It seems like it was just last week that the Cheltenham buzz was here and we were all expecting My Tent Or Yours to win the Supreme. But time has passed and today is the start of Royal Ascot, like Cheltenham we have a short priced favourite in the first with Animal Kingdom who won this years Dubai World Cup. Last year we also had a short priced favourite, when I say short priced I mean Frankel Priced when he destroyed the field at 1/10. Today also brings back the English 2000 Guineas winner Dawn Approach who looks to bounce back from his spectacular flop in the Epsom Derby. He lines up with his old rival Toronado and from Ballydoyle the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Magician and Epsom Derby sixth in Mars.
Also featuring on the card today is the King's Stand which will see Mike De Kock's champion sprinter line up with Shea Shea when he locks horns with Reckless Abandon. Also lining up is Australian representative Shamexpress for trainer Danny O'Brien, those two raiders try to follow in the footsteps of Little Bridge who won this last year for Hong Kong. Supporting the card today we have the two Juvenile races starting with the Coventry Stakes won last year by Dawn Approach himself. The second of the two year old races is the yearly headache that we call the Windsor Castle Stakes in which 27 head to post. Near the top of the market is Wesley Ward's representative Ogermeister who won this race with Strike The Tiger in 2009. The second to last race also features our first handicap of the week when the stayers take to the track over 2 miles 4 furlongs in the Ascot Stakes, won last year by Simenon for Willie Mullins.
As always you can see my selections on the website ran by Martin Jenkins, please follow him on twitter on @Pigeon_island he works tirelessly for everyone who enters it. If you are interested in checking out the website and following all the action from Royal Ascot, visit www.pigeonscoop4.wordpress.com me and Martin both thank you!
All throughout this week my friend and amateur jockey George Gorman has agreed to take me on in an Ascot tipping challenge. The rules are as follows, win only selections to a £1 stake and at the end of the week will be crowned Champion, its quite a prestigious honour! If one of our selections happens to be a non runner it shall be replaced with the SP favourite. Tuesday's selections are as followed:
Luke George
2:30 - Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom
3:05 - Kingsgate Native Shea Shea
3:45 - Mars Dawn Approach
4:25 - Riverboat Springs Championship
5:00 - Suraj Lieutenant Miller
5:35 - Peterkin Anticipated
As a sporting person I say good luck to George and I hope he gets beaten out of sight this week! But onto the racing and selections on Day one of Royal Ascot 2013
Royal Ascot - Queen Anne Stakes - Gregorian
If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I am a big fan of Gregorian and since last year I have been saying he is a Group one horse, today he gets to prove that. In my eyes Animal Kingdom is a 'good thing' but there is no value in the price he is unless drifting markedly on the day. Gregorian holds some value however in a race when a lot are fully exposed, he comes with some improvement possibly left in him. Last time he won nicely at Epsom in a Group 3 despite absolutely hating the course to the extent I had given up turning for home. But his class proved vital and he managed to hold off Gabrial and Penitent who again should be big threats today. If Gregorian can continue his progression then it would be no surprise at all were he to ruffle a few feathers today and at least make the frame. (18/1)
1st - Animal Kingdom
2nd - Gregorian
3rd - Sovereign Debt
Royal Ascot - King's Stand Stakes - Kingsgate Native
Kingsgate Native has been a very reliable yardstick this year finishing second and first respectively both at double figure odds when put up on this blog. We keep the faith with him today and once again he is a fantastic each way price down to the addition of Shea Shea at the head of the market. In the Temple Stakes at Haydock he managed to reverse the Newmarket form with Sole Power in good style, also beating Reckless Abandon and the unlucky Swiss Spirit. He will need to step up again today but has shown previously that he has bags of ability and retains all his enthusiasm for the game. Life wont be as easy for him today but with a strongly run 5 furlongs at Ascot he should be a closer and once again run a good race for Shane Kelly. For me Reckless Abandon is the main danger and the one to beat but I cant have Kingsgate Native going off a price that big against horses he has beaten this season already. (14/1)
1st - Kingsgate Native
