There are two competitive handicaps on Thursday of the Royal meeting and the three-year-olds take their chance in the 1m4f King George V Stakes (3:05).
Godolphin's Tagabawa is a half-brother to Group 2 winner Manobo and Group 2 placed Turgenev and impressed on his return to action when scoring by four lengths in a 1m4f handicap on the all-weather at Kempton Park. He looked an improved horse for the gelding operation undertaken over the winter and can continue to progress.
Aidan O'Brien has enjoyed an excellent start to the meeting and is represented by Bertinelli, who is expected to appreciate the step up to twelve furlongs for the first time. He won the 1m2f London Gold Cup by a neck after making headway late on and looks a Group performer in the making, despite shouldering top weight.
HM The King and HM The Queen's Desert Hero could be a value bet at 20/1. The Sea The Stars colt won twice as a two-year-old and started favourite for his seasonal reappearance in the London Gold Cup. He attempted to make all and faded in the closing stages, finishing three lengths behind the re-opposing Bertinellli in eighth. He's entitled to improve for the run but it's expected that a step up in trip could see the best of the Royal runner.
Sir Michael Stoute's Perfuse was not raced as a juvenile and won a Nottingham novice stakes by seven-and-a-half lengths on his second run. He seemed to enjoy the longer distance and sounder surface (good-to-firm) when taking a Doncaster novice stakes over twelve furlongs and steps into handicap company for the first time with a chance.
By Cracksman, Burglar looks likely to stay and commenced the new campaign with a good win in a Redcar novice stakes. It was a professional performance for the lightly raced colt and he could not be dismissed on his handicap bow.
WIN: BERTINELLI
PLACE: DESERT HERO
The 7f Buckingham Palace Stakes (6:10) looks a very open contest and there are a couple of well-backed runners at the bottom of the handicap. Simon & Ed Crisford's Croupier will really appreciate quick ground and returns to seven furlongs for the first time since 2021 (1-3). He put a disappointing run in the Lincoln on heavy ground behind him when taking the Hambleton Handicap at York and a sharper test could see an even better performance.
Godolphin's Unforgotten won on his sole start over seven furlongs as a three-year-old and missed the entire 2022 campaign. He made up for it with two wins in February on the all-weather at Lingfield and more recently produced a big run to finish third in a competitive Class 2 handicap at Newbury. The drop in trip could be a positive.
Three-time all-weather winner this season, Clive Cox's Kingdom Come finished fourth in the aforementioned Newbury contest (BetVictor Handicap) and it could be a form-line to follow in this race. His record over seven furlongs is strong (3-5) but his turf statistics (0-3) would be a question mark.
William Haggas' Montassib shaped better than the winning distance suggested when taking the 7f Aspall Blush Cyder Handicap at Newmarket by one-and-a-quarter lengths, idling once he reached the front in the final furlong. He likes the quicker ground and finished a good fifth in last year's renewal of this race.
WIN: MONTASSIB
PLACE: KINGDOM COME
