Royal Ascot gets underway on Tuesday and Matty Sutcliffe is keen on making just as fast a start to the meeting as he did last year. He has five tips across four races, including TWO 100/1 shots worth an interest…
3:05 Ascot – Coventry Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2yo) – Ballistic Missile 25/1 1pt EW 4 places + Bourbon Blues 100/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
The first port of call in a race of this nature for me is to side with those proven to come past horses, as I often think two-year-olds who make all on their debut is visually flattering, and doesn’t particularly teach them a whole lot to prepare for such a competitive contest.
BALLISTIC MISSILE seriously impressed me at York’s Dante meeting. He broke slowly away and had barely picked up the bridle looking very much outpaced over furlongs, but once getting the hang of things, he flew down the outside in what was a moderately run affair to win eased down in the manner of a smart one.
He’s one of a few in here who would’ve learnt an awful lot about his racing profession, and it would be a huge surprise should he not be able to put up a stronger effort. His price is reflective of the fact the form is admittedly weak, but his pedigree backs up the visual suspicion that he’ll only improve for this trip (dam won over a mile), and he can give Richard Hannon his first success in the race having had multiple go off single figure odds in the last decade.
The other I’d like to play is BOURBON BLUES. Brian Meehan and Billy Loughnane teamed up to land this race for us with Rashabar at an SP of 80/1 last season and I can only imagine Loughnane would’ve had plenty of other well-fancied horses offered for his services, so it’s rather telling that he sides with Meehan once more.
It would be unusual for a gelding to win this contest, but he fits that mould of already having experienced passing horses in a big field contest when a six length tenth at Newbury last month in a race that’s thrown up multiple winners. The son of Space Blues was then well backed to land a modest looking Brighton Maiden two weeks later, and he could hardly have been any more impressive.
I don’t think he looked all that in love with the track that day as he’s a well built, long striding two year old who looked to hang down the sharp, undulating nature of Brighton, so returning to this galloping, stiffer track can only bring out further improvement. He has to improve on the bare form and figures to serve it up to the protagonists, but so did last year’s winner and he’ll arrive more streetwise than most.
3:40 Ascot – King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Estepona 100/1 0.5pt EW 4 places (West Acre already advised 14/1 ante-post)
Mauricio Delcher Sanchez won this with a three-year-old in Equiano in 2008, and the market seems to have overlooked this son of Mehmas who will be very much suited to this drop back in trip on a stiff track.
ESTEPONA was unsuited by how the race panned out in listed company at Chantilly, having been held up in rear without cover for the most part but he travelled through the race impressively, coming with what looked to be a winning run down the outside prior to his effort fading out late after those early unfavourable exertions.
Prior to that, he was a solid second to the 110 rated Arizona Blaze in G3 company at Chantilly with Rayevka a length in behind, when again shaping as if a strongly run five furlongs would suit. He’s the type of horse who may improve for going up against better horses as he needs to be taken into a race to be seen to best effect, and his handy allowances don’t leave him too much to find with some of the more fancied ones in what should be a suitably strongly run race.
5:00 Ascot – Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-100) – Feigning Madness 40/1 1pt EW 6 places
By Ulysess out of a Sir Percy mare, stepping up to 2m4f could unlock the evident potential possessed by FEIGNING MADNESS, who looks well placed on his handicap debut off what could be a lenient opening mark.
Ralph Beckett’s charge was highly promising as a two year old, landing two back end of season novices in 2023, giving 6lbs to the field on the latter occasion to win going away after staying on dourly from midfield. That race threw up the 100 rated Harper’s Ferry in second, and the 117 rated Almaqam in fourth, and he wasn’t disgraced on three year old debut last term when not looking all that in love with the track at Epsom in the Blue Riband Trial. He was only beaten four lengths there, with the winner going on to land the Nashville Derby now rated 112.
He wasn’t seen until October later that season, and failed to land a blow in the G3 St Simon Stakes for all he was only a length behind the 112 rated Al Aasy. He’s been kept to G3 company this season, and has posted two career best RPR’s to suggest he’s on the way to unlocking that potential he showed as a two year old. While he was beaten six lengths on seasonal debut, Beckett’s rarely fire that early in the season and he was ahead of rivals rated 12lbs, 6lbs and 16lbs respectively. He was only four lengths behind the 115 rated Sunway, and shaped as if he’d come on for that run.
I thought he was a massive eye-catcher at Ascot last time out in the G3 Sagaro Stakes, in what was something of a slowly run affair. He was held up and never really put into the contest, but he stayed on well (clocked second quickest final furlong) to suggest this extra distance will suit, and he brings as much potential for handicaps over this distance than most.
5:35 Ascot – Wolferton Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) – Passion And Glory 33/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
Despite a dwindling string of thoroughbreds, Saeed Bin Suroor’s Royal Ascot runners always have to be feared, as documented by Wild Tiger giving him 39th winner at the Royal meeting when winning the Royal Hunt Cup last term.
He won the Wolferton Stakes with a similar type in Dubai Future in 2022, and PASSION AND GLORY is his sole runner on the card here on Tuesday. The Cape Cross gelding is getting on now at the age of nine, but he’s still capable of strong form having finished a two length second to 8/13F Silver Knott in a Meydan G2 in March, and he followed that effort up with a 40/1 three length fourth in a similar contest next time out.
His course form catches the eye given he’s 2-2 here including once over C&D, and his latest success came here last July when an impressive winner off top-weight in a 0-105 handicap, posting an RPR just a pound shy of his best. His better form generally comes around this time of year, with his form figures reading 2311111631 between the months of June-August, and the booking of Rossa Ryan catches the eye as it’s his first ride for the yard, though he’s 4-17 for Godolphin overall.
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