Simon Holt previews Wednesday's Royal Ascot card
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from Sporting Life:
The Group Three Jersey Stakes kicks off Wednesday's card and it looks an open contest.
The horse with the best form going back to last season is Gallagher who was second in the Richmond, Prix Morny and Mill Reef Stakes, but he lacks a recent run this season.
I don't know why he hasn't been seen, perhaps it was by design and Brian Meehan has purposely kept him fresh for this. He has a chance if he's trained on.
Godolphin are represented by Ashram and Donativum, the latter being a Breeders' Cup winner but a beaten favourite on his first run back.
Ashram was second behind Border Patrol last summer and is probably their number one contender - Frankie Dettori takes the ride.
The one horse that has caught my eye is the Barry Hills-trained runner Infiraad who has won a couple of times this season. He's shown a good attitude and he might just be the right type for this race.
The trip will suit him and it looks as though Hills has laid him out for the race as he's been off the track since the Craven meeting.
Lush Lashes stands out in the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes over the straight mile.
She has got to concede a 5lb penalty all round but she is a proven Group One horse with absolutely top-class form last season.
She was the winner of the Coronation Stakes at this meeting, an unlucky second in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood before winning the Yorkshire Oaks and the Matron Stakes.
She was third first-time out behind Casual Conquest in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, but she will come on for that run and basically she is a Group One filly running in a Group Two race.
The only one I can see giving her a race is Heaven Sent, who was second behind Sabana Perdida in this race last year.
She was probably committed a bit too early that day by Ryan Moore and got collared in the closing stages.
She won at Newmarket first time out this season and hasn't got too much ground to make up with Lush Lashes on some bits of form, notably in the Nassau where she was a close-up fourth.
Lush Lashes probably is at least 5lb better than Heaven Sent, but Sir Michael Stoute's filly would be the one to take advantage should Jim Bolger's filly run below par.
Spacious has always been capable, but was disappointing on her return at Epsom and is a risky proposition.
It has to be Lush Lashes for me.
The Prince Of Wales's Stakes is a battle between the best of the British and some very good French contenders and indeed a German-trained horse who has been running well in Italy called Estejo.
Of the French horses, Never On Sunday is a big improver who won the Prix d'Ispahan last time out on soft ground. He's progressing fast, while Vision D'etat has even better form.
He won the French Derby last season, subsequently won the Prix Niel and was fifth behind Zarkava in the Arc while he won the Prix Ganay last time out.
He's a tip-top horse and likely to be the biggest threat to the best of the British horses.
The best of the British horses would appear to be Tartan Bearer, who was second in the Derby last year, third in the Irish Derby and beat Pipedreamer in gutsy fashion in the Gordon Richards Stakes - his first run after quite a long absence.
I like his attitude, he really seems to dig in and he'll be fighting all the way. I think he can overcome the French challenge in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Virtual, winner of the Lockinge, is obviously going the right way. His best form is with cut in the ground, though, so John Gosden's team will be hoping for lots of rain.
Twice Over finished third in the Lockinge and he's another who wouldn't want it too fast.
It's Tartan Bearer for me, though, who can repel the French challenge.
The Royal Hunt Cup is hugely competitive as usual with its massive field.
Forgotten Voice is one of the most unexposed runners in the field. A winner twice on the all-weather at Kempton this season for Jeremy Noseda, who has booked the services of Johnny Murtagh.
He could be a group horse masquarading as a handicapper and if that's the case he's going to take a lot of beating. Stall one looks a little bit tricky, though, as he's at the absolute mercy of any track bias.
From stall onehe's just got to come up the stands side, but he's an interesting horse as is Roaring Forte trained by William Haggas, who is open to lots of improvement.
However I've plumped for one at a big price here. Final Verse, who since been transferred to the small yard of Taffy Salaman, has really begun to discover some of his best form.
This was a horse who was sixth in the 2000 Guineas behind George Washington as a three-year-old, and his form subsequently has been patchy at times.
However, he seems on top of his game at the moment, and ran a very good second behind Ace Of Hearts in a good handicap at Newmarket earlier this season.
He will relish the strongly-run stiff mile, and at 40/1 he's a good each-way bet, those are insulting odds.
He's drawn high and Forgotten Voice is drawn low, so the best bet is to back one from each side.
Later on, the Queen Mary Stakes features a lot of fast fillies, and Don't Tell Mary has been very impressive winning the Hilary Needler up at Beverley by four lengths for up-and-coming trainer Tom Dascombe.
The form is probably nothing special, but it was the manner of her victory, the way she came from behind that caught the eye.
Lady Royal Oak could run a big race at large odds with Ryan Moore booked by Marco Botti, she was caught close home at Nottingham first time out.
The day ends with the Sandringham Handicap and it looks quite difficult.
Barry Hills' filly Lassarina is lightly raced and this is probably a drop in class for her. She beat Super Sleuth on her first start as a two-year-old, then finished seventh in the Rockfel, and on her reappearance ran fifth in the Fred Darling Stakes.
