Neil Morrice takes a look at some dark horses who could impress at the Royal Ascot. Featured here are COWARDOFTHECOUNTY, ARRAN and TWILIGHT CALLS and more.
ROYAL ASCOT DARK HORSES
COWARDOFTHECOUNTY and ARRAN (Coventry Stakes, June 18th)
With the first three home returned 80-1, 40-1 and 50-1 this proved a graveyard for punters, and if the race was run six times you would probably produce six different winners. Two to take out of it are COWARDOFTHECOUNTY and ARRAN, the former because he missed the break, had to be switched and was doing all his best work at the finish on only a second career start. With Arran, he looked to be travelling kindly on the stands side only to stop as if shot which tells me he has a problem. He had worked well before the race, and is one that can bounce back at a price if he goes to the Newmarket July meeting.
TWILIGHT CALLS (King Charles III Stakes, June 18th)
TWILIGHT CALLS was another to suffer from a slow start, and ran much better than his eventual finishing position of 7th indicates. Admittedly he’s not the easiest of rides, and needs everything to go right, but looking ahead he can prove a force in races like the King George Stakes at Goodwood.
MISS RASCAL (Queen Mary Stakes, June 19th)
MISS RASCAL was the Cole stable’s best chance of a winner at the meeting but after blinking when the gates opened was always operating on the back foot with a mountain to climb. She ran on to claim fifth place beaten under four lengths, but would have been in her element if able to serve it up from the front, as she’d done on her previous visit to this course. Next port of call could be the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood.
METAL MERCHANT (Royal Hunt Cup, June 19th)
A draw under double figures frequently spelt trouble for horses racing on the straight track. One example is METAL MERCHANT, who had to tack across as the groups merged, and after looking to be hard on the steel was unable to sustain his finishing run through the final furlong. Had he been berthed on the stands side he would have finished in the first four, as his Newbury Spring Cup conqueror Sonny Liston finished an honourable second from a high draw. There are options for this strong traveller, which include the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket and the Gold Mile at Goodwood.
KING’S GAMBIT (Hampton Court Stakes, June 20th)
KING’S GAMBIT will go down as one that saved the book a massive payout. Sent off at 2-1 for this Group 3, he had virtually the entire field in front of him turning into the short home straight and after edging left picked up so strongly that he was just three-quarters of a length adrift of the winner Jayarbe at the line. On this showing, he will have no trouble stepping up in trip, though there are possibly more options open to him over a mile and a quarter.
FRESH (Buckingham Palace Handicap, June 20th)
By missing the break and being hampered when trying to get a run-through, FRESH was one that should have done better, and remains a well treated horse who can be placed to win a big pot. The obvious race for him is next month’s Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.
MIDDLE EARTH (Hardwicke Stakes, June 22nd)
Yet another to get behind early was MIDDLE EARTH, who I would fancy to give the two that beat him a lot more to do should they engage in a rematch later in the summer. That moment could happen in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes over this course and distance next month, for which Middle Earth needs to be taken very seriously. He was never nearer than at the finish, and is the type John Gosden has excelled with over the years.
