13:50 – Coral Kincsem Handicap – 1m2f
An open handicap begins day three proceedings and the one I like the look of here is WARREN POINT. He took a real tug when second in a three-runner Ascot contest (1m4f, good to firm) on his handicap debut last time and as a result of that, he probably ran as well as could be expected.
He drops back in trip this time and looks potentially well treated, with the stronger pace and larger field here much more likely to play to his strengths. He’s a double-figure price, so you can back him each-way and I’d be very hopeful of a profitable return.
Migdam represents the Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore combination and has been put in as the favourite, having won twice at Kempton (both 1m, AW) last September, before returning to score on his handicap debut at Doncaster (1m2f, good) last month.
He’s up 6lb for that, is unexposed and should give a good account again. However, he is half the price of the selection and that doesn’t feel like it’s value for his achievements.
Vee Sight is respected, having won a Sandown Park handicap (1m1f, good to firm) on last month’s reappearance. Asgoodassobergets ran a cracker in Royal Ascot’s Golden Gates Handicap, a ,arked improvement on previous efforts, and he could also have a say at a double-figure price from just 3lb higher.
14:25 – Richmond Stakes (Group 2) – 6f
Coventry Stakes runner-up ROYAL SCOTSMAN faces some potential improvers here but that Group 2 form looks rock solid in the context of this race and the Paul and Oliver Cole-trained colt should take a deal of beating.
His C&D success in a novice event prior to that was an impressive effort, coming on good to soft. The faster ground at Royal Ascot did not appear to be an issue, given his performance, so if things get quicker as the week goes on he also has that base covered.
He looks sure to go off as the favourite and I expect him to justify the odds.
Among those who are considered dangers here, top of the list is Chateau, who is 2-4 so far. Including a Listed success at Newbury (6f, good to firm) last time. That was a significant improvement on his previous efforts and he could go very close.
Connections clearly think plenty of Marshman, who is trained in the north by Karl Burke. Despite rearing at the start and being a pre-race drifter, he confounded that with a comfortable success at Ayr on debut (6f, good). He’ll come on plenty for that and could have a say.
Richard Hannon has won this twice in the past decade and with Ryan Moore up, don’t discount a better effort than his 18/1 odds might suggest by Swift Asset, who won a Windsor maiden last month (5f, good to firm) but came unstuck in the Super Sprint at Newbury (5f, good to firm) last time. Up in trip, he could kick on again although clearly has a bit to prove going up to this level.
15:00 – John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (Group 3) – 1m4f
Charlie Appleby has trained two of the last nine winners of this race and he saddles the pre-race favourite New London, who is 3-4 to date, his only defeat being in the Group 3 Chester Vase back in May.
That was his previous try at around 1m4f but it wasn’t the trip that beat him that day, more so an astute ride by Ryan Moore on the winner Changingoftheguard.
Back down in grade to a Class 2 handicap at Newmarket’s July Festival last time, the son of Dubawi underlined his class with a comfortable 3l win (1m2f, good to firm).
He can return to this level and prove that he is well up to it with a win this time.
Hoo Ya Mal is officially the top rated performer in the line-up. He was placed in both the Group 3 Craven Stakes and also in Listed company over 1m2f, prior to his excellent second behind Desert Crown in the Derby last month.
He has subsequently left the Andrew Balding stable for George Boughey, who applies a tongue-tie for his stable debut. With that Group 1 form to his name he has to be hugely respected back at this level with Ryan Moore now booked. He is feared.
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained West Wind Blows could also come into this. He finished ninth in the Derby, so has plenty to find with Hoo Ya Mal on a strict interpretation of that form. However, he dropped back to Listed level last time at Hamilton and routed a small field, in what was an improved effort. He is not taken on lightly after that impressive performance.
Grand Alliance, another who was well beaten in the Derby, bounced back well when a close second to Changingoftheguard in the King Edward VII Stakes (1m4f, good to firm) at Royal Ascot, also has with each-way claims.
15:35 – Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1) – 1m2f
NASHWA suffered her only defeat of the season when she was third behind Tuesday and stable companion Emily Upjohn in the Oaks last month but that was still an improved effort.
The Gosdens then dropped her back to this sort of trip in the Prix de Diane, the French equivalent of that Epsom Downs contest. She raced freely that day but stayed on strongly to hold off the sustained challenge of La Parisienne, the front pair finishing well clear of the remainder there on good to soft.