Back into handicap company Lassarina could run well for the Hills team.
The Group Three Jersey Stakes kicks off Wednesday's card and it looks an open contest.
The horse with the best form going back to last season is Gallagher who was second in the Richmond, Prix Morny and Mill Reef Stakes, but he lacks a recent run this season.
I don't know why he hasn't been seen, perhaps it was by design and Brian Meehan has purposely kept him fresh for this. He has a chance if he's trained on.
Godolphin are represented by Ashram and Donativum, the latter being a Breeders' Cup winner but a beaten favourite on his first run back.
Ashram was second behind Border Patrol last summer and is probably their number one contender - Frankie Dettori takes the ride.
The one horse that has caught my eye is the Barry Hills-trained runner Infiraad who has won a couple of times this season. He's shown a good attitude and he might just be the right type for this race.
The trip will suit him and it looks as though Hills has laid him out for the race as he's been off the track since the Craven meeting.
Lush Lashes stands out in the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes over the straight mile.
She has got to concede a 5lb penalty all round but she is a proven Group One horse with absolutely top-class form last season.
She was the winner of the Coronation Stakes at this meeting, an unlucky second in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood before winning the Yorkshire Oaks and the Matron Stakes.
She was third first-time out behind Casual Conquest in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, but she will come on for that run and basically she is a Group One filly running in a Group Two race.
The only one I can see giving her a race is Heaven Sent, who was second behind Sabana Perdida in this race last year.
She was probably committed a bit too early that day by Ryan Moore and got collared in the closing stages.
She won at Newmarket first time out this season and hasn't got too much ground to make up with Lush Lashes on some bits of form, notably in the Nassau where she was a close-up fourth.
Lush Lashes probably is at least 5lb better than Heaven Sent, but Sir Michael Stoute's filly would be the one to take advantage should Jim Bolger's filly run below par.
Spacious has always been capable, but was disappointing on her return at Epsom and is a risky proposition.
It has to be Lush Lashes for me.
The Prince Of Wales's Stakes is a battle between the best of the British and some very good French contenders and indeed a German-trained horse who has been running well in Italy called Estejo.
Of the French horses, Never On Sunday is a big improver who won the Prix d'Ispahan last time out on soft ground. He's progressing fast, while Vision D'etat has even better form.
He won the French Derby last season, subsequently won the Prix Niel and was fifth behind Zarkava in the Arc while he won the Prix Ganay last time out.
He's a tip-top horse and likely to be the biggest threat to the best of the British horses.
The best of the British horses would appear to be Tartan Bearer, who was second in the Derby last year, third in the Irish Derby and beat Pipedreamer in gutsy fashion in the Gordon Richards Stakes - his first run after quite a long absence.
I like his attitude, he really seems to dig in and he'll be fighting all the way. I think he can overcome the French challenge in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Virtual, winner of the Lockinge, is obviously going the right way. His best form is with cut in the ground, though, so John Gosden's team will be hoping for lots of rain.
Twice Over finished third in the Lockinge and he's another who wouldn't want it too fast.
It's Tartan Bearer for me, though, who can repel the French challenge.
The Royal Hunt Cup is hugely competitive as usual with its massive field.
Forgotten Voice is one of the most unexposed runners in the field. A winner twice on the all-weather at Kempton this season for Jeremy Noseda, who has booked the services of Johnny Murtagh.
He could be a group horse masquarading as a handicapper and if that's the case he's going to take a lot of beating. Stall one looks a little bit tricky, though, as he's at the absolute mercy of any track bias.
From stall onehe's just got to come up the stands side, but he's an interesting horse as is Roaring Forte trained by William Haggas, who is open to lots of improvement.
However I've plumped for one at a big price here. Final Verse, who since been transferred to the small yard of Taffy Salaman, has really begun to discover some of his best form.
This was a horse who was sixth in the 2000 Guineas behind George Washington as a three-year-old, and his form subsequently has been patchy at times.
However, he seems on top of his game at the moment, and ran a very good second behind Ace Of Hearts in a good handicap at Newmarket earlier this season.
He will relish the strongly-run stiff mile, and at 40/1 he's a good each-way bet, those are insulting odds.
He's drawn high and Forgotten Voice is drawn low, so the best bet is to back one from each side.
Later on, the Queen Mary Stakes features a lot of fast fillies, and Don't Tell Mary has been very impressive winning the Hilary Needler up at Beverley by four lengths for up-and-coming trainer Tom Dascombe.
The form is probably nothing special, but it was the manner of her victory, the way she came from behind that caught the eye.
Lady Royal Oak could run a big race at large odds with Ryan Moore booked by Marco Botti, she was caught close home at Nottingham first time out.
The day ends with the Sandringham Handicap and it looks quite difficult.
Barry Hills' filly Lassarina is lightly raced and this is probably a drop in class for her. She beat Super Sleuth on her first start as a two-year-old, then finished seventh in the Rockfel, and on her reappearance ran fifth in the Fred Darling Stakes.
Back into handicap company Lassarina could run well for the Hills team.