International Horse Racing Today – Royal Ascot – Thursday, June 16, 2022

Horse Racing Picks and Analysis

Maybe day three is the charm for Tom and Rich as they go over potential race shape and make their picks for the Royal Ascot.

Race 1 – Norfolk Stakes
Race 2 – King George V Stakes
Race 3 – Ribblesdale Stakes
Race 4 – Gold Cup
Race 5 – Britannia Stakes
Race 6 – Hampton Court Stakes
Race 7 – Buckingham Palace Stakes

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Royal Ascot Horse Racing Tips and Comments

22 to 1 Tom’s International Tips

2:30

Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (2yo) 5f

3 – Crispy Cat – Race 4

Lost by a neck to Maria Branwell last out in listed race at 5F on good to soft going.

Won maiden at Cork and ran 2^nd in listed race at Curragh

Good races overall and should do well again

Sire high-class sprinter and has produced winners like Perfect Power

Dam was unraced and has produced 3 foals with 2 winners

11 – Pillow Talk – Draw 8

Lost first race to Lost Angel by 1/2L, she tried to close without success

Winner last out in listed race at Yarmouth, asked to go with 1F to go and did nicely for the win

First time vs males should be a challenging but she in form and completive

Sire is top class sprinter and producer of good sprinters

Dam won once in sprint, and this is the first foal

2 – Brave Nation – Draw 9

Easy wire to wire winner last out in maiden at Doncaster over good to firm going. He hung right with 2F to go and went on as the favorite

Sire won this race and others as a 2-year-old has produced 28% winner on the turf. Dam won once on AW and has produced 4 foals with 3 winners

 

3:05

King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (3yo 0-105) 1m4f

3 – Israr – Draw 12

Winner last out at Newbury with 1/2L, slow out of the gate, as to move forward and finished well

Never out of the money in any race, should be handle this bunch

Sire was an excellent sprinter and has produced good runners at all distances

Dam was group 1 winner and never out of the money in her career, she would at distance and her other foal is a winner too

5 – Secret State – Draw 8

Won last by a 1/4L near the lead, ridden at 1F left and ran on

All his races have been at the novice level, with 2 wins 1 second, so steps up here to this class 2

Sire was champion miler who’s offspring have done very well at Ascot at distance

13 – Achnamara – Draw 15

Strong 2^nd last out at Doncaster, up front and headed at the end

Win at Beverley in class 4

Started career on AW surfaces with good results

Like the good to firm going and should be right there throughout the race

Sire was top sprinter but has a few good distance horses

Dam has produced 2 winners that at both distance horses

 

3:40

Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (3yo) 1m4f

2 – Life Of Dreams – Draw 5

Won maiden at Newbury going 10F and ran 2^nd to Emily Upjohn in a group3 race at York at 10.5F. Won nicely in the maiden races as the favorite and good enough run to beat everyone else in her last race.

Charlie Appleby and William Buick with ok odds

6 – Sea Silk Road – Draw 4

First out, tried the AW at Kempton ran 6^th. Maybe not an AW horse?

Next 2 races, ran 8.5F and 10F on good and soft going and won both races, prefers turf.

Last race, problems at the start and won anyways. Listed race

Favorite

3 – Magical Lagoon – Draw 6

First start at Navan ran in listed company and got 2^nd. Lead at first, back off and came again and missed by a head. This was a listed race

Her final race of the year, group1 at Newmarket was not great 7^th but the race had a future 2 race classic winner, one who ran second in that classic race and the winner was undefeated.

 

4:20

Gold Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Cl1 (4yo+) 2m4f

3 – Stradivarius – Draw 2

The fan favorite won his first start of the year by 1L at 14F

He’s won this race 3 times but ran 4^th to Subjectivist last year

Right now, he not the favorite and lost his 2 prior races to Trueshan (he

‘s entered but won’t run because he likes a wet going, good to firm is not his track)

He’s a distance specialist and still just fine at 8 years old.

Frankie Dettori aboard

6 – Mojo Star – Draw 7

Not much in his last race, The Arc at ParisLongchamp but that’s ok

He ran 2^nd in the Epsom Derby last year as a maiden

He ran 2^nd to Hurricane Lane at Doncaster in September

Maiden win (finally) at Newbury in short field for his only win to date.

Layoff for this race but like to run in the money in big races, not all of them but some.

Never been this distance but he was 50-1 in the Epsom Derby

Why not run in the money again?

