I will be detailing tips for each of the two-year-old races at Royal Ascot. Make sure you come and take a look from Tuesday 14th - Saturday 18th June. Whether you love the pomp, fashion or tradition. Her Majesty The Queen waving to the crowd or top-class racing action with 30 outstanding races to saviour. There is something for everyone at this year's jewel in the racing crown. For each of the days, I will detail just one hot tip for each of the two-year-old contests. It's never easy to find a winner or two here but we will be giving it a good try. If you love a bet, or even better still going to the course then see what we can offer you in the way of selective tips. We have a tip for one horse sired by Frankel. It will take all the beating.
Tuesday - 3:05 Royal Ascot - Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
A big field with 19 runners on good to soft ground. There may well be a few non-runners and if the ground becomes very testing it could be a difficult race to assess. It goes without saying this will be a tough race but I'm making one selection for each two-year-old race so here goes. I'm pretty keen on Mehmas trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Frankie Dettori. His debut effort was decent. I was impressed the way this son of Acclamation defeated Global Applause at Newbury showed a class horse. The form was reversed at Sandown when dropping to the minimum trip but it speaks well to think Global Applause could win at Listed class. This step back up to 6f will see a much better race by Mehmas. Dettori is likely to give this grey a waiting ride and at odds of 8/1 looks a fair each-way bet.
Bet: Mehmas @ 8/1 EW William Hill 2nd
Tuesday - 5:35 Royal Ascot - Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
With 24 entrants this Listed race looks very tricky affair. Plenty of winners and trying to assess both potential and limitation is no easy task. I would be betting small stakes and hoping to steal a place and get lucky for the win. Battaash won with ease on debut at Bath at odds of 14/1. I can only imagine this son of Dark Angel came as something of a surprise but boy did he win well. The only horse for Hamdan Al Maktoum and Hanagan in the saddle gives hope of a big performance.
Bet: Battaash @ 14/1 EW Ladbrokes Unp
Wednesday - 3:05 Royal Ascot - Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
Seventeen runners and a tricky race to have strong views, especially when Wesley Ward's Lady Aurelia will be favouirte. She won well in the U.S so very difficult to assess how the form relates to the UK contenders. However, it would be no surprise to see Lady Aurelia take the beating at 11/4 could well prove a very good price. Ward has stated this filly is in a different class to the others and I would suspect this is the two-year-old connections are pinning their hopes of glory. She will take the beating.
Bet: Lady Aurelia @ 11/4 W Paddy Power 1st
Thursday - 2:30 Royal Ascot - Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
A small field no doubts a consequence of soft ground. Just 11 runners with 6 major hopes with others who need to spring a surprise. Can't say I'm confident about this race but Legendary Lunch should go well and I think this drop back to the minimum trip will be positive. This son of Dragon Pulse didn't seem inconvenienced at Epsom and it might just be a plus. This good-looking colt has pace and enough stamina to last to the line and at 8/1 has each-way claims.
Bet: Legendary Lunch @ 10/1 EW 10Bet 6th
Friday - 2:30 Royal Ascot - Albany Stakes (Group 3)
This Group 3 race for fillies. Sixteen two-year-olds take part and a decent renewal. Taking a bit of a punt here with a big priced tip. Bletchley is trained by Ralph Beckett and certainly needs to improve on her debut win at Nottingham. I don't think connections expected her to win that day and for most of the race I don't think anyone else did. However, she fairly flew home in the closing stages at 25/1. I liked the way she powered home but what I liked, even more, was the physical stature of this daughter of Makfi. She is a good-looking juvenile and for a filly big and strong. It may have been the case those in opposition were just inferior types on looks but Beckett's charge could well put many of these in the shade. With improvement to come, she is worth a speculative each-way bet.
Bet: Bletchley @ 25/1 EW Ladbrokes 2nd
Saturday - 2:30 Royal Ascot - Chesham Stakes (Listed)
The final two-year-old race of Royal Ascot. The Chesham Stakes Listed race over 7f on soft going. Fifteen juveniles take part all race bar one debutante who will need to be smart to win this on his racecourse bow. I mentioned that I had a tip for one of Frankel's offspring and two turns up here. I'm sticking with John Gosden's Cunco to seal a great early-season for the wonder horse/stallion. Cunco did a lot wrong on debut and the preliminaries just about scared every backer off and the layers circled like vultures thinking this chestnut simply couldn't win after being coltish and hot under the collar. However, in the race itself, he was a true professional and made great headway in the final furlong to beat another of today's runner, Isomer, who is held in high regard by Kingsclere. This step up in distance should help and Gosden doesn't send his juveniles to class races they cannot go well. Have each-way claims.
