5:35 Ascot (16th June) WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES (Listed Race) (CLASS 1) (2yo)

The Windsor Castle Stakes Listed race over 5f on good going. A huge field of twenty-seven two-year-olds. A cavalry charge if you have every seen one. Far too many horses to detail so will just note a major contender. 

Mick Channon doesn't have many juveniles win on debut, especially at big odds - it is often a sign they have a touch of class.

In a race of this nature this daughter of Thousand Words will need to shine. 

Purchased at the yearling sales for just £1,800, her original owners - The Sweet Partnership - must have been as happy as a child with a bag of aniseed balls when this strapping filly was sold to Qatar Racing Ltd - a rags to riches tale. 

Opal Tiara looked rather awkward on debut but finished with zeal to beat a decent field and then showed a resolute style when chasing home Easton Angel in the Hilary Needler Trophy over the minimum distance at Beverley. The winner, trained by Michael Dods, is a class act [major fancy in the Queen Mary Stakes Group 2] with that pair beating the third in comfortable style. Opal Tiara's strength in this race is that she is likely to finish with purpose which is the antithesis of the field in general. It is often the case at this high level, horses sprint for four furlongs and tire in the closing stages. There is a propensity for horses to run much too fast here.

For a horse to finish its race is a positive and that could well be the characteristic of this bay filly. At odds of 20/1 Opal Tiara could well be one of the few horses to finish with the verve.   
Ran a decent race in 7th - storming home but all the pace was far side while made it an impossible task for all those high drawn. 
   

2:20 Windsor Racing Tips (6th October) BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF MAIDEN STAKES (DIV I) (CLASS 5) (2yo) Winner £2,911 11 runners 1m67y

An EBF Maiden Stakes over 1m 67y on soft ground. Eleven two-year-olds take part: colts, geldings & solitary filly. Last week I mentioned one of Andrew Balding's juveniles on its second start - which disappointed. Horses win: horses lose. In general, my analysis is correct so we will see if Kingsclere Park House Stable can hit the target this time round. Rocky Rider is a son of top-class stallion Galileo out of a limited-winning mare. This bay colt was purchase by David Redvers Bloodstock for 400,000gns from Tattersall October Sales 2013 (Book 1). The mare has produced a number of exceptionally expensive offspring - no doubt being influenced by Blue Duster, who is on this youngster's page. In the familiar maroon silks of Qatar Racing Ltd, Rocky Rider was quite well backed on debut at Haydock over one mile when fourth behind Lord Ben Stack. Although beaten a good few lengths this juvenile showed promise and is sure to come on first that first start. If priced in single figures hold respectable win and place claims.