Neil Morrice brings us of his best bets from Friday’s racing at Royal Ascot including an in-depth preview of the Group 1 Coronation Stakes.
Royal Ascot Day 4
The Coronation Stakes is the new highlight of Royal Ascot’s fourth day and what an appropriate leading lady for this Group 1 than HERMOSA?
Aidan O’Brien’s upwardly mobile filly will start an automatic favourite on the back of her two impressive Classic triumphs in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish equivalent at the Curragh.
Indeed, in a week where short priced market leaders are harder to find than is normally the case, HERMOSA is considered by most professionals to be the banker of the week.
She was switched to this from the Prix de Diane and will bid to join Attraction and Winter in adding the race to the 1,000 ‘double’.
Sir Michael Stoute opened his account for the week courtesy of Crystal Ocean in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and he might see things differently as he raises the crossbar for his Frankel filly JUBILOSO, a visibly stunning winner of a Newbury maiden who could be anything.
One of the newest races at the meeting is the Commonwealth Cup, a three-year-olds only spring that carried Group 1 status. Three horses have dominated ante-post exchanges, with Coolmore’s TEN SOVEREIGNS at the forefront of the list.
Last year’s Middle Park Stakes winner had his suspect stamina put to the test in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket where he lost two places inside the final furlong to finish fifth, showing the mike to be a bridge too far.
It was a performance with ‘Commonwealth Cup’ written all over it as Ten Sovereigns instantly became a leading protagonist for that race.
While the North hasn’t had much to shout about so far, HELLO YOUMZAIN could change things as he makes the journey from Yorkshire as one of that county’s best chances of the week. Kevin Ryan’s charge proved more than a match for the much-vaunted Calyx at Haydock and now has to prove that was no fluke.
JASH represents owner Sheikh Hamdan in a bid to turn round Middle Park placings with Ten Sovereigns. The colt had to dig deep to score on his reappearance for Simon Crisford on the Rowley Course.
The Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes has cut up so that JAPAN will be a tempting option for punters trying to get out of trouble. The colt is the first to try to bolster the Investec Derby form, having finished a creditable third behind stablemate Anthony Van Dyck at Epsom. Aidan O’Brien has won the contest, known as ‘The Ascot Derby’, only once before but has an outstanding chance of doubling that figure.
The opening Albany Stakes features the best six-furlong juvenile fillies in Britain but the best of them might struggle to contend with American Challenger NAYIBETH, a Keeneland dirt winner who looks every inch a Wesley Ward special.
The Coronation Stakes Preview
As the weather improves it does so to coincide with the best race for distaffers of the week, one that the vast majority of form book students confidently believe will fall into the lap of HERMOSA, winner already if the 1,000 Guineas and the Irish 1,000 Guineas for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
There’s a no-nonsense quality to HERMOSA, who topped up her stirring triumph at Newmarket with a pillar to post success at the Curragh where she beat the reopposing PRETTY POLLYANNA four lengths. Ryan Moore didn’t pick her as his mount on the Rowley Course and that jockey must now trust in his judgement as he stays with her rather than partnering the talented JUBILOSO.
This daughter of Frankel has the wow factor about her, having looked very special on her latest of two triumphs when dotting up by seven lengths in a Newbury maiden that’s worked out well enough. This is a massive step up for her, with New Zealander James McDonald a very eye-catching booking for the mount.
Further Classic form is put to the test by the unbeaten CASTLE LADY, who completed a hat-trick when short-heading Commes in the Pouliches at Paris-Longchamp. Henri Pantall’s filly is hard to weigh up, but the form was upheld when Commes ran into, the money in last week’s French Oaks.
On the book it has to be most unlikely that PRETTY POLLYANNA can turn round the Curragh form with the favourite, a remark that applies to seventh home JUST WONDERFUL.
A more realistic roughie is HAPPEN, who showed gritty determination to land a Group 2 over seven furlongs here, looking in the process like a filly that wants to go further.
Neil Morrice’s Predicted Finish
1st HERMOSA
2nd Jubiloso
3rd Castle Lady
4th Happen
5th Pretty Pollyanna
Royal Ascot Day 4 Best Bets
Race 2: JAPAN (5)
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Jockey: Ryan Moore
In a King Edward VII Stakes that has cut up favourably for him, JAPAN can give a first boost to the Investec Derby form. His half-length defeat by Anthony Van Dyck at Epsom looked rock solid and it’s doubtful he meets anything of the calibre of his stablemate in the seven colts that take him on here. He’s been heavily backed in the ante-post book and could even stray to a shade of odds on if the connections decide to play.
Race 5: MODERN MILLIE (6) (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Channon
Jockey: Ronan Whelan
The evidence of the form book doesn’t augur well for MODERN MILLIE whose been well held in each of her three outings this season. However, she has bloomed in the days since her latest offering at Epsom and can be seen in a different light now going down the handicap route. Her trainer is a dab hand at extracting the best out of the material at his disposal.
Race 6: CORGI (16) (Nap)
Trainer: H Morrison
Jockey: Jim Crowley
Third in the King George V Handicap here 12 months ago, CORGI has had this Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes on his radar ever since and is his astute trainer’s only runner of the week. He warmed up for the contest with a pleasing effort behind First Eleven at York but has subsequently had to shake off an injury scare as he suffered a bruised foot. The albeit minor hiccup has been dealt with and I’m hoping for a big run from a horse that is definitely one to follow, whatever happens today.
