Royal Ascot Preview
Day One of the Royal Meeting is one of the great days on the global racing calendar.
The day opens with a trio of top flight contests that set the bar nice and high for the four days that follow.
The Queen Anne is the race that typically defines the top older miler in Europe before they head off to tackle the younger generation later in the season. That younger generation is seen out two races later in the St James’ Palace where the Guineas colts finalise their pecking order before challenging their elders.
The King’s Stand which splits them has become a truly international event with recent winners coming from England, Ireland, Spain, Hong Kong and Australia.
This year is the first in eight years that no Australian-trained horse will tackle the King’s Stand but Shea Shea flies the flag for his native South Africa to give the race its international flavour.
The home side look strong this time around, though, with a truly promising sprinter in Hot Streak seen as the one to beat.
He marked himself as a smart performer in the making with a powerful win over this course and distance last season with Timeform describing the win as “totally imperious” and rating it as one of the juvenile performances of the season.
The lofty regard in which he is held is on track to be justified this season with the lead-up to his Royal assignment highlighted by a strong success against his elders in the Temple Stakes.
Their he defeated Pearl Secret, who ran third in the King’s Stand last year, with more authority than the final margin suggests.
That form ties him in through the likes of Shea Shea and last year’s winner Sole Power and points to Hot Streak being a terrific winning hope.
Shea Shea isn’t the only South African to step out on the opening day with Soft Falling Rain set to take his chance in the Queen Anne.
Toronado’s Sussex win last season was top-class and a repeat of that here would see him a highly likely winner but recent support sees him come up nice and short for a horse isn’t exactly the profile-horse here.
Seven of the last ten Queen Anne winners have come off the Lockinge, five of those beaten. None have come here first-up.
Verrazano is the one to be with following that angle and his Lockinge run was full of promise. Certainly ahead of the Lockinge runs of Haradasun and Declaration Of War who have won this race off similar profiles for this yard in recent times.
The big question is does Toronado have enough of an advantage in exposed ability to concede race fitness to a good field behind him, and what does that mean relative to price?
Few tricky questions like that when it comes to the St James Palace.
Night Of Thunder was able to turn around a 4.5 length margin in the Greenham Stakes to beat Kingman home in a red-hot 2000 Guineas but revenge is on the cards at Ascot.
Kingman has the makings of an absolute top-notcher and his smash-up of the Irish Guineas field has him on track for success here.
Recent Irish Guineas winners Henrythenavigator, Mastercraftsman and Canford Cliffs have gone on to win this race and none were more impressive at the Curragh than Kingman.
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