Royal Ascot – but not as we know it
For Royal Ascot aficionados, there is a rhyme and reason to one of the world’s great racing festivals. At least, that’s the case nearly every year.
In 2020, like with so many other things, the handbook needs to be thrown out the window, the traditions left at the door. For the first time in her extraordinary 68-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II will not be at the track to witness Royal Ascot, instead monitoring closely from nearby Windsor Castle.
Is it even really the Royal meeting without her presence in the Royal Box? Trainer John Berry, the former mayor of Newmarket, wrote a convincing blog to suggest why, historically, it would be better that this year’s “Royal Ascot” was remembered as the 2020 Ascot June meeting.
For those of us watching on the other side of the planet, the pomp and circumstance of the Royal meeting is largely lost via satellite, save for betting on the colour of the Queen’s hat.
We watch the Queen’s procession, we hear the band strike up God Save The Queen, we see the top hats and tails, but for us – first and foremost – it remains five days of quality action on the track.
That is one facet that hasn’t changed, even if the paths to victory will appear quite different and the position of many of these races in the grand scheme of the Pattern is drastically altered.
The core 30 races are still there, bolstered by six handicaps, including the return of the Buckingham Palace Handicap (7f) for the first time since 2014. It will kick off a Royal Ascot like no other, with the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) losing pole position for the first time since 2007.
The cards each day will begin more than an hour earlier than usual, starting at 1.15pm local time – 10.15pm AEST – for the first four days and at 12.40pm local time – 9.40pm AEST – on Saturday.
Buckingham Palace Handicap
The return of the Buckingham Palace Handicap offers another avenue for horses that likely would have targeted either the Wokingham Handicap (6f) or the Royal Hunt Cup (1m), giving more opportunities to race at a time when options are limited.
In a wide-open race, don’t be surprised to see the Kevin Frost-trained Documenting (Zamindar) perform strongly. His turf form is well below what he’s achieved on synthetic surfaces, but there are hints of good efforts there, including a second in a novice event behind Hong Kong Group 1 placegetter Ka Ying Star (Cityscape).
Other leading chances are Cliffs Of Capri (Canford Cliffs), who steps out for the Melbourne 10 Racing collective – a group of owners who now buy horses together to celebrate their trip around the world for Ian Barratt’s 40th birthday in 2015 – and the progressive Shadwell four-year-olds Daarik (Tamayuz), Motakhayyel (Heeraat) and Mutamaasik (Dubawi).
Queen Anne Stakes
The Queen Anne Stakes may not be the opener, but it is still the first of the features, coming up as the second.
Last season’s St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner Circus Maximus (Galileo) returns on the same day a year later trying to beat the older horses. Take just his form at a mile alone and he is clearly deserving of respect, but it’s far from a fait accompli that he wins here and there does appear to be better value away from him.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Mustashry (Tamayuz) started right in the market here last year after scoring an easy win in the Lockinge Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) but finished three and a half lengths from Lord Glitters (Whipper) in seventh. He is a winner over the mile here at Ascot but he does appear more effective on a flatter track. Still, he looks a big price and he’s capable of bouncing back this year.
Top fillies Terebellum (Sea The Stars) and Billesdon Brook (Champs Elysees) also appear capable of defeating the favourite, while there is also Australian interest in the Queen Anne.
French raider Plumatic (Dubawi) is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and raced officially by Gerry Ryan in his green, blue and white silks. Also in the ownership group are Ozzie Kheir and Brae Sokolski, among a host of other notable Australian racing identities.
Plumatic, formerly owned by the Wertheimer brothers, has only raced three times since October, 2017. However, he is coming in off a strong second in the Prix Bertrand du Breuil (Gr 3, 1600m) at Chantilly first-up.
The six-year-old will be ridden by Oisin Murphy and will likely be seen in Australia during the spring.
“All connections will reassess after Royal Ascot, and if all looks promising, Plumatic will travel over to Australia for the Spring Carnival and potentially look at a start in the Cox Plate,” Group 1 Bloodstock’s Mat Becker, who brokered the deal to purchase Plumatic, said yesterday. “As he is currently campaigning over a mile, he will need to be in good enough form, and ready to step up to the 2040m, but it’s exciting times ahead.”
Ribblesdale Stakes
The Ribblesdale Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) is normally run as a stepping stone between the Epsom Oaks (Gr 1, 1m 4f) and the Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m 4f), but this year it shapes as a guide to the English Classic due to the rejig of the Pattern.
Favourite is Frankly Darling (Frankel), who looked every bit a promising middle-distance type when racing clear for a five-length success over 1m 2f upon racing’s return at Newcastle on June 1.
Trainer John Gosden, rider Frankie Dettori and owner Anthony Oppenheimer combined with Golden Horn (Cape Cross) and Cracksman (Frankel), as well as last year’s Ribblesdale winner Star Catcher (Sea The Stars), and they combine with Frankly Darling here.
However, it might also be worth keeping a close eye on Golden Horn’s daughter West End Girl, who was sold by Alan Spence through yesterday’s inaugural Tattersalls Online Sale. She sold for 410,000 gns (A$791,500) to Badgers Bloodstock, with the filly to race in the colours of Cayton Park Stud.
