Yes, you would be correct in thinking about what is currently on your mind. ‘What state was Ash in when the Palace Of Hollyroodhouse Stakes finished?’ Well, after a day of four selections, one place and no winners, it was safe to say I wasn’t the happiest.
But then again, you dust yourself off, pick yourself up, and roll into Royal Ascot Day 5.
Has this week been tough for people having a bet? Yes. Did I expect good success after Triple Time won the Queen Anne in what seems like a race that took place six months ago? Yes. But these things happen and this series hadn’t accumulated an ROI of 80% pre-Ascot for no reason.
To keep you in touch with recent results, after Tuesday, the P&L was at +27.75 at an ROI of 73%. Now, after Friday, we are +12.85 at an ROI of 24%. That is tough reading, but we have three fancies to hang our hopes on, so let’s get started.
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes – Wellington @ 11/2 with William Hill – 2pt EW
Hong Kong is yet to have a runner at this year’s Royal Ascot, but today, WELLINGTON is holding their hopes and dreams.
Trained by Richard Gibson, the six-year-old by All Too Hard is one of the world’s best sprinters, that is a fact, and he has been bumping heads with Lucky Sweynesse on multiple occasions over the last year, a horse who is the number one sprinter in the world.
Wellington actually beat his fierce rival at Sha Tin in the Premier Bowl handicap last October when giving nine pounds away.
What a return!? 💥 Wellington overhauls Lucky Sweynesse to win the HK$5 million G2 Premier Bowl for @AlexisBadel and Richard Gibson. #HKracing pic.twitter.com/b0cfhLtjCA
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) October 23, 2022
Everything circulating on Twitter and social media suggests he has travelled over well and at 11/2, that is an incredible each-way price with William Hill, and I can’t wait to see this Hong Kong star at the legendary Ascot.
Wokingham Stakes – Orazio @ 6/1 with William Hill – 3pt WIN
This horse. This is the one I can’t desert. All the chat about NAP of the week comes down to this.
Any regular readers or viewers of the Only Fools Love Horses Podcast will know that ORAZIO for Charlie Hills has been my bet of Royal Ascot for a few weeks.
This colt by Caravaggio bolted up over course and distance last time out following a decent win at Newmarket the month prior.
Last year's Champion Jockey has his first victory at #Ascot in 2023 😎
ORAZIO powers away for William Buick – a second win of the day for @cbhills in The @PeroniUK Nastro Azzurro "Live Every Moment" Handicap Stakes pic.twitter.com/eZgnYHUFs8
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) May 12, 2023
Further before that, he missed all of 2022 and some of 2021 due to what seems like a setback and for a £215,000 purchase as a yearling, that would have been annoying, so to have him firing on all cylinders is promising to see.
Off 102, I think the mark is still fair and if he is a Group horse in the making then a win today in the Wokingham, a difficult handicap at the best of times, should hopefully happen.
The only thing that is a worry is the form of the yard at four winners from 33 runners, the reason why this is a win-only bet as he could either go very close or not fire at all.
I have hopes that we can see a nice performance tomorrow from stall 29, so good luck to William Buick and his connections.
Golden Gates Handicap – Knockbrex @ 7/2 with BoyleSports – 3pt WIN
Although Orazio is one of my best bets of the week, KNOCKBREX has become a close second to my strength in the bet.
His York performance thoroughly impressed me despite not winning as he made all under Andrea Ateni and forced his competitors off the bridle before being passed late on when victim to doing too much too soon.
The form of that race has worked out nicely as well because the winner, Chesspiece, ran a good race behind Gregory in the Queen’s Vase and the second, Land Legend, was a big eyecatcher from the King George V Handicap.
Checkmate! 🏇
Derby-entry Chesspiece powers home under Ryan Moore to complete a notable double for @edcrisford & @SimonCrisford at @yorkracecourse.
That's quite a form boost for the Lingfield Derby Trial 👀 pic.twitter.com/76vfGx9Ah8
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 18, 2023
Speaking of Gregory, Charlie Johnston’s colt by Ulysses got to within two lengths of the highly-impressive John & Thady Gosden-trained horse at Haydock, a race that saw him pass horses rather than make all which shows the versatility of his running style.
And even a look at his pedigree excites me as he is out of a Pivotal mare (an angle I love) with the dam a half-sister to the two-time Listed winner Answered and a full sister to Peripatetic, a recent winner of the Listed Tapster Stakes at Goodwood two weeks ago.
The cross of Ulysess out of a Pivotal mare is actually one that has produced the useful Holloway Boy, Gwan So, and Relentless Voyager in recent years, so off a mark of 90, I like the chances of Knockbrex in the Golden Gates Handicap.