Bet: Cunco @ 9/2 ew Boylesport 3rd
The excitement of Royal Ascot's second day sees the Queen Mary Stakes Group 2 (19th June, 2013). This 5f race for two-year-old fillies is named after Queen Mary the consort of King George V. The race was first run in 1921 with Wild Mint proving victorious.
In 2004, the Queen Mary was upgraded from Group 3 status.
From a historical perspective, Sir Gordon Richards is the leading jockey with 5 wins (Supervisor 1932 - Apparition 1946). While Fred Darling has trained 7 winners.
Since the 1990s Richard Hannon & Mick Channon have achieved great success with a number of talented fillies. This race has been a tip for future juvenile successes. Lyric Fantasy, Gay Gallanta, Blue Duster, Attraction & Queens Logic where all awarded the title of European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Many others have been made favourite for the 1,000 Guineas, including the ill-fated Bint Allayl, who was trained by Mick Channon. One of the most successful winner was seen in 2003. Attraction, a small filly with terrible conformation, trained by Mark Johnston and ridden by Kevin Darley, won by three lengths. This exceptionally gifted filly went on to win both English & Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Famous past winner:
Lyric Fantasy
This Irish bred filly, owned by Lord Carnarvon & Susan Magnier, was trained by elite two-year-old handler Richard Hannon. She was bred by County Cork-based Minch Bloodstock.
Although an early, January, foal, this bay daughter of Tate Gallery was often quoted as being ''small or tiny'' and fondly named ''The Pocket Rocket'' which illustrated her ample pace to diminutive size.
Interestingly, Lyric Fantasy never raced at maiden class, starting her career at Windsor winning in the Lady Caroline Stakes in April, 1992. Clearly held in some regard by connections, she went to Sandown for the National Stakes Listed race. An impressive six length victory gave hope this was a juvenile of pure class.
Royal Ascot beckoned and she was priced 11/8f for the Queen Mary Stakes. Michael Roberts led all the way for an ''impressive'' five length victory. She excelled with an all-age course record.
Her blistering early pace left her opposition struggling and that was emphasized when taking a huge prize in the Super Sprint Trophy at Newbury. After a furlong this 2/5f hit the front, sprinting clear to win easily by six lengths. Richard Hannon commented: ''Her speed is breathtaking.''
In a bold move Hannon opted to go for the Nunthorpe Stakes Group 1 at York over 5f. Although two-year-olds have a handy weight advantage against their older counterparts, few took this route and winning a tough task. However, expectation was high for this tiny horse with an abundance of pace. Hold-up tactics were employed and Roberts' mount ran on strongly to win by half a length.
Bookmakers quoted prices as short as 14/1 for the 1,000 Guineas although there were concerns she would never get the trip of one mile.
Her final race of the two-year-old season saw her attempt six furlongs for the first time in the Cheveley Park Stakes Group 1 at Newmarket. In a small field of class performers she could never catch leader Seyyadati who had previously won the Moyglare Stud Stakes. Some questioned her race tactics of being held up.
Lyric Fantasy was sent to the 1,000 Guineas for her first race at three. Her only attempt at one mile saw her finish sixth of twelve. She wasn't disgraced being beaten by less than four lengths behind Cheveley Park Stakes victor Seyyadati, trained by Clive Brittain.
Dropping back for her next start over 6f saw a comfortable success.
However, her last two performance back at 5f proved disappointing. She finished unplaced in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot & then last behind Lochsong in the Nunthorpe.
She was retired with total prize earnings of over £320,000. Not bad for a yearling who was sold for 12,500gns. At the end of her two-year-old season she was sold for 340,000gns. In 1992 she was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and highest rated by the International Classification.
The Queen Mary Stakes Group 2 is run on the second day of Royal Ascot, 19th June, 2013. This race is for two-year-old fillies competing over 5f. It is named after Queen Mary the consort of King George V. First raced in 1921 it was won by Wild Mint.
In 2004, the Queen Mary was upgraded to Group 2 status.
From a historical perspective, Sir Gordon Richards won the most races with 5 victories (Supervisor 1932 - Apparition 1946). While leading trainer Fred Darling trained 7 winners (Margeritta 1924 - Apparition 1946).
Since the 1990s Richard Hannon & Mick Channon have achieved great success with a number of talented fillies. This race has been a tip for future juvenile successes. Lyric Fantasy (known as the ''pocket rocket''), Gay Gallanta, Blue Duster, Attraction & Queens Logic where awarded the title of European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Many others have been made favourite for the 1,000 Guineas, including the ill-fated Bint Allayl, who was trained by Mick Channon. Probably the most successful winner was seen in 2003 with Attraction, a small filly with terrible conformation. Trained by Mark Johnston and ridden by Kevin Darley, she won by a stylish three lengths. She was an exceptional talent going on to win English & Irish 1,000 Guineas.
