Tried over a mile in the Guineas (Soft), she was drawn on a wing in stall one and made good headway approaching the final furlong before the petrol tank emptied. She covered the fifth and sixth furlongs in 11.60 and 11.94 seconds compared to the winner Mawj in 11.66 and 12.17 seconds.

Indeed, she covered the sixth furlong in the second-quickest time – the runner-up Tahiyra took 11.92 seconds. The form looks strong with the fourth Caernarfon finishing third in the Oaks next time and the sixth Meditate was runner-up in the Irish version. Her record over six furlongs is 1211 and, while all her wins have been on decent ground, her dam was very effective on soft ground.

Quiet Reflection (2016) and Campanelle (2021) were the last two fillies to win here. Expect Frankie Dettori to maintain the partnership.

FREE WIND is a lightly raced five-year-old who is rated 115 having won six of her eight races and heads to the Royal meeting next Saturday for the Hardwicke Stakes.

The Galileo mare won four times in 2021 including the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster (1m 6f : Good/Firm) by seven lengths. The John and Thady Gosden trained filly then produced a remarkable performance to win the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock (1m 4f : Soft) last summer when overcoming traffic problems to beat Sea La Rosa (won her next three races including a Group 1) by two and a quarter lengths.

Unfortunately, she suffered an injury in doing so and therefore didn’t reappear until last month. Dropped back to ten furlongs for the first time since June 2021 in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York (Good), she got the better of the 104 rated Rogue Millennium by half a length (the sixth has won a Group 3 since). Given the fact she had been off for 320 days and racing over an inadequate trip, it was a good performance by the George Strawbridge-owned mare. She handles any ground, her record over a mile-and-a half is 211 and is unbeaten in three starts at Group Two level.

Dettori (3 from 3) will be on board and her stable have won this twice, including with another filly in Fanny Logan (2020). Indeed, the fairer sex has won two of the last three renewals, but no five-year-old mare has been successful since Stanerra in 1983.

KHANJAR (Wokingham Stakes) showed a good level of form last year beating the subsequent Group 2 winner Azure Blue by three lengths off a mark of 85 at Ripon in June conceding two pounds to Michael Dods’ runner.

Two lengths third behind Lethal Levi in a three year old heritage handicap at Newmarket’s July meeting, the Kodiac gelding is now twelve pounds better off. Having won at Haydock (6f; Good/Firm) in September, he was sent off 9/2 favourite for the Ayr Gold Cup but William Haggas’ runner wasn’t ready for such a task at that stage in his career and was found wanting.

Bogged down in soft ground in Listed company at Redcar last autumn, he ran creditably in a competitive six furlongs handicap at York’s Dante meeting being beaten four and a half lengths. He completed his preparation for this by finishing a length second behind Edward Cornelius at Hamilton conceding eleven pounds to the winner – Keith Dalgleish’s charge boasts good course form (222331).

The pair were three-and-a half lengths clear of the third. His record over six furlongs on fast ground is 312 and his stable won this with High Standing in 2009. The ground is the key to his chance – the quicker the better.

Mark Howard’s 40 page Royal Ascot Update, which is due to be published on Sunday June 18, is available to purchase via www.mhpublications.co.uk.

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