It is Ascot week and with Mike de Kock representing South Africa with two of our very best homebreds on Tuesday, 17 June 2014, the Sporting Post has put together a collection of some ‘must have’ information to see you through the opening day.
Royal Ascot 2014 opens on Tuesday, 17 June 2014 and finishes on Saturday, 21 June. RacingUK have as always put together a great ad for the event:-
Not sure what to wear? We’ve got it covered.
Not sure what to expect? Here are some highlights from 2013 to get you in the mood:-
At this stage, TellyTrack has not published any plans to flight Ascot coverage, other than on Saturday, 21 June 2014, but do not fear, you can catch all the action via the Dubai Racing Channel, Filmon’s HRTV channel or Channel 4 feed and RacingUK offers a subscription service available here.
The festival kicks off on Tuesday and the schedule for the day’s racing (with the times adjusted to South African clocks) is listed below:-
Programme for Tuesday, 17 June 2014
| Time | Race | Age | Prize Fund | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:30pm | The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) | 4+ | £375000 | One Mile |
| 4:05pm | The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) | 2 | £120000 | Six furlongs |
| 4:45pm | The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) | 3+ | £375000 | Five furlongs |
| 5:25pm | The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) | 3 colts | £375000 | Old mile |
| 6:00pm | The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) | 4+ | £60000 | Two and a half miles |
| 6:35pm | The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) | 2 | £60000 | Five furlongs |
Following a dry night at Ascot, the going changed to good (from good to soft, good in places) on the straight course on Monday, with the round course anticipated to follow suit for Tuesday.
South Africa will be represented in the day’s opener when Soft Falling Rain contests The Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile at 3:30pm South African time. Jockey Paul Hanagan will be in the saddle. They will not have it all their own way though. The powerful Richard Hannon / Richard Hughes combination have been very bullish about their first chance of the day, last year’s St James Palace winner Toronado. Freddy Head, who won the Queen Anne in 2010 with the great Goldikova, is also gunning for the Royal Ascot Group 1 again with her brother Anodin. Supplemented for the race at a cost of £35,000, this is Anodin’s first start outside the French borders, but he comes into the race off a 1.5 length second to Cirrus Des Aigles in the 25 May Prix d’Ispahan.
The Coventry Stakes is a Gr2 event for 2yo’s. With not a lot of form to go on, it is worth noting that Aidan O’Brien has won this race 7 times and as his partnership with son Joseph O’Brien seems red hot at the moment, their charge War Envoy merits a closer look. The colt finished third behind Kool Kompany and Toscanini in a Listed race at Naas earlier this month, but current market support seems to indicate belief that he can reverse the form in Berkshire.
Shea Shea will carry the SA flag when he canters down for the King’s Stand Stakes with Christophe Soumillon in the irons. He will be looking to reverse last year’s result when he finished a narrow second to Sole Power and squares up to his old foe and last year’s victor at 4:45pm. Thoroughmedia’s Simon Burgess interviewed Mike de Kock on his runners’ chances earlier last week (copy here).
The St James Palace Stakes is shaping up into a highly anticipated clash between the classy talking horse Kingman and his old rival, 2000 Guineas winner, Night Of Thunder. James Doyle will partner Kingman again, while Richard Hannon takes up the reins on Night Of Thunder. Aidan O’Brien’s runner War Command blitzed his rivals in the Coventry last year before going on to win the Dewhurst. He was well beaten in this year’s Guineas, but can’t be written off in a race that looks really strong this year.
The Ascot Stakes is a big staying handicap over 2m 4f for 4yo’s and up. A field of 20 will face the starter, with Al Khawaneej, Twin Soul and Dark Ranger looking interesting prospects as they all have strong recent form.
The listed Windsor Castle Stakes is a five furlong sprint for 2yo’s and California Chrome’s regular pilot, Victor Espinoza will be partnering Hootenanny for Wesley Ward. The Kentucky-based Ward prepared the brilliant No Nay Never to Norfolk Stakes glory 12 months ago and also scored a famous Royal Ascot double back in 2009, when Strike The Tiger won the Windsor Castle at 33/1 and 2yo filly Jealous Again took the Gr2 Queen Mary Stakes by a comfortable 5 length margin.
The full card for the day’s runners is available here.
