One of the season’s highlights, Royal Ascot, kicks off in just a week’s time, and in the run-up to the meeting, we’ve identified the leading contenders from the top stables – with John & Thady Gosden’s best chances next on our list. Check these out below, along with 888sport‘s ascot offer; exclusive sign-up offer of Bet £10 and Claim £40 In Bet Bonuses.
MISHRIFF – (Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, 3:40pm Wednesday) 6/1
One of the Gosden’s stable stars, MISHRIFF, looks set to represent the yard in next Wednesday’s feature Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
Mishriff confirmed his status as one of the very best horses in training with a 6l demolition victory in last season’s Juddmonte International, that coming on the back of a creditable second in the King George at this track.
Mishriff has been seen just the twice since his York win, failing to justify favouritism in the Qipco Champion Stakes before bombing out in the Saudi Cup back in February, a run particularly disappointing considering that he had shown himself to be effective on dirt in the past.
Off the track since, Mishriff obviously has questions to answer on reappearance, and although connections must feel he is back to form to be running him here and this looks, on paper at least, to be favourite Bay Bridge’s race for the taking.
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EMILY UPJOHN – (Ribblesdale Stakes, 3:40pm Thursday) 4/1
John Gosden has landed four of the last five renewals of the Ribblesdale Stakes and whilst the Irish Oaks is an obvious alternative target, he does have EMILY UPJOHN still entered here.
This daughter of Sea The Stars looked ultra-impressive when landing a Sandown novice in April and she supplemented that in equally impressive fashion in the Group 3 Musidora at York next time out.
That York victory was the performance of a future Group 1 winner, and Emily Upjohn may well already be that had she not stumbled and lost plenty of ground at the start of last weekend’s Epsom Oaks.
To lose out in a head-bob despite that makes the performance hugely meritorious, and should Emily Upjohn take up the quick return in next week’s Ribblesdale, which will represent a drop-in class from the Oaks, expect her to go off a very short-priced favourite to gain compensation.
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STRADIVARIUS – (Ascot Gold Cup, 4:20pm Thursday) 4/1
If John & Thady Gosden could train any winner at Royal Ascot next week the one that would surely give them the most pleasure would be the legendary STRADIVARIUS landing Thursday’s curtain-raising Gold Cup.
The super stayer had little go his way when attempting to emulate Yeats’ four successive Gold Cup’s last year, finding notable trouble in running when beginning to make his challenge.
Since then, Bjorn Nielsen’s 8yo has added a further three wins to his already impressive CV, prepping for yet another attempt at Gold Cup glory with victory in the Yorkshire Cup last month.
Going back up in trip is going to suit Stradivarius, and connections will be hoping for a clear run this time round – with regular pilot Frankie Dettori once again doing the steering. Although Stradivarius is probably no longer at the very peak of his powers, and comes up against some far less exposed opponents here, given his record at the Royal meeting he is a dangerous horse to dismiss.
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REACH FOR THE MOON – (Hampton Court Stakes, 5:35pm Thursday) 6/4
If John & Thady Gosden’s Thursday at Royal Ascot wasn’t already looking big, throw in the potential for a Royal winner with the Queen’s REACH FOR THE MOON on the card’s penultimate race, the Hampton Court Stakes.
Considered a Derby hopeful at 2, unfortunately, that ultimately never materialised, but the patient approach for Reach For The Moon could ultimately work the oracle, with the colt making a promising 3yo debut when runner-up in Listed company at Sandown last month.
Reach For The Moon is entitled to come on for that run, and he looks like a horse that has been crying out for this 1m2f trip.
Given his connections, Royal Ascot was always likely to have been at the forefront of minds ever since the Derby route was swerved, and therefore expect Reach For The Moon to be well tuned up for this assignment. An official rating of 113 is very likely to make Reach For The Moon one of the highest-rated runners in this line-up, and therefore it’s no real surprise to see him shorten significantly in the recent betting markets.
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INSPIRAL – (Coronation Stakes, 4:20pm Friday) 3/1
Homeless Songs was a very impressive winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas last time out and it will have given her backers’ plenty of confidence to see the runner-up, Tuesday, land the Oaks on her next start. She rightly heads the betting for Friday’s Coronation Stakes, but if there is a potential fly in the ointment, it is likely to be the Gosden’s INSPIRAL.
The Cheveley Park owned daughter of Frankel was last season’s leading juvenile filly, winning all four starts, culminating in Group 1 glory in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October.
That form has been franked spectacularly since with the third, Cachet, landing the 1000 Guineas and the second Prosperous Voyage occupying that same finishing position in the Newmarket Classic.
That form suggests Inspiral would have been tough to stop at Newmarket had she not been forced to miss the race, and ever since connections have earmarked the Coronation Stakes as a starting point for her.
Dermot Weld’s yard hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders of late, and should this continue in the build-up to Royal Ascot, don’t be surprised to see Inspiral’s odds shorten.
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Elsewhere On GG
Charlie Appleby’s Royal Ascot Contenders
Aidan O’Brien’s Royal Ascot Contenders
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