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It has been an absolutely electric week of Royal Ascot action and the races will continue to come thick and fast over the next two days. There is a lot to like about the Friday card at Royal Ascot and you can bank on plenty of high-priced selections being able to make a real move on the impressive card that awaits worldwide punters in this most prestigious of flat meetings.
Up to this point we have already seen some amazing scenes and, despite the absence of American sensation California Chrome from the Prince of Wales on...
American trainer Wesley Ward boasts Acapulco, one of his most widely-vaunted contenders for the entire meeting. She lines up at a very solid 6/1 price tag and boasts some very high-end connections considering the Tabor colours.
She failed in her first attempt at Churchill Downs in a relatively short race with Robby Albarado up. Now she switched over to the turf and could be set to make a real statement here after the first race appeared to be a bit of a glorified workout for the daughter of Scat Daddy.
The 3:40 is the Duke of Cambridge Stakes and we have a pretty strong favourite here with the likes of Integral, coming out of Sir Michael Stoute’s yard, looming large as a real player here. The five-year-old mare has been...
This is the only time he has ever been sent off at over even money so there might be a few punters here who think he’s got what it takes to genuinely get the job done here for the Smith/Magnier/Tabor triumverate.
American contender Luck Of The Kitten will be lining up for Ascot specialist Wesley Ward as the homebred by Ken & Sarah Ramsey looks to get himself back on track and poised for a big performance here. He hasn’t won since taking a 2yo allowance race last year at Santa Anita and it should also be noted that he finished second to the extremely talented Hootenanny in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
The heavy favourite though appears to be Ivawood who will get Richard Hughes in the irons once again. He...
Wednesday’s action at Royal Ascot looks to have taken a very interesting and unfortunate turn as the news was announced on Monday that American superstar California Chrome would miss the Wednesday feature race - the St James Palace Stakes - after his connections discovered a foot abscess. While he was certainly not considered an outright favourite for the race in any jurisdiction, many were eagerly anticipating getting a look at the blue collar American champion from last year.
It appears as though the damage is not going to be long-term and the horse will be ready to race again soon. However it looks like this time his racing will be stateside with many considering the Arlington Million to be his next most likely destination in the 2015 season....
There is so much action and excitement set to unfold this year at the widely-anticipated Royal Ascot meeting that you will be hard-pressed to find racing fans who don’t have a few opinions lined up for this one. It’s really the biggest five days in flat racing and you can bank on some big prices unfolding - particularly in the big handicap contests that always seem to deliver a few massive shockers.
She is relatively heavily-raced when compared to some others in the mix here. She opened up her 2015 flat season with a disappointing fourth from eight in a Group 3 contest at Leopardstown but then romped home by nearly four lengths next up in a listed race at Gowran Park.
There 2015 Investec Oaks is set to run this Friday and the betting markets are getting pretty interesting as we get closer to the final declaration stage. This one looks a bit more open than the Derby itself, which of course runs the following day, and you can bank on some interesting movement in the odds here as we enjoy the build-up to the Oaks since there are more than a few potential winners that are in the mix here.
Another one to keep your eyes on as we get closer to the Epsom Derby is the Sheikh Hamdan-owned Zawraq who enters off a single prep race this season - a winning effort in a listed contest at Leopardstown in the 2000 Guineas Trial Stakes. The son of Shamardal is out of a Sadler’s Wells mare and looms as an interesting contender here though the price may be short for those who are looking for a horse has already won some good contests and beaten rivals at the top level.
Now that we are only a single week out from the 2015 Investec Derby, the ante post market is really starting to heat up as punters jockey for position to find the best value ahead of the second Classic of the English flat season. Gleneagles gave punters a day to remember as he romped home at Newmarket in the 2000 Guineas when the betting public sent him out of the gate as the significant favourite.
Madefromlucky is enjoying some popularity from the punters searching for an outside bet while the bookmakers have him priced anywhere from 16/1 to 20/1. He is a credible runner who belongs in this field and just might have something to say about the potential Triple Crown winner. With the right type of ride, he could be a force to be reckoned with and deserves a shot at greatness.
Carpe Diem is another Todd Pletcher trainee and he’s in the mix here as well with a price hovering around the 20/1 margin but he can be found as low as 14/1 and as high as 25/1 depending on whom you...
