Fourteen races down, another 21 still to go at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting. Take a few deep breaths, keep calm, remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and let’s continue. Thursday, day 3, is Ladies’ Day and we can expect the glamour stakes to be at it’s most competitive.
Day 2 was slightly better for favourite backers than the opening day, with Illinois, Auguste Rodin and Wild Tiger all landing the spoils. Will Thursday be a punter’s paradise or a bookie’s bonanza? Aidan O’Brien’s Kyprios searches for further Gold Cup glory in the feature contest. Check out all the stats and trends for Day 3 of Royal Ascot.
Embed from Getty ImagesNorfolk Stakes (14:30)
Like Wednesday, we kick off the day 3 Royal Ascot card with a 2-year-old contest over the flying 5 furlongs. None of the favourites in the three 2-year-old events at this week’s Royal meeting have even placed as yet, so you’ll have to be brave to put your faith in Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket.
Vital trends and stats
No winning favourite since 2008
Last run within the last 34 days
Had a RPR of 105+
Won their previous race
Runners from stalls 2 or 4 (or both) finished in top-4 in last 8 editions on good-to-firm going
Arizona Blaze passes the stats test. Adrian Murray’s colt has raced solely at the Curragh to date and is looking to reverse placings with Whistlejacket, who he finished second to in a listed contest at the start of May. For those who keep an eye on the draw, Tropical Storm and Shareholder come out of Stalls 2 & 4, respectively.
Embed from Getty ImagesKing George V Stakes (15:05)
Next up, a handicap for 3-year-olds. It gave us a Royal winner at the Royal meeting last year, with Willie Haggas’ Desert Hero grabbing glory for their Majesties. Regal fans will be hoping for more of the same with the Haggas/Marquand combo teaming up again with Gilded Water.
Vital trends and stats
Rating between 88 and 94
Between 2 and 4 previous runs that season
Placed last time out
Didn’t have previous win over 12 furlongs
Last run within the last 40 days
Gilded Water and Poniros are both left standing. A slight worry with Gilded Water, the HM The King & HM The Queen’s horse, is that favourites have a poor record in the race, and it’s likely that he will go off jolly. Poniros is one of three running for Ralph Beckett and looks a progressive sort. For the breeding buffs out there, we’ve had two Sea The Stars progeny winning during the opening two days, and another of his, French Duke, runs here.
Ribblesdale Stakes (15:45)
We’re back over the 11-furlongs-plus trip for the third race, too, and it’s a bunch of 3-year-old fillies who play a starring role this time—three from the Epsom Oaks line-up feature. The 4th, You Got To Me, the 7th, Forest Fairy and Rubies Are Red who finished 9th.
Vital trends and stats
Placed in their previous race
Had won over 1m2f or further before
Rated 94 or higher
Hadn’t run at Ascot previously
At least 3 previous flat runs
Danielle, Kalpana & Port Fairy all make the cut. I’m a bit put off by Danielle’s performance in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield, so it’s Kalpana or Port Fairy for me. Both were impressed when they were runners-up in their latest outing, but my preference is for Aidan O’Brien’s Port Fairy, especially with the Ballydoyle runners coming to the boil nicely.
Embed from Getty ImagesAscot Gold Cup (16:25)
It’s a day for long-distance flat fans—two back-to-back 11/12 furlong races, and now, for day 3, it features over almost 20 furlongs. The Gold Cup is the most prestigious staying event on the flat racing calendar. We’ve fallen in love with a couple of multiple-winners of the marathon contest recently, Yeats and Stradivarius. This time, the only previous winner in the line-up is Kyprios, who landed the prize two years ago.
Vital trends and stats
Aged 6 or younger
Won on their last run before Ascot
Last run within 50 days
Returned 7/1 or shorter in the betting
Kyprios stands alone, and Aidan O’Brien’s 6-year-old star could join the long list of former Gold Cup winners who have returned and recaptured the staying crown. He’s finished 1st or 2nd in his last 10 starts, a run of form that included a flawless 2022 campaign during which he claimed the Gold Cup here. Sweet William, a son of Sea The Stars and from the in-form Gosden yard, could be worth a shout for the each-way merchants.
Britannia Stakes (17:05)
We shift focus back to the 3-year-olds and the first handicap of the day. The 6/1 favourite, Docklands, won last year’s renewal. The jollies have performed well, too, in the three previous handicaps over the 1-mile straight course this week at Royal Ascot. Finishing 1st, 1st and 2nd.
Vital trends and stats
At least 1 previous run over 8 furlongs
A double-figure stall
Carried 9st 2lbs or less
Placed last time out
No more than 3 previous runs that season
Some huge fields are still in contention: Watcha Matey, Arctic Thunder, Skukuza, Native Warrior, The Camden Colt, Monkey Island & Lautrec. I’m expecting a good run from Hugo Palmer’s Watcha Matey. Stalls 18 and 19 have performed well in recent Britannia editions, and stall 20, which Watcha Matey runs from, has had two runners placed in earlier 1-mile big field contests this week. He has produced two eye-catching wins this term, and hopefully, the handicapper hasn’t caught up with him just yet. Of the others, Lautrec and Native Warrior must be worthy of respect, and Gosdens and Karl Burke are both buzzing.
Embed from Getty ImagesHampton Court Stakes (17:40)
There’s not been a double-priced winner of this 3-year-old Group 3 contest since Hughie Morrison’s Pisco Sour in 2011. So we can expect the market front-runners to boss the show over the 10 furlongs.
Vital trends and stats
Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting
A rating of 103 or higher
At least 2 previous runs that season
First Look and Bracken’s Laugh remain in the mix. Andre Fabre’s First Look has produced memorable performances on French soil, particularly this term. The son of Lope De Vega finished second in the French Derby (Prix du Jockey Club) in his latest start at the beginning of June. He may have the fitness edge over Bracken’s Laugh, who we last saw in action at Chester at the beginning of May, when second in the Dee Stakes.
Buckingham Palace Handicap (18:15)
We’re back on the handicap trail for the 7th and last race on Ladies’ Day. You are truly blessed if you pick the winner of the lucky last. But here we go anyway, you’ve got to be in it to win it !!! The race was first run in 2002 when the Royal meeting was extended to 5 days because of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. It wasn’t run for 5 years (2015-2019), but returned to the schedule in 2020 and has been won by 4-year-olds since being revived.
Vital trends and stats
Only 14% of top-4 spots filled by single-figure stalls in the last 7 editions on good-to-firm going
At least 1 previous run at Ascot
Aged 4
Priced 12/1 or bigger
At least 10 previous flat runs
At least 2 runs that season
The following have survived the stating cull: Finn’s Charm, Dark Thirty, The X O, Billyjoh and Mustajaab. The X O (stall 27) and Billyjoh (stall 19) are the highest drawn and are probably worth an each-way dabble. Rossa Ryan and Hollie Doyle are on board, respectively, so you’re guaranteed at least top-quality rides.
This week, all Royal Ascots are being screened live on ITV/ITV4 and Sky Sports Racing. Check all the latest prices here.
Royal Ascot Preview – Day 1 Stats & Trends
Windsor Races Preview – Monday, June 17th
Windsor Races Preview – Monday, June 10th
Yorkshire Cup Preview – King Of The Knavesmire
Windsor Races Preview – Monday, May 13th
Chester Cup Preview – Who Will Be The Roodee Shrewdie?
Image Credit: Deposit Photos