Races

Andrew Hawkins’ Royal Ascot Day 5 Preview

Posted on | Posted by Andrew Hawkins

Race 1

I love the conditions of the Chesham Stakes as it is restricted to two-year-olds whose sire or dam won over further than 1900m. It has thrown up some future top-liners like Pinatubo, Churchill and Maybe, as well as stayers like Melbourne Cup runner-up Central Park and Derby winner Masar. POINT LONSDALE deserves to be short given his effortless victory on debut at the Curragh but I think it might be worth taking him on with GREAT MAX. He was short of room on debut but managed to get up in the final strides, almost a shade cosily too. He should be suited here and he gets the nod.

Suggested Bet: Great Max WIN

Race 2

It wouldn’t be Royal Ascot week without a chance to cheer home the monarch’s colours and I think the Queen has a chance to secure victory here with TACTICAL. The son of Toronado finished second as favourite in the Carnarvon Stakes behind CREATIVE FORCE and SPYCATCHER, both of whom he meets here. However, he meets both three pounds better and he also will relish the 1400m again, given he won the Listed European Free Handicap at the trip in April. I think the Carnarvon Stakes will likely produce the winner, but hopefully it is Tactical who turns the tables on his rivals.

Suggested Bet: Tactical EACH WAY

Race 3

TIGER MOTH was terrible at his reappearance in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, with rider Seamie Heffernan offering an unusual excuse – that the Melbourne Cup runner-up “gurgled badly” from the furlong mark through the line. If the real Tiger Moth were to show up here, though, he is certainly more than capable of taking the prize with Adam Kirby taking his first ride on the four-year-old. If the rain arrives, course and distance Group 1 winner WONDERFUL TONIGHT suddenly becomes far more dangerous.

Suggested Bet: Tiger Moth EACH WAY

Race 4

It would be poetic if DREAM OF DREAMS could take out the last of the Group 1 races for this year’s Royal Ascot with the seven-year-old having been beaten a head by Blue Point and Hello Youmzain the last two years. Ascot has proved his kryptonite at times, but this looks a matter of the stars aligning here. STARMAN is the new kid on the block and could be anything, having won four of his five starts. Ideally, the ground would be no worse than good to soft for him.

Suggested Bet: Dream Of Dreams WIN

Race 5

The Wokingham Stakes is a big-field handicap that can usually be quite difficult to predict. However, if KING’S LYNN, does back up quickly, the Queen’s gelding looks the best bet of the day. He really caught the eye when blocked for a run in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday, finishing only three lengths from Oxted in seventh. He has not been rehandicapped, so he is carrying seven pounds less than he would have if it were based on ratings today. At odds, AIR RAID is capable of running a big race, although he was well beaten in this race last year when the rain didn’t arrive.

Suggested Bet: King’s Lynn WIN

Race 6 

The Golden Gates Stakes is the last of the handicaps and one of the new additions, too, this being for the three-year-olds over approximately 2000m. The well-bred KING FRANKEL, a brother to G1 Ranvet Stakes runner-up Eminent, looks worthy of a bet here. He has finished second at five of his last six starts, punctuated by a 32-length maiden win at Pontefract (although it was a three-runner race). He does look well-handicapped and should be able to take another step forward. Perhaps BATON ROUGE, finally removed from pacesetting duties, may be able to improve.

Suggested Bet: King Frankel EACH WAY

Race 7

The traditional end to Royal Ascot each year is the Queen Alexandra Stakes, a conditions race over approximately 4355m and Britain’s longest contest on the flat. There are a couple of former Melbourne visitors in here in the Tony Bloom-owned pair STRATUM (who raced as Stratum Albion when 20th in the Melbourne Cup last year) and WITHHOLD (beaten favourite in the 2018 Geelong Cup). Both will be competitive, but it might be worth turning to another successful Melbourne visitor – trainer Dermot Weld – and his Chester Cup winner FALCON EIGHT. While he has still proven to be a very good horse, he perhaps hasn’t reached the heights that may once have been expected of him due to injuries and other issues. His first run as a gelding though was tremendous in taking the Chester Cup and the conditions of this race means he gets in very well against his rivals.

Suggested Bet: Falcon Eight WIN

PLAY OF THE DAY

Race 2 – Trifecta #4, #14 and #16

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