Royal Ascot At York - Day 3

[dave]

Can't say I'm particularly looking forward to this, with only two non 2yo or 3yo race, and one one of those over 2m4f which I will no doubt pick a loser in. I'll have to wait until the final race of the day for one that I have much of a clue about (and being a 23 runner handicap there's a good chance that I won't win anyway). 5.30 Buckingham Palace Stakes I went low in the draw for the big 1m handicap yesterday, and it paid off with 6 of the first 8 home from stalls 8 or lower. Just like that race, there is not really a draw bias in terms of the track itself, but the way the horses have been drawn should have an impact on where the best placed horses come from. When I started looking through this race I thought we might get the same situation as New Seeker - the only front runner in the first 17 stalls was Cardinal Venture. However, two front runners are drawn high - King Harson and Material Witness. With 3 front runners in this 23 horse race, you'd have to expect the winner to come from just off the pace (but not too far). With 2 of these horses drawn high you have to favour those with the high draws, without completely disregarding the lower stalls (because of Cardinal Venture). In the race there are only 2 horses that will be sure to occupy the positions just behind the leaders - Bahiano (drawn 11) and Mutawaffer (drawn 21). Of the two Mutawaffer looks to have the best draw from which to pounce, can act with some cut in the ground (which is sure to be Good at best IMO, even if they call it G-F - shocked that they described it as G-F today to be honest), and is running off a good mark.

[dave]

Re: Royal Ascot At York - Day 3 Now for the rest of the day - won't be backing all of these myself so I don't recommend that anyone else does either. 2.30 Norfolk Stakes I wasn't expecting to find anything I liked the look of here, but a quick glance shows that this race is set to be run at a furious pace with 5 likely and 4 possible front runners. Forecast favourite Strike Up The Band is the only real hold up horse of any note (Jackie Francis and, to a lesser extent, Sands Crooner have plenty to prove). Has won 2 from 3, and that could easily have been 3, the perfect running style for this race, and could win by a decent distance.