If we can grab a couple of wins on day four of the Royal meeting we’ll be doing very well as value for money is very much the forte of Friday’s action.
Runners for Charlie Appleby and Tim Easterby are overpriced in the opening races while speedy types for Clive Cox and Mark Johnston look to have great each-way chances later in the day as we reach a Group 1 crescendo.
Complementing the 8/1 win (well backed) of Expert Eye is the order of the day and whatever happens we can have some fun in what are some very competitive betting markets.
Embed from Getty Images2.30 Ascot (Albany Stakes – Group 3) – LA PELOSA
We need to take somewhat of a leap of faith here with this horse, but then that would be the case with almost any filly you choose in this race as we know so little about them at this stage of their respective careers with most having only their second or third racecourse starts.
Charlie Appleby’s runner made a very taking debut at Kempton 30 days ago and whatever tool you use to rate performances; times, sectionals, published ratings etc, you can almost always upgrade them from the all-weather tracks as so often the races are not given enough credit.
She dominated from the front that day and while for some that means having the run of the race and therefore being in her comfort zone, in fact to completely control a race on debut usually points to serious talent and her being bustled along by a field of much better horses can bring about serious improvement.
There is plenty to come from this daughter of Dandy Man who already stays the six furlongs well and she may be good enough to see off Fairyland and Main Edition underneath top pilot William Buick.
3.05 Ascot (King Edward VII Stakes – Group 2) – WELLS FARHH GO
We’ve known for a good while now that Tim Easterby has a very classy type on his hands in the shape of Wells Farhh Go and it may now be time for him to show the world just how good he is.
His price in the market going into this week has not reflected his talent overall, more it represents his underwhelming run behind Roaring Lion in the Dante in May and he has wisely been put away and prepared for this rather than having been given an engagement in the Derby at Epsom.
His eye catching debut and good win in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes, both at York, are much more reliable pointers as to how good he is and he may well improve significantly now stepped up in trip to a mile-and-a-half.
He’ll get a really good tow going into the closing stages of this race and may be good enough to overhaul the likes of Delano Roosevelt and Old Persian who represent bigger connections and who are feared most of all.
3.40 Ascot (Commonwealth Cup – Group 1) – HEARTACHE (each-way)
Last year’s impressive Queen Mary winning filly was disappointing on her seasonal debut for Clive Cox at Haydock Park but she is bound to bounce back at some point and if doing so at the scene of her most visually devastating performance then she holds a genuine winning chance.
The fact that she is priced up at around the 20/1 mark gives us a chance to back each-way and add some insurance to our selection, though the fact she is running on genuinely fast ground means there will be plenty of confidence behind her for sure.
She was simply brilliant on debut at Bath last season on firm ground before winning the Queen Mary here, and despite improving slightly to score in the Group 2 Flying Childers later in the season she has not since had her ground and it makes such a big difference to her.
Aidan O’Brien’s Sioux Nation is bound to put up a bold show while the unexposed Equilateral could be anything at this stage and could come out of the pack to announce himself as a genuine Group 1 prospect over this trip. For now though, the filly deserves another chance.
4.20 Ascot (Coronation Stakes – Group 1) – THREADING (each-way)
Genuine each-way opportunities appear to be like buses at Royal Ascot! Hot on the heels of our Heartache punt, we can do something similar at big prices at the time of writing regarding Mark Johnston’s filly Threading who came back to form with a bang last time out in winning a Listed race at York by 7 lengths.
Overall form is hard to compare in a race featuring a Group 1 winner at 2 (Clemmie) and the winners of the English, Irish and French 1000 Guineas however a peek at what they all achieved in their first couple of runs marks Threading out as a horse who could still prove to be a class above these in time.
She has speed but sees out this trip well and may well be afforded the chance to hit the front early in a “catch me if you can” sort of tactic, hence the each-way tip at the likely price given that she may or may not be collared late in the affair by horses staying on.
The aforementioned Clemmie is the solid one who has form at this meeting, while the unexposed types Aim Of Artemis and especially Veracious may yet improve past the Group 1 winners in the field and go on to big things in the fillies’ mile division.
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