Racing Chat - Saturday 22nd June (inc. Royal Ascot Day 5)

[The Brigadier]

Ascot 2.30

The first race of the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot is the listed 7F Chesham Stakes for two year olds whose sires won a race over 1M 2F or further. The pick may be Aidan O’Brien’s Bedtime Story who looked a fine prospect on her racecourse debut at Leopardstown only 16 days ago. The grey beat odds on stable mate Giselle that day who was a big word on course and with improvement to come looks sure to run well here. It doesn’t look the strongest Chesham I’ve ever seen and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raphael Freire trained newcomer Duke Of Monroth runs well on his debut. He cost $75,000 as a yearling but breezed well when being sold for 260,000 euros at Arcana in May. Freire has been helping Dominic Fffrench-Davis with training at Amo Racing’s base in Lambourn and his newcomer in the Coventry Angelo Buonarroti was not disgraced in finishing 9th (beaten 3L) on his debut. He can run well at a price but the main selection is Bedtime Story.

 

BEDTIME STORY 1 point win 9/4 bet365

DUKE OF MONROTH 1/4 point each way @ 16/1 Unibet 1/5th1234

 

Ascot 3.05

Nine older middle distance horses have declared for the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes run over 1M 4F. John & Thady Gosden’s Middle Earth beat subsequent Goodwood winner King Of Conquest by a nose in a tight finish on his re-appearance and is one of the principal players here although he may struggle to turn the form around with Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous who is making his seasonal re-appearance. He took the St Leger at Doncaster last September when he had Middle Earth some sixteen lengths back in seventh. He followed that up with a highly credible fifth in the Arc De Triomphe and is officially 5lb and upwards the best horse here. As long as he’s ready to go he’ll be hard to beat.

 

CONTINUOUS 1 point win @ 13/8 bet365

 

Ascot 3.45

Fourteen speedsters run in the Group 1 6F Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes which it has to be said doesn’t look the classiest of renewals. Kinross is the joint highest runner among with Art Power in the race but we haven’t seen him this season and along with Art Power would prefer more give in the ground. Last year’s shock winner Khaadem has his conditions but showed little on his reappearance at York in May to suggest he can play a hand in the finish today. That York race was won by Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Mill Stream who looks a player today although better value may lie with the third that day in Kevin Ryan’s Washington Heights who didn’t get the run of the race but still finished within half a length of Mill Stream having beaten him 3/4L previously at Newmarket in the Abernant Stakes. The supplemented Shartash also has claims but in a open race it may pay to back Washington Heights each way.

 

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS 1 point each way @ 14/1 Betfred 1/5th 1234

 

Ascot 4.25

A big field of twenty three-year-olds head to the Group 3 Jersey Stakes with the Irish 2000 Guineas second and third heading the market. Richard Hannon’s Haatem went down by a head to his stable mate and subsequent St James Palace winner Rosallion with the seasonal re-appearing Aidan O’Brien trained River Tiber 1 1/4L back in third. The latter is 3lb better off here and with the drop to 7F more likely to suit than the former is the pick here. River Tiber had options to run in the Commonwealth Cup but this looks his trip and with Ryan Moore on board looks sure to run a big race. The best of the rest and worth a small stakes each way saver is the Ralph Beckett trained Juddmonte owned Task Force. He actually finished a head ahead of River Tiber over 6F in the Middle Park stakes last season and having pulled hard probably didn’t stay when seventh in the 2000 Guineas on his re-appearance.

 

RIVER TIBER 1 point win @ 7/4 bet365

TASK MASTER 1/2 point each way @ 12/1 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

Ascot 5.05

A maximum field of 28 have declared for the days cavalry charge, the 6F class 2 Wokingham Handicap which has a wide open look about it. Last year’s winner Saint Lawrence, runner up Apollo One, 3rd Juan Les Pins, 4th Mums Tipple and 11th Albasheer are all back to renew rivalry and have claims of sorts. The one horse I like however is the Clive Cox trained Harry Three who is a half a brother to the yard’s smart sprinter Diligent Harry. A smart three year old in 2022 who won two valuable handicaps and a listed race he ran as well as one could expect on his re-appearance having missed last season when fourth of six in a decent listed race at Salisbury. With that run behind him (and a drop of a pound) he looks likely to run well from a draw in stall 23 and the icing on the cake the booking of Ryan Moore who is unbeaten on two starts on him. He looks good value in a widely competitive handicap.

 

HARRY THREE 1 point each way @ 18/1 Ladbrokes 1/5th 12345

 

Ascot 5.40

A maximum field of sixteen race around the round course here for the 10F Golden Gates Handicap for three year olds. The favourite is the Harry Charlton trained Hand Of God who should relish the step up to 10F having won a five runner 1M handicap at Sandown in April. He does seem short enough mind and value may well lie elsewhere. Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Primo Lara is chasing a hat trick of victories having scored at Chelmsford and York since going handicapping rising a stone in the weights. David Egan takes over from apprentice Johnny Peate today and can run a big race each way and looks value against the favourite.

 

PRIMO LARA 1 point each way @ 14/1 bet365 1/5th 12345

 

Ascot 6.15

The last of thirty five races at the Royal meeting this year is the 2M 5 1/2F Queen Alexandra Stakes. Unless the heavens open it’s hard to fancy Trueshan, under a double penalty and Tashkhan who we haven’t seen for 237 days and is officially the highest rated of the fourteen runners. Last years winner Dawn Rising has claims under William Buick but it may be last years third Run For Oscar who takes the spoils this year round. Trained by the wily Irish handler Charles Byrnes he finished 2 3/4L behind Dawn Rising a year ago and is now 3lb better off. Byrnes has booked Frenchman Maxime Guyon to do the steering and represents good each way value. Aidan O’Brien saddles Queenstown who’s bumped into Kyprios twice this season in Ireland but is unproven at this extend distance. Make sure you find a firm who’s paying four places as not all are.

 

RUN FOR OSCAR 1 point each way @ 5/1 Betfred 1/5th 1234

[richard-westwood]

345 ascot 

Mill stream.  8.9 11/2 

Washington heights. 8.7 14/1 

10pt wins both