On day three of the Royal Ascot meeting, we have two early closing races. It’s the Ribblesdale Stakes and the Ascot Gold Cup. A lot to consider for these two races with two weeks left until they take place. Here are my free ante-post horse racing tips for these two big races.
Bluestocking Early Pick in Tough-to-Call Ribblesdale
First up we have the Ribblesdale Stakes tips, a Group 2 contest for three-year-old fillies and with only two favourites winning in the past ten years can go to a bigger-priced horse.
The first place to look here is with the Epsom Oaks and the one-two Soul Sister and Savethelastdance, who would both hold a winning chance but it’s unlikely that they will turn up here and I’ll be looking elsewhere for a bet.
The fourth from the Epsom Oaks, Maman Joan run a stormer on only her second career start to finish fourth, beaten 10 1/2L and could be a possibility if stepping forward once more for the Richard Hannon team whilst whoever Aidan O’Brien saddles will have to be considered with possibly Warm Heart who won a listed event at Newbury last time the one to keep an eye on.
The horse she beat that day was the Ralph Beckett-trained Bluestocking, who looked so good when winning on her debut at Salisbury last September and only went down by a neck to the race fitter Warm Heart at Newbury. She deliberately missed the Epsom Oaks to run here and looks the pick of the entries at this very early stage.
John and Thady Gosden have won this contest four times out of the last six years so their representative has to be taken seriously although their two best chances lie with Oaks winner Soul Sister and French Oaks runner Running Lion and both wouldn’t be certain runners at this stage.
The French have a very interesting entry in the F Chappet-trained Crown Princesse who ran a decent third in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp in May and if coming over would be a major player.
A tough race to assess at this stage with so many question marks over who will attend but the early vote has to go to Bluestocking for the Juddmonte team.
BLUESTOCKING 1 point each way @ 10/1 with Paddy Power promo code (Paying 3 places at 1/5 odds)
Gosden to Show Courage to Win Gold Cup?
The Group One Ascot Gold Cup is run over 2M 4F and has been won by some staying legends over the years with the likes of Yeats (4 times) and more recently Stradivarius (3 times) but this year’s renewal has quite an open look about it.
The top-rated is the Alan King-trained Trueshan but he doesn’t look the same horse this season and is also very ground dependent so couldn’t be fancied unless the heavens were to open.
Andrew Balding’s six-year-old Coltrane appears to be improving at the age of six and won over course and distance at last year’s meeting in the Ascot Stakes Handicap. He prepped for this winning over 2M here in the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes and looks sure to run a mighty race.
Charlie Appleby’s stable is under a bit of a cloud at the moment but his entry Yibir will no doubt have benefited from his first start of the season at Newbury over 1M 4F and will be stepping into unknown territory stamina-wise if taking up this engagement. Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien, who has such a fine record in the race having won it a record eight times with the likes of Yeats (4 times), Fame And Glory and last year’s winner Kyprios, has five entries in the horse racing betting.
The shortest in the current betting is the four-year-old filly Emily Dickinson who looked good winning at The Curragh and Navan on soft ground before flopping when a heavy odds on chance in May at Leopardstown. She’ll need to put that poor run behind her to be competitive here although we know what the Ballydoyle maestro is capable of so don’t write her off too soon. Broome won the Dubai Gold Cup for O’Brien at Meydan in March over two miles (the furthest he’s raced over) but could only manage third in the Yorkshire Cup to Giavellotto.
In third that day was Roger Varian’s St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov who was making his re-appearance and carrying a penalty but ran a fine race to finish a 1/2L second with the step up in trip likely to suit him and has to be a major contender here.
If there is one horse to come out of left field and take a hand in the contest then it may well be the John and Thady Gosden-trained Courage Mon Ami, unbeaten in three starts he now has a handicap mark of 106 which puts him within 10lb of the likes of Eldar Eldarov and Coltrane and as he’s only had the three starts may have more improvement to come. He has to prove his stamina but at the current prices, he looks worthy of an each-way bet for his top connections.
COURAGE MON AMI 1 point each way @ 16/1 with Bet365 bonus code (Paying 3 places at 1/5 odds)
All odds are accurate at the time of writing.
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