Thursday is Gold Cup Day at Royal Ascot and the feature race of the week takes centre-stage at 16:20. While it’s a shame that we don’t have Kyprios in this year’s renewal, his absence means it opens the race up and means more have got a chance of winning. I’d be siding with the French horse, Candelari, to bring this prestigious prize back to France. He’s in flying form and comes here off the back of a smart Group One win at Longchamp. It’d be great to see Sweet William win this for my good friend Rab Havlin, but John and Thady Gosden’s veteran has a little bit of a mind of his own, and he might struggle against the French raider.
The Norfolk Stakes (14:30) opens the card and yet again Aidan O’Brien has a well-fancied favourite in here with Charles Darwin. This is a step up in class from his three runs so far, but you can never write off an Aidan O’Brien horse, particularly with the yard in such form with their two-year-olds this week. The one I’d keep an eye on is Richard Hannon’s First Legion. I rode in the maiden he won at York, and he really impressed me. He ran well over five furlongs at Sandown last time out and over this stiff test ought to run well again.
It’s a shame that this year’s Ribblesdale (15:40) isn’t a vintage renewal, but someone has to win it! Paddy Twomey got his first Royal Ascot win on Wednesday with Carmers and I’d expect his Catalina Delcarpio to take some stopping in this. Life Is Beautiful should be respected, as should Aidan O’Brien’s contingent as he’s brilliant at improving his fillies in races like these, but Catalina Delcarpio should be able to take this as she charts an upward curve.
I’m excited to partner God Of War for Tom Clover in the Britannia (17:00). He showed some nice form as a two-year-old and didn’t run to his best when tried in Group Three company on his final start last year. The heavy ground didn’t suit him that day and it was probably the end of a long enough season too. He ran encouragingly at Chester on his seasonal reappearance, and he should improve for that. The really fast ground could be a small concern, but I think he has an each-way chance in what ought to be a super competitive race.
All the best,
Neil