Hollie Doyle’s mount is versatile enough with regard to the going and remains on an upward curve. She is very difficult to oppose.
Dreamloper is officially rated as 1lb higher than the selection. Ed Walker’s filly won the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan (1m1f, good to soft) at Longchamp in May but failed to handled softer conditions in last month’s Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh (1m2f, yielding to soft).
She still has to prove she gets this trip but everything suggests that she will, unless the ground again turns soft. She is much respected.
I really liked the look of Concert Hall after her staying-on third to Homeless Songs in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. She improved on that when fourth in the Oaks but hasn’t quite kicked on again in either the Pretty Polly or last time out at Belmont Park. She surely has a big one in her at some point and, with cheekpieces added here providing the potential for a little something extra, she is not ruled out.
Group 2 Middleton Stakes winner Lilac Road has been kept back for this and given the excellent placement record of her trainer William Haggas, is another to consider and an almost-certain improver.
16:10 – Jaeger-Lecoultre Nursery Handicap – 1m2f
A really interesting nursery in prospect here where Self Praise looks very interesting for the Hugo Palmer stable. He sports first-time cheekpieces and has 5lb taken off his back by the presence of the useful claimer Harry Burns, having scored over 6f (good) at Chester last time.
Seductive Power produced an improved effort when winning a Newbury novice event (6f, good) last time. His initial park of 84 makes him of interest and he may turn out to be better handicapped than Far Shot, who bounced back from being well beaten in the Windsor Castle last month when finishing a close second when back at Ascot and stepped up to 6f last time.
X J Rascal looked like he could be going places when showing a fair degree of promise when scoring at Brighton on debut (6f, good to firm). He failed to build on that under a penalty in a Carlisle novice event last time but should be capable of better and is not written off.
However, preference is for TRUE STATESMAN. The Johnston stable has trained the winner of three of the last eight renewals of this contest and clearly know the type that it takes to win it.
This son of Churchill has improved with each start and particularly so last time, when he backed up a 6f Chelmsford success with an eased-down 3l win on being stepped up to 7f (good) for his handicap debut at Chester.
An 8lb rise for that may look hefty but the manner of victory suggests that there may still be a fair bit more where that came from and he is taken to score.
16:45 – World Pool Handicap – 5f
A tricky-looking sprint but the in-form DUSKY PRINCE has just about an ideal draw here from stall seven, allowing Hollie Doyle the ability to manoeuvre to either side, if necessary, as the race unfolds.
The gelding has won three off the reel over 5f, those being decisive successes at Wolverhampton and Windsor, while he didn’t need to be as good as in that performance when adding a narrow Doncaster success to his CV last time.
He is nudged up another 3lb for that but it looks fair and he still looks to have room for further progress from this mark.
Get Ahead is the pre-race favourite but it has to be a concern that she hasn’t been able to add to her Ascot debut win from last season, in six subsequent starts. However, she has added some black type in a couple of Listed events during that period, so she has continued to show ability. A 2lb drop for this race will clearly help and, if producing her best, she should be thereabouts.
It’s been a bit of an in-and-out campaign thus far for Swayze, who got back on track with a Class 4 handicap win at Haydock Park last time (5f, soft), when the front pair were clear. He also acts on a sound surface and, after that career-best, it would not surprise if he went close back up in this grade and from 5lb higher.
Sir Henry Cotton, who finished ½l behind Swayze at Haydock, is 2lb better off and was also the best he has produced. He, too, cannot be discounted at a double-figure price and also acts on a sound surface.
17:20 – Tatler EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes – 7f
Not a lot of public form for punters to go on here and the suggestion is to side with LUCKIN BREW, who was a significant drifter ahead of her recent debut at Newmarket and stayed on really well to grab second place late on (7f, good to firm).
With that positive experience under her belt and Ryan Moore now up, she is suggested.
In her own way, Zarga put up a similar debut effort at Kempton and she should improve plenty for that, making her a likely contender for Sir Michael Stoute.
She’s Hot drops back in grade from a 6l ninth in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last time and is another of interest, while Mark Johnston has often entered a useful newcomer in this and he and Charlie have entered a Zoffany filly, Berwick Law, who along with the Ralph Beckett-trained Daydream Dancer (€170,000 2yo), are the two more interesting newcomers in the
