Since the turn of the century Australian raiders, particularly their older sprinters, have been a feature of the Royal meeting; Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast, Nature Strip, Asfoora and, most famously, Black Caviar have all graced Ascot’s winner’s circle and Joliestar can add her name to the register on Friday.
Tuesday’s runner from Down Under, Overpass, was a creditable third and is back again over the extra furlong in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes but his compatriot, Joliestar is a different proposition. He might have won a few quid in his career but he had not won for 18 months and, in contrast, she comes in on the back of three straight wins, the last two of them Group Ones.
The relatively new adage is that “a half decent Aussie sprinter is better than the best European ones” is about right but the difference here is that the Chris Waller – like most of the connections he actually hails from New Zealand – trained mare Joliestar is fairly near the top of the tree in Australia, at the peak of her powers and, a big plus, has James McDonald, a world class jockey already in the winner this week, on board. That, combined with a draw up the middle, is a lot going for her.
Six furlong contest for fillies. Aidan O’Brien’s Sun Goddess is likely to be a warm order for this after a six lengths demolition of her opposition at The Curragh on her second start. It is hard to pick holes in that performance and it is hard to oppose her and her trainer. The King and Queen’s King’s Prize is one of those. She was an early two-year-old winner for the yard when they weren’t firing on all cylinders and had plenty of time to mature but this might be Amo’s time finally. Controlla blew the start then refused to settle in the last on Wednesday but Silent Beauty can restore Kia Joorabchian’s equilibrium.
Marlborough’s tip: Sun Goddess
Charlie Brooks’s tip: Sun Goddess
A six furlong Group One sprint for speedy three-year-olds. Ascot’s stiff six may be just what Albert Einstein needs but for me he has been a bit disappointing. If you fancy him you should also fancy Song of The Clyde who beat him at Newbury and will be three times the odds. Clive Cox also has the quick Coppul in this. Venetian Sun, last year’s Albany winner, will probably start favourite on the back of her Sandy Lane three length success but it might be worth taking a punt on Amo’s Wesley Ward trained Outfielder who has looked blisteringly quick on his first two starts in the US this year. Each-way 50-1 shot Spicy Marg will enjoy being back on the quick ground again.
Marlborough’s tip: Venetian Sun
Charlie Brooks’s tip: Albert Einstein
The King and Queen have Warrant Holder in this mile and a half handicap for three-year-old plus. I suspect a few others have been laid out for this race but he looks to have as good a chance as any here. He has won half of his six races and came back better having being gelded, beat 14 rivals at York and looks like he’d appreciate the step up in trip today. Sometimes I wonder if York and Ascot form ever totally correlates but we will find out today.
Marlborough’s tip: Warrant Holder
Charlie Brooks’s tip: Warrant Holder
A mile on the round course for three-year-old fillies, the St James’s Palace for the ladies as it were. After running down the field in the Guineas at Newmarket Precise looked rocket-propelled, reversing the form with stable companion True Love, in the Irish equivalent. Anything like a reproduction of that would make her hard to beat. Ryan Moore has developed a habit of picking the wrong one when he has Precise and True Love to pick from but on the Irish Guineas form, that’s True Love’s best hope.
Marlborough’s tip: Precise
Charlie Brooks’s tip: True Love
A mile handicap for three-year-old fillies. I am a bit conflicted here between Symbol of Majesty and the French filly Repel. Symbol of Majesty had no sort of a run at Wolverhampton on her third start after winning on turf first time out this season but that probably did not do her handicap too much harm, this is an easier option than the Coronation for which she also had an entry and in Saffie Osborne she has an excellent light-weight jockey. Glyfada, trained by a third O’Brien, Donnacha, and a cosy winner last time, from France look interesting too.
Marlborough’s tip: Passing Thought
Charlie Brooks’s tip: Seet
Mile and a half Group Two for three-year-old colts and geldings. A bit of a Derby consolation and a few of those who ran below expectation at Epsom may get out again today including the controversial Derby non-runner, Benventuto Cellini who got his hind leg stuck on a stall but still finished 10th. That is less than a fortnight ago and personally I would be looking elsewhere. It was all a bit too much of a rush to get Water To Wine to Epsom after his missed Chester with a temperature but he looks tailor-made for this. He is now two from two with an aggregate winning distance of 15 lengths having warmed up for this impressively on the all-weather.