2nd - Reckless Abandon
3rd - Shea Shea
Royal Ascot - St James' Palace Stakes - Mars
Our previous selection Gregorian was third in this race last year but this year looks a race full of class with Dawn Approach dropped back in trip to a mile. Today he has a pacemaker with Leitir Mor and Ballydoyle bring their own pacemaker in the shape of George Vancouver. Them two factors will no doubt help out Mars today as the Derby was not run to suit at all and it turned into a bit of a sprint. Today will be a really strongly run mile and although Dawn Approach is a very strong rival, Mars can make his presence felt here. I cant fathom why Magician is such a short price despite his Irish 2000 Guineas victory in which I feel he was flattered somewhat. Joseph O'Brien gave him a great ride that day which isn't something you hear me say often, but the other jockeys were caught napping. Mars however didn't receive the greatest ride in the Derby but still ran on for sixth and is more than worth another go this afternoon. Mars to live up to the hype he caused last season from a strong pace. (12/1)
1st - Dawn Approach
2nd - Mars
3rd Glory Awaits
Royal Ascot - Coventry Stakes - Riverboat Springs
You would be hard pressed to find a horse that hated Epsom more than Riverboat Springs did last time out when behind the reopposing Thunder Strike. But he went into everyone's notebook that day after flying home from an impossible position under William Buick who keeps the ride. Passing the furlong marker he was the best part of 10 lengths behind Thunder Strike but managed to close that up to 3 and a quarter lengths at the line. That would explain the reason that both of them are around the same price but at Ascot I would expect Riverboat Springs to run a big race. Despite there being a vast amount of unexposed runners today Mick Channon's Colt can make his experience count and put it all up to them. The main thing early on for William Buick to do will be to settle him, if he can do that then the chances of him flying home late are very high, it would take a good horse to catch him if so. Riverboat Springs to put right his interesting Woodcote run last time. (10/1)
1st - Riverboat Springs
2nd - Sir John Hawkins
3rd - War Command
Royal Ascot - Ascot Stakes - Suraj
Now a real head scratcher as the stayers go to post in the Ascot stakes, a race which has been kind to the National Hunt horses over the years. It is a horse that has recently been showing his worth over hurdles that is the selection here with Michael Bell's Suraj after two runs over hurdles for Jonjo O'Neill. It was his last run that really captured my attention though when at Chester, he was drawn 15 of 17 which at Chester is near impossible to win from. It also didn't help that he absolutely walked out of the stalls and had to hunt around at the back of the field, from then on Hayley Turner rightly didn't give him a hard time. He still stayed on at the one pace under hands and heels to finish 10th and 11 and three quarter lengths off the winner. That run is easily forgotten but it does mean that he is dropped two pounds for today's race and you can add an extra 2 pounds off for the four year old allowance. So instead of a mark of 95 which would make him joint top weight he gets to run off 93 which in a race like this can help no end. Suraj to refind the winning thread. (20/1)
1st - Suraj
2nd - Lieutenant Miller
3rd - Homeric
4th - Midnight Oil
Royal Ascot - Windsor Castle Stakes - Peterkin
As always the Windsor Castle is a lottery to pick a horse but this year the magic pin has fallen on Peterkin for Mark Johnston. In a race where all 27 could win a Johnston horse may not be the worst way to go as they are generally very tough and a lot more forward as a younger individual. I first saw Peterkin at Doncaster when he won impressively despite being very green and almost pulling himself up late on. On that basis he was a lot more value than his 3 and three quarter lengths of victory and it could have easily been five or more. Once again he was green when hanging off the rails in a good race at Windsor when conceding 7 pounds to the second horse and the winner looking potentially quite smart. He was still green that day which is a slight worry but Mark Johnston wouldn't bring him here if he wasn't ready to run in a big race. Hopefully he can jump out well and try to make all for Joe Fanning. This son of Invincible Spirit can land a surprise here in the Windsor Castle. (40/1)
1st - Peterkin
2nd - Ogermeister
3rd - Steventon Star
NAP - Riverboat Springs
Nb - Suraj (each way)
Good luck today guys, may your dinners be bookie funded!
Happy Punting
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