Ascot braced for 'Chromies' invasion

There are not too many racehorses who can claim to have their very own band of followers charting every move they make.

American superstar California Chrome is one such horse. Winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in the States last year, he was named 2014 US Horse of the Year after failing to land the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes and valiantly going down fighting in the Breeders' Cup Classic in November.

So devout are the followers of unlikely big-time success story California Chrome, they have become known as 'Chromies'.

Royal Ascot is a million miles removed from the Stetson-inhabited world of California Chrome's part-owner Steve Coburn.

Arriving at Newmarket to oversee his horse's final preparation for Ascot, Coburn acknowledged he would be swapping the Stetson for the top hat and tails in time for the Prince of Wales's Stakes on day two of five-day extravaganza.

Trainer Art Sherman touched down on British soil and, having reviewed California Chrome's Bet fair odds for the 1m2f Ascot contest, declared it would be "the toughest race of his life".

Regularly a short-priced favourite to win his races, California Chrome is set to go off at double figures odds in a race containing Dermot Weld's Free Eagle and Kevin Ryan's The Grey Gatsby.

Sherman acknowledged that the Ascot turf is going to be a different test to anything California Chrome has faced in his career to date.

Having spent over a month at Rae Guest's Newmarket yard in preparation for the Prince of Wales, the four-year-old has had plenty time to settle in and all reports have been positive.

Bred for a paltry fee in the Unites States, California Chrome is the original underdog story. Small-time owners hitting the big time and proving that the small guys can also live out the big dreams.

Victory at Ascot would cement the fairytale story of this American dream horse. Having acquired William Buick to ride at Ascot, Coburn is convinced fate is on his side.”

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.