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Royal Ascot Day Three Preview

Racing And Sports look back on Day Two and preview Day Three of the Royal Ascot carnival.

STRADIVARIUS winning the Ascot Gold Cup (British Champions Series) at Ascot in England.
STRADIVARIUS winning the Ascot Gold Cup (British Champions Series) at Ascot in England. Picture: Megan Ridgwell/Pool via Getty Images

There were no Australian horses to cheer on day two at Royal Ascot, but there may have been some patriotic cheers for the Aussie form as State Of Rest led all the way in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes (2012m).

Given a soft time in front, he was able to repel the challenge of race favourite Bay Bridge, while Japan again failed to make an impact at Royal Ascot with the drifting Shahryar struggling off the slow tempo.

State Of Rest chalked up his fourth Group 1 win in as many countries, adding England to his American, Australian and French successes. The plan is to return to Australia to defend his Cox Plate title and hopefully set up a rematch with Anamoe. One would have to think State Of Rest wouldn't be going in 2.5x Anamoe's price this time around. 

James Mcdonald would have also attracted plenty of support from the Australians (and Kiwis) who made it through to the Royal Hunt Cup (1609m), the star jockey chalking up his second win at the carnival from three rides.

J-Mac has two rides on day three, with Tanmawwy as the pick, who looks one of many chances in the Buckingham Palace Stakes (1400m), before partnering Home Affairs in the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes (1200m) on day five.

Moving onto day three and we've just got the one Group 1 race, however it is the centrepiece of the carnival- the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup (4010m).

A gruelling test of stamina, it's the classic up-and-comer taking on the champ story. Second only to Yeats for wins in the Gold Cup, 8yo Stradivarius is out to prove he's still top dog, aiming for his fourth Gold Cup, up against 4yo Kyprios.

This is all assuming Trueshan is scratched due to the ground of course, with trainer Alan King almost guaranteeing that fact. If he does stay in, it'll be fascinating to see what the market does with him on a fast deck.

Stradivarius looked good first up, winning the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup (2790m), while Kyprios destroyed a lesser field at Leopardstown by 14 lengths. There's almost nothing between them on Racing And Sports ratings, but I have to side with Stradivarius at the marathon trip.

He finds a firm track, something he desperately missed last year when finishing fourth, and can make history winning a fourth Gold Cup.

The support card for the heavyweight clash is headlined by the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes (2411m) for three-year-old fillies. This race has changed complexion significantly during the week, with Emily Upjohn, coming off a narrow second in the Oaks behind Tuesday, was ruled out by John Gosden.

That leaves the door wide open with none of the remaining six fillies coming through the Oaks, and the market appears to have this about right with Magical Lagoon and Sea Silk Road sharing favouritism.

Magical Lagoon brings a slightly better last start rating, coming off a narrow second at Navan after tracking the leader and just being run down late by Concert Hall, who has since run a very sound 4th in the aforementioned Oaks.

Sea Silk Road, for Tom Marquand and W J Haggas, has won over a mile and ten furlongs this time in, and looks ideally primed to step up in trip now. A winner at Goodwood last time out, Marquand had to be at his all-out best to lift her over the line, and she'll relish a mile-and-a-half.

My slight leaning would be to Sea Silk Road who will be strong at the end, but it should be a thrilling contest.

Later in the day, Reach For The Moon goes around as a short priced favourite in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes (2012m) and with a clear ratings advantage, he should prove too strong. Kingmax may represent some value for exotics after sticking on fairly behind Derby winner Desert Crown which was his first run beyond a mile.

Halfway through the Royal Ascot carnival for 2022, the Gold Cup is definitely worth staying up for at 1:20 AEST. We've still got two fantastic days to follow, including Home Affairs and Artorius on Saturday which I'm sure resident UK form and abstract analogy expert Adam will do justice previewing.


Racing and Sports



Ascot Thursday, 16th June 2022

2m3f210y TURF GOOD FIRM
GBP £500,000

Gold Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (G1)

GBP £500,000
Age: 4yo and up
2m3f210y TURF GOOD FIRM
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 5. KYPRIOS (IRE) 4yo H
GALILEO (IRE) - POLISHED GEM (IRE)
RYAN MOORE
AIDAN O'BRIEN
$2.62
129lbs
MOYGLARE,MAGNIER,TABOR,SMITH,WESTERBERG
2nd 6. MOJO STAR (IRE) 4yo H
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - GALLEY (GB)
ROSSA RYAN
RICHARD HANNON JR
$8.5
129lbs
AMO RACING LIMITED

Sales Information

3rd 3. STRADIVARIUS (IRE) 8yo H
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - PRIVATE LIFE (FR)
FRANKIE DETTORI
JOHN & THADY GOSDEN
$3
130lbs
BJORN E. NIELSEN

Sales Information

4th 9. BURNING VICTORY (FR) 6yo M
NATHANIEL (IRE) - M'OUBLIEZ PAS (USA)
WILLIAM BUICK
WILLIE MULLINS
$19
127lbs

Sales Information

5th 7. TASHKHAN (IRE) 4yo G
BORN TO SEA (IRE) - TARZIYNA (IRE)
BEN ROBINSON
BRIAN ELLISON
$26
129lbs

Sales Information

6th 10. PRINCESS ZOE (GER) 7yo M
JUKEBOX JURY (IRE) - PALACE PRINCESS (GER)
J M SHERIDAN
ANTHONY MULLINS
$7.5
127lbs

Sales Information

7th 8. BUBBLE SMART (GB) 5yo M
INTELLO (GER) - BUBBLE BACK (FR)
GERALD MOSSE
MIKEL DELZANGLES
$34
127lbs
8th 1. ALIGNAK (GB) 6yo H
SEA THE MOON (GER) - ALBANOVA (GB)
SAFFIE OSBORNE
JAMIE OSBORNE
$101
130lbs

Sales Information

9th 2. EARLOFTHECOTSWOLDS (FR) 8yo G
AXXOS (GER) - SISSI LAND (FR)
L P KENIRY
N A TWISTON-DAVIES
$41
130lbs

Sales Information

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