It’s Ladies Day at Royal Ascot today and hopefully the forecast rain has come and gone.
This year’s Gold Cup, today’s feature, has an open look to it without defending champ Kyprios in the field.
Fifteen runners will go to the 2-and-a-half-mile start with the Andrew Balding trained Coltrane 3/1 favourite.
Coltrane is a well-deserved favourite, and he loves Ascot. His only defeat here came when he was a neck second to Trueshan in the Long-Distance Cup in October (Champions Day) and jockey Oisin Murphy will be keen to reverse the placings.
Oisin Murphy rides Coltrane (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
He looked to be on top form when winning the Gr3 Sagaro Stakes at Ascot last month, quickening up well from last to first in the straight to win easing up by five.
Balding said: “He’s a bit of a star, if he can produce that sort of a performance on Gold Cup Day then he’s got to be a player.”
The forecasted showers would make Trueshan a danger if the seven-year-old has recovered from a recent breathing procedure.
A more obvious rival comes in the form of the Roger Varian-trained Eldar Eldarov. Last seasons St Leger winner was narrowly beaten on his seasonal return in the Yorkshire Cup. A lightly raced four-year-old, he is open to further improvement going up in trip.
Aidan O’Brien attempts a 10th success in this famous race with Dubai Gold Cup hero Broome and the progressive filly Emily Dickinson.
Ryan Moore favours the filly who gets a valuable sex allowance of 3lb, but she would prefer easier ground.
Dubai Gold Cup winner Broome – must be considered today
Earlier on the card, the supplemented Al Asifah should be hard to beat in the Gr1 Ribblesdale Stakes following her runaway success at Goodwood last weekend.
An impressive winner on her racecourse debut at Haydock in May, the Shadwell-owned Frankel filly successfully stepped up to Listed class with a brilliant display on the Sussex Downs.
Angus Gold, Shadwell’s racing manager stated: “She seems to have come out of Goodwood very well and John Gosden has been very happy with her since.”
Such is her reputation; she has been priced up favourite ahead of the likes of Infinite Cosmos, third to Oak’s scorer Soul Sister in the Musidora and the Beckett trained Bluestocking who both missed the Epsom classic in favour of this race.
Day 4, Friday is highlighted by the rematch between 1,000 Guineas winner Mawj and runner-up Tahiyra in the Gr1 Coronation Stakes run on the round mile.
The Newmarket result suggests there is little between the two principals with the rest 8lb and more back on Timeform. Mawj is battle hardened and likely to go handy once more, while Tahiyra’s turn of foot carried her out of a pocket and on to glory on her subsequent start in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
The first race is off at 15h30.
