Another delicious lunch, another day of near misses, this time followed by a dinner with a brace of Norwegian Colonels. The attrition rate on my liver must stop soon.
After today, I think I might take a week off and will maybe post a few tips by email if so inspired.
Saturday 24th June
14:30 Chesham Stks (Listed) (2yo, C1, 7f, 17 run)
GOLDEN MIND 3pts e/w (4 places most places)
3:05 Jersey Stakes (G3) Cl1 (3yo) 7f ITV15 run
OLVIA MARALDA 4 ptys Win – THUNDERBEAR 2 pts e/w
15:40 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stks (G1) (British Champions Series) (4yo+, C1, 6f, 16 run)
Australian raider ARTORIUS was 3rd in this last year – but it was a third that was full of trouble in-running. His astonishing drive through the pack for his podium finish was something to behold. Hong Kong-based WELLINGTON is something of an unknown quantity because I have no handle on Sha Tin form. He won the G1 HK Sprint in December, and 11/2 seems way too small. Frankie might take this with KINROSS who likes the summer and won two G1s last year including the Champion Sprint here. The lack of a recent run would be a worry. The favourite HIGHFIELD PRINCESS landed a hat-trick of G1s, including a still-memorable victory over The Platinum Queen at York last summer conceding 24 lbs! ART POWER is 0/9 in G1s – and only one of those a podium finish – so I’m ignoring it. THE ASTOLOGIST makes the trends list and gets his hood back – and is very definitely not a 50/1 with 5 places on offer and for what it is worth, there was some pub chatter about Henry Candy’s RUN TO FREEDOM who also makes my trends list. 25/1 is about right.
ARTORIUS 4 pts win – THE ASTROLOGIST 1 pt e/w
16:20 Hardwicke Stks (G2) (4yo+, C1, 1m 3f 211y, 8 run)
HUKUM is out; I don’t like FREE WIND or PYLEDRIVER and there ar only 7 runners now.
No Bet
17:00 Wokingham Stks (Heritage Hcap) (3yo+, C2, 6f, 28 run)
A Norwegian full Colonel is sitting on a plane, flying over from Oslo to have supper with Kneesup and Co, when she – yes there are female Norwegian Colonels – strikes up a conversation and discovers that the Lady beside her is a part owner of DUCA DI COMO, who has never been to Royal Ascot before and who astonishingly had never heard of Raceweb or myself! Good enough reason to back it says I. Other runners with perhaps more of a chance are FRESH, who comes from James Fanshawe’s yard, which has a phenomenal strike rate for podium finishes. The horse was 2nd in 2021, 9th in 2022 and is now 1lb less than his last winning mark. I also fancy KHANJAR, LETHAL LEVI and FIRST FOLIO on the trends front. The winner has been named – surely?
KHANJAR 3 pts win – DUCA DI COMO 1½ pts e/w – FRESH 2 pts e/w – LETHAL LEVI 3 pts e.w – The five above in 20 x ¼ pts CFC
17:35 Golden Gates Stks Hcap (3yo, C2, 1m 1f 212y, 16 run)
KNOCKBREX 4 pts Win – LAAFI 2 pts e/w
18:10 Queen Alexandra Stks Conditions Race (4yo+, C2, 2m 5f 143y, 10 run)
I fancy another go at THE GRAND VISIR, who ran on Tuesday and in the last two years has been 2nd and 3rd. Otherwise, you simply can’t ignore Mullins.
STRATUM 3 pts Win – THE GRAND VISIR 2 pts e/w