Marlborough’s tip: Causeway
Charlie Brooks’s tip: Water to Wine
A five furlong sprint for three-year-olds. It is a very different course to Epsom but Gemma Tutty’s Call Margot had all the doors shut in her face at a critical point in the Dash on Derby day and but for that would surely have won. At Ascot, at least, there should be less in the way of traffic problems. The trainer had a second here before. That said, could Gold Digger be the one to break Saffie Osborne’s duck at the meeting? She certainly thinks so. Sixth in the Albany last year, Richard Spencer’s filly was a cosy winner at Windsor on her first start since.
Marlborough’s tip: Simplify
Charlie Brooks’s tip: Jazl
Five furlong Group Two for two-year-olds. I dare say after the week he has been having Aidan O’Brian’s Carry The Flag, returning to five after being beaten over six last time, will be sent off favourite but I like Kevin Ryan’s Where Love Lives, who is two from two, and over Sandown’s stiff five really lengthened his stride in the last three parts of a furlong to stamp his authority on the National Stakes. The runner-up there, Adaay of Scarlett was second in the Coventry so the form is strong.
A mile-and-a-half Group Two. Has there ever been a better field assembled for a Group Two? It is the King George in all but name, and without Calandagan. Ballydoyle send over the Derby winner Lambourn and St Leger winner Jan Brueghel, Francis Graffard sends over the King George winner from two years ago, Goliath, on the back of a confidence-boosting win. Ralph Beckett has last year’s King Edward VII winner, Amiloc, in there, and Kalpana, two-time Fillies and Mares winner on Champions day, also has a strong chance, but I am keen on the Willie Mullins-trained Ethical Diamond, the 28-1 winner of the Breeders Cup Turf last November. He needs fast ground and a strong pace to aim at. He’s definitely got the former and if he gets the latter, as he did in Del Mar, he will take all the stopping.
Group One six-furlong sprint for which the Aussie raider Joliestar, winner of her last three starts, all at Randwick, will be a warm order. The betting would suggest the Aussies, Japanese, Irish or French are likely to dominate the domestics and Joliestar, winner of her last three, including two Group Ones, and with James McDonald, already in the winners this week, on board, she has an excellent chance of lowering the colours of the higher-rated Japanese runner, Satono Reve. The Japanese have, pretty much, cracked everywhere on their travels bar Royal Ascot. Maybe today is the day, but I think it will go back to Australia.
Seven furlongs for those horses that fall between the two stools: not quite sprinters, not quite milers. The Wathnan filly The Prettiest Star was fourth behind True Love in the Guineas, with Precise behind her, and a repeat of that sort of effort will put her right in the mix here. Her owners, who like buying from the Royal Ascot ready-made shelf, came in for her after the Classic so that is a tip in itself. The likely favourite is Sabre Strike from the in-form Haggas yard. He is two from two but may lack a tiny bit of experience.
Six furlong sprint handicap. I half-fancied Double Rush for the Jubilee today and the fact that they have gone for the easier option is interesting. He is two from two this season and is a sprinter on the up. Both of those wins were at Newmarket and the only negative is that he did not run well on his only start at Ascot, but that might have been the ground. James Owen broke his Ascot duck earlier in the week and his Far Above A Dream could also go well.
Mile-and-a-quarter handicap for three year olds. Lost Boys could have taken a longer option earlier in the week but Wathnan, who splashed out for him after his London Gold Cup win, have decided to stay at a mile and a quarter. A repeat of that should give David Menuisier a second Ascot winner, while it would be foolish to ignore anything Joseph O’Brien sends out this week, even the stable cat. His Perisher and Nil Bua Gan Dua could both also be in the mix.
The longest race of the week and anywhere in the UK over two miles, five-and-a-half furlongs, famously won six times by Brown Jack between 1929 and 1935. Won five times by Ryan Moore and six times by Willie Mullins, often when they combine. Today though, I like Joseph O’Brien’s Chester Cup winner A Piece Of Heaven to wrap up a sensational meeting for the young trainer.
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