Wednesday Weather update -- High 19C Wednesday, showers, turning heavy later with chance of Thunderstorms too.
Going -- SOFT (changed)
Hope you enjoyed yourselves with day one, am still expecting some poor weather again today but we will have more Group 1 action with the Prince of Wales Stakes at 4:20 and the big handicap of the day is the Royal Hunt Cup off at 5pm.
Once Her Majesty has arrived and settled down we will start today off with the Jersey Stakes at 2:30. This Group 3 for 3yo's usually throws up a good one to follow for the rest of the season and 21 are declared to do battle today.
Her Majesty has LIGHT MUSIC in the opener, and is a reasonable 16/1 to give the birthday girl a welcome return on her investment.
The unbeaten (and unpronounceable) THIKRIYAAT should be right up there too for Sir Michael Stoute and we'll take that pair against the field in a wide open event.
2:30 Result
1st -- Ribchester (William Buick) 7/1
2nd -- Thikriyaat (P Hanagan) 8/1
3rd -- Forge (R L Moore) 12/1
The 2yo Fillies race Queen Mary Stakes next up at 3:05 and a field of 17 line up. And while it's possible to cross out about 6-7 of these on form the rest could be anything having raced about once or twice at most.
Competition comes from USA, France and Ireland LADY AURELIA looks the favourite on paper for Wesley Ward, and I'd want a second look at ROLY POLY as it's rare to see an O'Brien / Moore pairing at 16/1.
From France and representing the powerful Al Shaqab racing team is AL JOHRAH who has won in France on soft going, and the owners do well with their horses here.
3:05 Result
1st -- Lady Aurelia (L Dettori) 2/1 fav
2nd -- Al Johrah (G Benoist) 9/2
3rd -- Clem Fandango (P Makin) 16/1
The Duke of Cambridge Stakes is off at 3:40 and this Group 2 for fillies has attracted 14 runners, Andre Fabre sends over his filly USHERETTE who won a similar looking race at Newmarket in May and with Godolphin having four in the race you think it might be set up nicely for her.
3:40 Result
1st -- Usherette (M Barzalona) 9/4 fav
2nd -- Furia Cruzada (P J Smullen) 20/1
3rd -- Always Smile (J Doyle) 9/2
Today's Group 1 race The Prince of Wales Stakes goes off at 4:20. Just the 6 declared but it's a small and select field.
FOUND is no slouch and a winner in the Breeders Cup but has been beaten a few times this season already and will probably have to play second to the Japanese raider A SHIN HIKARI who won the G1 Hong Kong Cup and the Japanese don't come this far without a really good one.
Of the rest it's good to see THE GREY GATSBY return and I hope he finds a race this season.
4:20 Result
1st -- My Dream Boat (A Kirby) 16/1
2nd -- Found (R L Moore) 4/1
The big handicap of the day is the Royal Hunt Cup at 5pm with only the 33 declared (excluding the reserves) it's clearly fairly simple.
GM HOPKINS heads the weights and it would be a huge effort to land this off that mark although he did win this last year but off 9st 3lb.
MR OWEN will be one for me and this Qatar Racing owned colt looks a big price at 33/1, his French form could be anything against these, depends how well his jockey can cope with the massive field.
Godolphin run four here too, and while they are all 16/1 I would take PORTAGE to come out on top in that mini contest.
5:00 Result
1st -- Portage (J Doyle) 10/1
2nd -- Librisa Breeze (R Winston) 8/1
3rd -- Mitchum Swagger (G Baker) 14/1
4th -- Azraff (Andrea Atzeni) 20/1
The finale on Day Two is the Sandringham Handicap over the straight mile, again a race for 3yo fillies and there's just the 26 in the line up.
The Queen has another couple of runners with DIPLOMA who won a similar race at York and has the benefit of Ryan Moore in the saddle. Should be well supported though it appears to be 8/1 the field. Her Majesty also has MAKE FAST in the race but she's only run over 7f to date and this fast run mile is likely to be a bit too much for her.
There's an unbeaten filly here too with the steady and progressive PERSUASIVE for the combination of John Gosden and Frankie Dettori -- if the prices allow we'll aim to take the pair against the field here.
5:35 Result
1st -- Persuasive (L Dettori) 11/4 fav
2nd -- Diamond Fields (W Lordan) 33/1
3rd -- Sharaakah (J Fanning) 25/1
4th -- Radiantly (W J Lee) 20/1
A good day today with 4 winners, now onto tomorrow's Gold Cup.
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