The Jumps season may have only just finished, but heads turn towards Royal Ascot on Wednesday with Ascot Racecourse playing host to their Royal Ascot Trials Day card. We’ve identified three of the biggest names set to take to the track, with our Racing Editor providing his thoughts on their chances. Check this out alongside an exclusive offer from The Pools, who are providing £10 In Free Bets to new customers, when you join and bet £10.
PRINCESS ZOE – 3:35, Longines Sagaro Stakes (Group 3), 2m 7/2
2013 winner Estimate was the last horse to complete the Sagaro Stakes – Gold Cup double, but Mizzou came close when runner-up to Order Of St George in 2016, and last year’s winner Stradivarius went on to finish a somewhat unlucky fourth in the main event having justified odds-on favouritism to land this prior.
There’s no Stradivarius or Trueshan in this field, so there’s certainly the potential for something in the line-up to stake their own Gold Cup claims, with last year’s runner-up, PRINCESS ZOE, a particularly fascinating contender.
It’s easy to forget that Tony Mullins’ mare started life for connections off a mark of just 64, yet she’s developed into a top-class stayer, landing the 2020 Group 1 Prix du Cadran.
If it wasn’t for Subjectivist, Princess Zoe would be a Gold Cup heroine, belying odds of 28/1 when chasing that rival home at last year’s Royal Meeting. Although her form declined subsequently, she is entitled to strip fitter for a recent pipe-opener in Saudi Arabia, and whilst softer ground would likely be preferred, you could argue that’s also the case for at least half of these rivals.
If back to the level of her Gold Cup second, this should be Princess Zoe’s for the taking.
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GO BEARS GO – 4:10, Merriebelle Stables Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes (Group 3), 6f 11/8
David Loughnane enjoyed a real breakthrough season in 2021, and that was in no small part down to his hardy juvenile GO BEARS GO, who danced many dances at the top level.
This colt by Kodi Bear claimed Group 2 honours in the Railway Stakes over at the Curragh, and his 2yo campaign also included top-four finishes in the likes of the Phoenix Stakes, Middle Park and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, as well as a close second to this weekend’s 2000 Guineas hopeful Perfect Power in the Norfolk Stakes at last year’s Royal meeting.
A return to Royal Ascot in 2022 beckons for Go Bears Go, with connections hoping the colt makes up into a leading Commonwealth Cup candidate, for which is currently a best-priced 20/1 in the ante-post betting.
Go Bears Go makes his seasonal return in Wednesday’s Commonwealth Cup Trial, the race that Rohaan landed 12 months previously before going on to land the Wokingham at Royal Ascot (ineligible for the Commonwealth Cup as he was a gelding). He comes out best on these terms, and it would have encouraged potential backers to see his stable send out a first turf winner of 2022 at Yarmouth last week.
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SIR BUSKER – 4:40, Paradise Stakes (Listed Race), 1m 9/4
Whilst the Paradise Stakes would generally be considered a Queen Anne Trial in name only, there is an interesting entrant here in the form of last year’s Queen Anne third SIR BUSKER.
William Knight’s stable star was actually third in last year’s Paradise Stakes before occupying the same finishing position in the Royal Ascot opening Queen Anne, maintaining a fine record at the Royal Meeting after the gelding took the inaugural running of the Silver Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot in 2020.
A slight concern for his backers would be that Silver Royal Hunt Cup victory remains Sir Busker’s most recent victory, with a trio of defeats in Group races in Dubai earlier this year bringing his losing run to 17.
Sir Busker had a visor reapplied the last twice, and that headgear is retained today, whilst this represents a fairly significant drop-in class. He admittedly looks more exposed than his main market rivals Valiant Prince and New Mandate, but form figures of 14330 on the Ascot straight course are not to be sniffed at.
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