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| Staff Writer |
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Royal Ascot promises thrilling competition as seasoned veterans and rising stars prepare to grace the prestigious event's stage. From comeback tales to seasoned contenders, the lineup is brimming with excitement.
Trainers are preparing for Royal Ascot with Kinross, a veteran racehorse with a consistent record of group wins, and Ouzo's, who has risen to 106 in his handicap mark after three consecutive wins. Clive Cox will send out a strong team, including sprinters and handicap horses, while Jack Davison will debut a select team, including 3YO Take Me To Church, recent Cork winner Scorchio, and three-times Dundalk victor Bergamasco.
Ralph Beckett's veteran racehorse Kinross is all set to make a comeback at Royal Ascot in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. The 7YO, sired by Kingman, has consistently performed well for trainer Ralph Beckett and owner Marc Chan, winning two or more group events every year for the past three seasons.
During a successful 2023 campaign, Kinross achieved notable victories at Goodwood and York, despite narrowly missing out on wins in the Prix de la Foret and the British Champions Sprint Stakes. Now gearing up for his third attempt at the final Group One of the Royal meeting, Kinross is currently one of the favorites for the six-furlong contest, and his connections are eager to see him perform well in what promises to be a competitive race.
Additionally, Jessica Harrington’s Bold Discovery, also owned by Marc Chan, is expected to compete at Ascot and is preparing for a step up to 10 furlongs in the Wolferton Stakes.
“Everything is on schedule with Kinross and he’s a 7YO now, so we will just take one race at a time and hope he is as good as he was last year,” said Jamie McCalmont, the owner’s racing manager.
“He won’t really be put to the test until he runs and he’s not a horse who takes a lot of training. He certainly doesn’t need any extra seasoning. I think he will improve from this run whatever happens.
Chan, who has a flawless record with his horses in the UK this season, will also have Jessica Harrington’s Bold Discovery at Ascot.
The horse is getting ready for a step up to 10 furlongs in the Wolferton Stakes after an impressive win over a mile in the Curragh’s Amethyst Stakes.
“As long as the ground is not soft, Bold Discovery will run in the Wolferton on the opening day,” continued McCalmont.
“We think that is a good spot for him. He will be stretching out to a mile and a quarter again, but that is where he runs.”
Jamie Osborne admitted that his top horse Ouzo's impressive performances might work against him as he returns to Britain with Royal Ascot in sight.
The 8YO has secured victories in his last three starts, starting with a dead-heat alongside Marco Botti’s Daysofourlives at the Berkshire track in September.
Ouzo then went to Dubai for the winter and continued his winning streak by winning the Lord North Handicap and Lord Glitters Handicap at Meydan in January and February.
With his handicap mark shooting up to 106, Osborne is concerned that Ouzo might find it challenging to secure a fourth consecutive victory at the Royal meeting.
Although the plan is to run in the Royal Hunt Cup over the straight mile, there's a possibility of considering the alternative of stepping up to 10 furlongs in the Wolferton Stakes.
“Sadly in this game, success gets penalised,” Osborne said. “He left the UK on 98 and I actually thought that he might struggle in Meydan off that, because he’d been the year before off 94 and didn’t manage to win.
“He did very well out there, which is great, but we’ve come back at 106! So, I can’t imagine he’s well-handicapped.
“We’ve gone through the process as normal of a mini break when he came back from Dubai, we’ve built him back up and he’s ready to go again and he will run again next week.
“He’s obviously in the Hunt Cup and he will also have an entry in the Wolferton to potentially try a longer trip with him, going 10 furlongs.
“It’s great he’s won his last three races, he’s given the girls a lot of fun, but there’s a price to pay for that and I suspect that through this summer we will pay that price.”he added
Clive Cox is looking to increase his number of Royal Ascot victories with a strong team when the event starts next week.
Jasour is set to compete in the Commonwealth Cup, and Kerdos will aim for the King Charles III Stakes, indicating that the Lambourn trainer has a solid lineup in the sprinting category.
Cox also highlighted a pair of handicap horses as worth watching. Given his past success with Nando Parrado, who won the Coventry Stakes four years ago, his 2YO horses should not be underestimated.
“It’s really nice having a good team to go, I hope,” said Cox.
“We’ve got Kerdos, who won the Temple, and Diligent Harry who will both go in what is now the King Charles.
“Throughout the week, we’ve got Cracking Gold who will run in the Britannia, Kingdom Come in the Hunt Cup and some really nice two-year-olds.
“Star Anthem will go in the Coventry, I think, and I’ve got a few more that I need to finalise when I know more about the ground.
“We’ve got some nice horses to look forward to and what is always pleasing is that they seem to be in good form.”
Jersey Stakes hope Take Me To Church is set to head a select Royal Ascot team for trainer Jack Davison.
The 3YO won his first two starts of the campaign, including the Madrid Handicap at the Curragh, but has since been found wanting when fourth in a Leopardstown Guineas trial and then fifth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas itself.
A drop back to Group Three company over seven furlongs awaits for that runner, while recent Cork winner Scorchio and three-times Dundalk victor Bergamasco have handicap targets.
Davison said: “Scorchio will run in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes. She won very well in Cork a couple of weeks ago and it was nice to see Kendall Roy come out and win at the Curragh the other day as she beat him.
“We have Bergamasco for the Britannia, which is exciting, and he is in terrific form. Then Take Me To Church will likely go to the Jersey. It’s an exciting couple of weeks for the yard.”
Missed the Cut, a winner of two Gr.3 turf marathons at Santa Anita earlier this year, completed a five-furlong workout on dirt in 1:00.20 on Monday as part of preparations for the upcoming Royal Ascot meeting in Britain later this month.
Trainer John Sadler confirmed that Missed the Cut will be ridden by James Doyle, who is based in Britain.
In his most recent race, Missed the Cut finished second in the Gr.2 Elkhorn Stakes at 1 1/2 miles.
Earlier in the year, Missed the Cut secured victories in the San Marcos Stakes, and the San Luis Rey Stakes.
Both Continuous and Middle Earth are currently the top contenders in the future book for the US$318,100 Hardwicke Stakes.
Continuous, trained by Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, claimed victory in the Gr.1 English St. Leger at Doncaster last year. In the most recent start, he finished fifth in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Middle Earth, under the guidance of trainers John and Thady Gosden, has triumphed in 4 out of 7 starts. In his 2024 debut, he secured a win in the Gr.3 Aston Park Stakes at 1 1/2 miles in Britain.