Former Talksport man Charlie McCann marks your card with five to follow on Saturday on the final day of the Royal Ascot Festival. View selections below
Royal Ascot 2015 will go down in the record books as the Ryan Moore show and the jockey has a very strong book of rides on the final day this afternoon. That said I think he will be out of luck in the feature Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes which can go to Dermot Weld’s Mustajeeb (4.20).
The selection had often hinted that a drop back to six furlongs might suit and he was a ready winner of the Greenlands Stakes at this trip on his first start at 6f since his racecourse debut. Jockey Pat Smullen is reported to have advised connections to drop the horse back in trip and, having won the Jersey Stakes here last year, he has plenty of ticks in the right boxes. At 9/2 with BetVictor I would be disappointed if he didn’t reach the frame.
The word from Down Under is that Brazen Beau is very good but perhaps not another Black Caviar who won this corresponding race in 2012. Everything that Ryan Moore rides and Aidan O’Brien saddles is worthy of respect and Due Diligence (8/1 at BetVictor) who finished runner up in this event 12 months ago as a 3-y-old is sure to have been trained to the minute and is a big danger.
Seven furlongs is a long way to race for a 2-y-o at this stage of their development but we know Tonkinese gets the trip having scored at Leopardstown earlier in the month for Mick Halford. He had previously finished third on debut to Air Force Blue and that colt finished runner up in the Coventry Stakes earlier in the week.
Preference, however, in the opening Chesham Stakes is for the filly Ballydoyle (2.30) who was too green to do herself justice on debut but was backed as if she was a decent filly and can leave that form behind. She is a sister to the stable’s Irish 1000 Guineas winner Misty For Me and at 2/1 looks a worthy market leader.
Mahsoob looked a cut above a handicapper when scoring at York last time but he is 5lbs worse off with First Flight (3.05) for three-quarters of a length and the possibility is that the short Ascot straight may not suit Mahsoob as much as the Knavesmire. The selection is often held up which is a slight concern, given he has the supposed best draw in stall one, but jockey James Doyle will not want to be too far back and can strike off the home bend.
Telescope (3.45) won the Hardwicke Stakes by seven lengths last year and put behind a modest run first time out this season to run out a 6L winner of the Aston Park Stakes at Newbury last month. Sir Michael Stoute has not had the best of weeks so far but Telescope can give him a welcome winner. Postponed should appreciate the return to a mile-and-a-half and represents the danger from the Luca Cumani stable but Telescope (5/4 at BetVictor) loves fast ground and could be another for Ryan Moore.
The Wokingham is one of the biggest betting races of the week and I want one drawn on either side of the track in this 28-runner handicap. Rising star Edward Greatrex takes a valuable 7lbs off the back of Dinkum Diamond and at 33/1 he might be a shade too big a price but marginal preference is for Intrinsic (5.00) for sprint-king Robert Cowell.
The selection won the Stewards’ Cup at the Glorious Goodwood meeting last year and, although he was subsequently disappointing, he could still be ahead of the handicapper. He won first time out last year, the yard saddled the winner of the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday and, if he gets the breaks, he might be overpriced at 14/1 with BetVictor.
The finale is the marathon 2m 6f Queen Alexandra Stakes. Willie Mullins has saddled the winner twice in the last three years and relies on Wicklow Brave but he is far too short in the market at 11/8 and preference is for Oriental Fox (5.35) who finished fifth in last year’s Ascot Gold Cup and can make a wining reappearance for Mark Johnston. He is 9/1 at BetVictor and is another each way recommendation.
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Be lucky
Charlie
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