Royal Ascot returns on Tuesday, and after a long wait the crowds will be back for a glorious festival of racing where the world’s most prestigious horses will compete for their place in history.
John Gosden’s brilliant miler Palace Pier is the banker and standout on day one of the royal meeting.
A likely odds-on favourite for the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes, the son of Kingman has won group one-mile events down the straight at Newbury and Deauville in France.
Later in the afternoon, Battash from the Charlie Hills yard reunites with Jim Crowley to defend his crown in the Gr1 King’s Stand Stakes over 1000m. The thirteen-time winner has his first start of the season but has won first up for the last four seasons.
The grey son of Dubawi, Highland Avenue could provide another winner for the red-hot Charlie Appleby yard. William Buick retains the ride in the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes for three-year-olds run over the round mile. The son of Dubawi can reverse the placings with the unbeaten Mostahdaf after conceding a penalty when they last met in a listed race at Sandown last month.
Love takes on the boys in the Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup
(Pic – Coolmore)
Dual Classic heroine Love is among eight confirmations for Wednesday’s Gr1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Aidan O’Brien’s filly has not been in action since winning the Yorkshire Oaks by five lengths last August. Ballydoyle are backed up with Armory who was impressive on his seasonal return in the Gr2 Huxley Stakes at Chester last month. Addeybb runner-up last season for William Haggas, could be a major player if underfoot conditions turn soft.
Lady Bowthorpe is among a potential field of fourteen, back against her own sex in Wednesday’s Gr2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes. A gallant runner-up to the champion miler Palace Pier in the Gr1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month, she finished over five lengths clear of the third home that day. Her trainer William Jarvis last won at the royal meeting in the nineties but is very bullish of success.
Thursday is Ladies day and Stradivarius attempts to win a fourth Gr1 Gold Cup. The John Gosden trained son of Sea the Stars is one of fifteen acceptances in what looks one of the potentially strongest renewals. Aidan O’Brien has multiple entries with strong form and Mark Johnston is very upbeat about the chances of Subjectivist to deny a huge victory roar from the crowd.
