There don’t come many bigger legends in Flat racing than Willie Carson.
The four-time Derby winning jockey was one of the icons on the level during the 20th century, and with 56 Royal Ascot winners to his name, he knows a thing or two about winning at the Royal meeting.
This year’s extravaganza from Berkshire features a host of exciting clashes, kicking off with the Queen Anne Stakes. Multiple Group One-winner Notable Speech is a warm order to finally win his first race at Ascot, and he’s the one they all have to beat, for Carson.
Speaking to Horse.Bet on a host of the main races of the week, Carson said: “We’re in for a brilliant week of racing at Royal Ascot and there is no shortage of star quality on display. In the Queen Anne, Notable Speech stands out as my strongest fancy in the curtain-raiser. He has not won at Ascot yet, but the manner of his victory in the Lockinge was outstanding.”
The next Group One on Tuesday features the first real international flavour at the meeting in the shape of Aussie sprinter, Overpass. Carson is of the belief that he, and his fellow Australian raider Joliestar, running in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, will be hard to catch:
“Overpass also looks set to take plenty of beating in the King Charles III, while Joliestar makes a huge appeal in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee. These Australian sprinters operate at another level and when you consider the calibre of horses they have been competing against, including Ka Ying Rising who is widely regarded as the best sprinter in the world, the European runners may have a difficult task on their hands.”
Perhaps the most exciting three-year-old running this week is George Boughey’s Bow Echo. He was a brilliant 2,000 Guineas winner back in May, and Carson was effusive in his praise as the son of Night Of Thunder looked to follow up that Classic win in the St James’s Palace:
“In the St James’s Palace, Bow Echo is my standout selection. His performance in the Guineas was exceptional and I genuinely think he could end up being horse of the year. I saw a photo of him in Newmarket today and he looked an incredible specimen. For me, he is one of the strongest picks of the entire week.”
Wednesday’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes features possibly the highest-class clash of the week with defending champion Ombudsman taking on Arc hero Daryz. They’re currently 5/4 each of two, but Carson delivered a definitive pick in the race:
“In the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, I am prepared to oppose Daryz with Ombudsman. It promises to be a fascinating contest, but I think the Godolphin runner could have the advantage if conditions remain on the quicker side.
Scandinavia is widely expected to be the next Aidan O’Brien-trained superstar stayer off the Ballydoyle conveyor belt, but Carson is keen to oppose him with another up-and-coming star, Rahiebb:
“I am happy to look beyond Scandinavia in the Gold Cup. Rahiebb made a huge impression on me with his return at York and although Scandinavia got the better of him in the Leger, I am backing Rahiebb to reverse that result over this much longer trip.”
Friday features two Group One contests in the Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes, where Carson was held some strong views about a bunch of fillies gunning for Ascot glory:
“Venetian Sun is another I feel very strongly about in the Commonwealth Cup. What she produced at Haydock was remarkable and I think the rest may simply be trying to keep up with her.
“Precise looked to have taken a significant step forward from the Newmarket Guineas judging by her victory in Ireland. She sets a high standard, but I would not overlook Touleen as I think she could improve again from her Guineas run.”