Neil Morrice brings us his best bets and tips for Day 5 of the Royal Ascot festival.
Race 1 CHESHAM STAKES (Listed)
No3 NEW SCIENCE
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: William Buick
NEW SCIENCE looked one of the best juveniles seen in England this year when landing some good bets on debut at Yarmouth, and the son of Lope De Vega must be respected as hopefully the best of four first time out winners in the field. His main market rival POINT LONSDALE was similarly impressive in coming home unextended on his own introduction at the Curragh, and bids to give Aidan O’Brien a belated first juvenile scorer of the week. MASEKELA won well at Goodwood and is proven in these testing conditions, while if it became a war of attrition, RADIO CAROLINE could run above her price and get into the money.
Prediction: 1st NEW SCIENCE, 2nd Point Lonsdale, 3rd Radio Caroline
Race 2 JERSEY STAKES (Group 3)
No13 RHYTHM MASTER (Each Way)
Trainer: Richard Fahey – Jockey: PJ McDonald
Making a first appearance since finishing sixth to Chindit in the Greenham, RHYTHM MASTER could prove the joker in the pack at a price. The Dark Angel colt finished third to Campanelle in the Prix Morny last summer as well as finishing second in a Group 2 at Newbury, and has a definite preference for getting his toe in. He didn’t enjoy the best preparation for that comeback assignment when the ground was too quick, and has been freshened up by a trainer amongst the winners this week.
Tactical returns to the scene of his Windsor Castle Stakes success last year, and on latest evidence is closely matched with NAVAL CROWN who he beat by a neck in a Listed handicap at Newmarket in April. However, the last-named horse then raised his game to finish fourth to Poetic Flare in the 2,000 Guineas. There shouldn’t be much between them on the book.
Prediction: 1st RHYTHM MASTER, 2nd Tactical, 3rd Naval Crown
Race 3 HARDWICKE STAKES (Group 2)
No2 BROOME (Nap)
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
Aidan O’Brien throws the kitchen sink at this with four runners, of whom a rejuvenated BROOME can prove top dog. The Australia entire lost his way after finishing fourth in the Derby two years ago but has come back to fulfil much of the high hopes held for him with a Listed, Group 3 and Group 2 success followed by a short-head defeat to Helvic Dream in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. The giant HUKUM landed the King George V Handicap here 12 months ago and went on to finish a creditable fifth in the St Leger. He made quite hard work of beating handicapper On To Victory in a Listed race at Goodwood in his final warm-up for this, but with only seven races under his belt still has scope for progression. After impressive wins at Nottingham and Newmarket SIR RON PREISTLEY’s halo slipped a shade when he could finish only third to Spanish Mission in the Yorkshire Cup. However, that form was boosted when the winner finished third to Subjectivist in Thursday’s Gold Cup.
Prediction: 1st BROOME, 2nd Hukum, 3rd Sir Ron Priestley
Race 4 DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES (Group 1)
No10 STARMAN
Trainer: Ed Walker – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Still unexposed and a game winner of the Duke Of York Stakes last month, STARMAN should have plenty more to offer back in a Group 1. He flopped in soft ground in the big sprint here on Champions Day last October, but there was cut in the ground for his York triumph, and he appeared to love it. ART POWER easily took out a handicap at the corresponding meeting in 2020, but failed to build on that at Group level and was over five lengths adrift of Starman in the Duke Of York. Tim Easterby is adamant the grey has improved for that comeback effort, and can get into the shake-up. DREAM OF DREAMS loves the soft as he demonstrated by landing the Haydock Sprint Cup last September, and it was again soft when he outclassed his foes on reappearance in a Listed race at Windsor. Given his liking for the conditions, he should again get into the money.
Prediction: 1st STARMAN, 2nd Art Power, 3rd Dream Od Dreams
Race 5 WOKINGHAM HERITAGE HANDICAP
No22 BARBILL (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: John Egan
A horse that has to have easy underfoot conditions, BARBILL could be overpriced as a 33-1 shot for the big betting extravaganza of the day. He hasn’t had the rub of the green since his latest win at Chester last August and is better than he’s shown in three 2021 outings. EDRAAK has won three from five this year, showing a marked preference for Windsor. A former Shadwell horse, he has room for progression on what is only the five-year-Old’s twelfth career start. Another to have spent time on the sidelines is PENDLETON, but since returning from well over a year off he’s looked as good as ever, being beaten an inch at this course and going one better returned to the minimum trip at York. KING’S LYNN would be a hugely popular winner for The Queen, having run with credit behind Oxted in the King’s Stand on Tuesday.
Prediction: 1st BARBILL, 2nd Edraak, 3rd Pendleton, 4th King’s Lynn
Race 6 GOLDEN GATES HANDICAP
No6 ALFAADHEL
Trainer: Roger Varian – Jockey: Jim Crowley
Most of the leading fancied for this new race are lightly-raced, and in the case of ALFAADHEL he’s going to post on the back of successive triumphs at Chester and Lingfield. The Night Of Thunder colt has abundant scope for improvement and can take the spoils at the main expense of DINGLE, who is most interesting coming here off a two-month freshening break. His poor run at Sandown last time came too soon after a very encouraging first run back at Newbury and is best forgotten. He is a must for all exotics. FANTASTIC FOX is a Frankel colt that is bred to enjoy easy conditions and worth a market check, with another son of the great champion, KING FRANKEL, who can play the experience card and also be involved.
Prediction: 1st ALFAADHEL, 2nd Dingle, 3rd Fantastic Fox, 4th King Frankel
Race 7 QUEEN ALEXANDRA STAKES
No12 MORANDO
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Silvestre De Sousa
This could end up being a war of attrition that MORANDO can win. In as big a field as we’ve had for the finale in recent years, the grey can return to the level of form that saw him smoothly take out the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes here two years ago. He ran a cracker against Hukum at Goodwood last month, and looks sure to play a leading part. FALCON EIGHT looked better than ever when landing the Chester Cup and has a good chance of getting the strong pace that’s so important to him. Countryman STRATUM needs to recapture his best form, shown when landing the Cesarewitch two years ago, and is capable of doing so for top connections.
Prediction: 1st MORANDO, 2nd Falcon Eight, 3rd Stratum
