Day two of the Royal Meeting promises to be another thrilling day of action with the feature Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes showcasing a mouthwatering clash between the reigning champion Ombudsman and last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz.
The action gets underway at 2.30pm with the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes for two-year-olds over five furlongs. Karl Burke has won two of the last four runnings and he is double-handed this year, with Wild Blossom arguably the more impressive of those on debut when winning by ten lengths at Carlisle.
Click here for enhanced form guide for Royal Ascot. There are Daily Racing Form past performances in our Handicapping Store.
Sign up and Royal Ascot and 500+ other tracks at Iron Bets! New players can earn up to a $300 deposit bonus! At Iron Bets look for Daily Promotions throughout the week! Iron Bets players also will receive great rewards, free past performances and more!
Bet on Royal Ascot at Iron Bets!
True Love was the first winner of the race for Aidan O’Brien last year and Victorious is his sole representative in a bid to go back-to-back. Senorita Bonita was hugely impressive when overcoming trouble on her debut two weeks ago and is sure to know more today. American trainer Wesley Ward has won this race four times and he sends out Ruiva and Shining Moment, whilst More Champagne and Celtic Dispute have also made the trip across the Atlantic in search of glory.
The Queen’s Vase
The Group 2 Queen’s Vase is next at 3.05pm, showcasing three-year-olds over a mile and six furlongs. As you would expect there is plenty of untapped potential in this field with Galiyan, Ravenspire and Point Of Law both having had just two racecourse starts – the latter races in the colours of Their Majesties The King and The Queen. Limestone is already a winner at Listed level having done so at Navan last month where he beat Asakir into second place.
Port Of Spain ran creditably in the always-competitive London Gold Cup at Newbury last time and could improve further for this step up in trip.
Duke Of Cambridge Stakes
We continue with the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (3.40pm), a Group 2 event over a mile for fillies and mares four-years-old and upwards. John & Thady Gosden have won three of the last five runnings of the race and Group 1 winner Friendly Soul has every chance of adding to that tally if producing her best.
Blue Bolt brings a similarly classy level of form having finished second in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last October and she returned to action with a smooth success at Goodwood in May. There are a few in the field who have potentially yet to show their limit of their talents with Catalina Delcaprio, Kon Tiki and Falakeyah all relatively lightly raced for their age.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes
Wednesday’s feature at 4.20pm, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes over ten furlongs, will see some of the best intermediate distance horses in training go head-to-head. Last year’s winner Ombudsman produced a superb turn of foot to announce his arrival at the top level, with two more Group 1 successes since – he is yet to finish out of the first two in 11 starts.
Daryz, meanwhile, has been equally impressive and progressive, victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe the first of three successive top-level wins, with last month’s victory over nine furlongs proving he has speed as well as stamina. Almaqam made his own Group 1 breakthrough in last month’s Tattersalls Gold Cup where Minnie Hauk was slightly disappointing – but she was just a short head behind Daryz in the Arc last October after winning the Oaks, the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks. See The Fire and Dancing Gemini are quality contenders in their own right but may just struggle to match up against the front quartet in the market.
Royal Hunt Cup
The 30-runner Royal Hunt Cup follows at 5.00pm, over the straight mile. As you would expect, this is a fiercely competitive contest. If Scoville can bounce back from a poor run at Thirsk having since had a wind operation, then he still has an exploitable mark, whilst Classic and Indalo finished first and second in a handicap in May at Newbury and could go forward from there.
Erzindjan and Fifth Column filled the same places at Newmarket at the start of last month and again might be suited to the hustle and bustle of this race. La Botte finished second in the Britannia Stakes, the three-year-old version of this race, last year and now races off an official rating three pounds higher.
Kensington Palace Stakes
The next big puzzle to solve is the Kensington Palace Stakes at 5.35pm, a fillies’ handicap over a mile for four-year-olds and upwards. The starting point is Alobayyah who has had just four starts and is still open to plenty of improvement having caught the eye here last month.
Zgharta finished down the field in the same race but she showed potential at three including in last year’s Sandringham Handicap at the Royal Meeting. Oolong Poobong placed in the same race and made a solid return after 11 months off so is entitled to come on for the run.**** At a likely bigger price, Perfect Part has been running consistently of late and could again be involved at the finish.
Windsor Castle Stakes
It doesn’t get any easier in the final race, the Windsor Castle Stakes at 6.10pm, which will be run over six furlongs for the first time and has attracted 25 runners. Controlla made her debut in a Group 3 at Naas in May, finishing second to Victorious who runs in the Queen Mary Stakes, so that will be a good pointer to her own chances. Sergei Diaghilev and Ruler’s Control both won on debut – the latter has since changed hands and is now trained by Joseph O’Brien who also sends out One Number, beaten on his first start by the reopposing Celeron. All of the prior-named hail from Ireland and the best of the British contingent on previous form could be Sale Shark who made an impressive debut at Hamilton three weeks ago.