West End Girl ran well enough for third behind opponent Miss Yoda (Sea The Stars) in the Lingfield Oaks Trial (Listed, 1m 3.5f) first-up and should only improve for that effort.
King Edward VII Stakes
Just like the fillies’ equivalent, the King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) goes from being an Epsom Derby (1m 4f) follow-up to a Derby prep race, with Aidan O’Brien sending out two strong contenders in Mogul (Galileo) and Arthur’s Kingdom (Camelot).
Mogul, a brother to last year’s King Edward VII winner Japan and to another Royal Ascot winner in the late Sir Isaac Newton, as well as a half-brother to Australian stakes winner Maurus (Medicean), returns for the first time as a three-year-old. He won two of his four starts impressively as a juvenile, including the Champions Juvenile Stakes (Gr 2, 1m), while he was fourth to 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) in the Vertem Futurity Trophy (Gr 1, 1m) at Newcastle.
He has always looked every bit a Classic contender and the mile and a half should be right up his alley.
His main danger appears his stablemate Arthur’s Kingdom, runner-up last time out in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m). A firmer track should be more suitable and the three-quarter brother to globetrotter Joshua Tree (Montjeu) should also relish the trip. Of note too is that Frankie Dettori takes a rare ride for the Coolmore operation.
Also well in the market is Mohican Heights (Australia), a half-brother to stakes performers Satchem (Inchinor) and Eastern Express (Fastnet Rock). He has won two from two in the colours of Sun Bloodstock and is another who should appreciate a mile and a half, although it remains to be seen if he has the same upside.
King’s Stand Stakes
Europe’s champion sprinter Battaash (Dark Angel) will be aiming to finally overcome his Royal Ascot hoodoo at his fourth attempt: he finished 12th in the 2016 Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) and has filled the runner-up position behind Blue Point (Shamardal) in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) the last two years.
Battaash returns in the King’s Stand this year with no Blue Point in sight; his old rival is over in Ireland, finishing up his first season at Kildangan Stud.
On his day, Battaash is brilliant. However, the Ascot 5f seems to eek out every bit of stamina he possesses, leaving him empty over the final stages.
He is the one to beat, but amazingly, no favourite has won the King’s Stand Stakes since Western Australian galloper Scenic Blast (Scenic) gave Australia a third win in four years when scoring in 2009. That was also Australia’s last win in the feature.
If there is a danger, it could be the speedy three-year-old filly Liberty Beach (Cable Bay). She won four of her first five starts as a juvenile, only striking defeat in a strong Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at this meeting last year; she was also defeated at her last start at two when stepped up to 6f.
She won at 6f at Haydock in Listed company first-up, but the return to 5f should suit her even more and she is one to watch closely.
Prix de l’Abbaye (Gr 1, 1000m) winner Glass Slippers (Dream Ahead) and the quirky Equilateral (Equiano) are other major contenders for a sprint feature that is deeper than it first appears on paper.
Duke Of Cambridge Stakes
Last year’s Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) third Jubiloso (Shamardal) will be looking to bounce back after she tailed off badly towards the end of her first preparation last season.
Jubiloso showed plenty of promise, but looked to be quite raw under James McDonald in the Coronation last year before one of the most difficult defeats imaginable in the Oak Tree Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Glorious Goodwood when the race simply got away from Ryan Moore.
If she has made natural progression from three to four, she is going to take plenty of beating here. However, she also showed some of the quirky traits of her close relation Frankel (Galileo) and she will need to prove more straightforward if she is to make her mark in 2020.
Lavender’s Blue (Sea The Stars), owned by ABBA’s Benny Andersson, looks a top miler in the making, while Miss O Connor (Roderic O’Connor) has a picket fence next to her name after four starts and just seems to keep stepping up.
Ascot Stakes
The traditional closer to Day 1 retains that position this year and a one-time Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) contender is considered a leading player as she returns to the flat.
Verdana Blue (Getaway) has only raced four times on the flat but could have made quite a career sans hurdles on all available evidence.
Trainer Nicky Henderson said, after she won the Christmas Hurdle (Gr 1, 2m) at Kempton in 2018, that he was planning on aiming her at the Melbourne Cup. That plan obviously didn’t come to fruition, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see her take some major steps forward on the flat this season.
It may be worth taking her on with last year’s Chester Cup (2m 2.5f) winner Coeur De Lion (Pour Moi). He appears attractively weighted, particularly with Thore Hammer Hansen’s claim, and he’s a contender in what shapes as an open race.
Andrew Hawkins’ Royal Ascot Day 1 selections
Buckingham Palace Handicap – #17 Documenting
Queen Anne Stakes – #9 Mustashry
Ribblesdale Stakes – #12 West End Girl
King Edward VII Stakes – #1 Arthur’s Kingdom
King’s Stand Stakes – #11 Liberty Beach
Duke Of Cambridge Stakes – #5 Jubiloso
Ascot Stakes – #14 Coeur De Lion