5 – Eyprios – Draw 5

Won last 2 races at 14F, at Leopardstown and Navan, the last race by 14L

He has 6 starts 4 wins and all races over 1 1/16

At 4, he’s found his racing style by going even farther?  Maybe

Ryan Moore & Aiden O’Brien

Favorite right now after the big win but never been this distance

 

5:00

Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (3yo 0-105) 1m

16 – Amortentia – Draw 14

Winner last out in class3 handicap, first win of career after running 2^nd, 2^nd, 4^th

In control and ran a very strong race, comfortable win by 1/2L

He’s race at 1 mile in 3 of his races and the worst performance was in a 7F race, well, it wasn’t awful.

Sire was top sprinter, dam one won race at 1 1/2miles, first foal

5 – I’m A Gambler – Draw 23

Toss last, behind 7 1/2L, trainer said he ran too free, awful

Won previous race at Beverley by 7 1/2L on good to firm going

The another crap race at Newmarket

If the cycle is correct, he will run a good race today and the distance makes sense

For a 3 yr old, he’s won 5 times from 15 starts with 3 seconds and 2 thirds

This will be his first try at 1 mile

Sire was a good sprinter, dam was distance horse with 2 wins. The other foal never won

8 – Saga – Draw 18

He’s only a maiden winner but won at Ascot in September at 7F

Next race on the AW, he ran 2^nd in returning to the races

Last start was class 2 handicap going 6^th and the stewards asked the question and the jockey said he just stopped, vet check found nothing

Frankie Dettori returns to the saddle and he won and placed on this horse

I will give him another chance

Sire was top sprinter, Dam has produced 7 runners, 4 winners and 2 have placed in stakes races

 

5:35

Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (3yo) 1m2f

6 – Reach For The Moon – Draw 3

This is the Queens horse and thought to be the derby horse, well that didn’t work out but he’s done well overall, 6 starts 2 wins, 4 seconds

Last out, his first start of the season, at good second in listed race at Sandown.

Frankie Dettori rides for the Gosden’s

Very well-bred colt

2 – Cresta – Draw 6

1 win in novice race at Leister and has run ok in other races but the last was at Chester running 2^nd to Star of India.

A few horses from Chester races have so far run well at Ascot and he looks like an ok horse BUT, the trainers have not had a horse that’s won yet this season. So I will put him in the money run in the money

5 – Maksud – Draw 5

Novice winner at Windsor and the tried a listed race at Goodwood and ran 4^th

He dwelt at the start, ran keenly throughout the race and didn’t have anything left, green?

I will give him a chance to place with this bunch

 

6:10

Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 7f

7 – Vafortino – Draw 20

Winner last out in class 2 handicap at 7F in field of 27 at a very good race time.

Used an AW run prep in class 3 handicap at Newcastle

He finished out the season last year with 2 disappointing run

Came back in form for this season and can repeat

5 – Path Of Thunder – Draw 28

After a really bad race, he came back a York to run 4^th at 7F. Moved forward at 2F but wasn’t finishing

He ran in Dubai before coming back and ran a good race in listed race running 2^nd to Happy Power and he was the favorite.

16 starts 4 wins 4 second 3 thirds

Toss the Ascot race, he will put up a good chance here

28 – Ropey Guest – Draw 6

Good 4^th in listed race last out at Windsor, he made some ground at 2F but then backed up, this was at 6F

First run of the season, 7F at Ascot in big field running 5^th. Trouble at start, raced down the center, led at 2F but couldn’t continue on. Fitness?

This 5 year old only has won twice in 27 race career and 11 runs at Ascot without a placing, so this time? 30-1 at least

 

Rich’s Ranks

Race 1 – Norfolk Stakes

2        BRAVE NATION
7        THE ANTARCTIC
10      WALBANK
1        BAKEEL
11      PILLOW TALK
3        CRISPY CAT

Race 2 – King George V Stakes

3        ISRAR
5        SECRET STATE
12      NEWFOUNDLAND
11      SAVVY KNIGHT
2        YASHIN
9        FLYING DOLPHIN

Race 3 – Ribblesdale Stakes

6        SEA SILK ROAD
5        MYSTIC WELLS
2        LIFE OF DREAMS
1        HISTORY
3        MAGICAL LAGOON
4        MUKADDAMAH

Race 4 – Gold Cup

5        KYPRIOS
4        TRUESHAN
3        STRADIVARIUS
7        TASHKHAN
9        BURNING VICTORY
6        MOJO STAR

Race 5 – Britannia Stakes 

16      AMORTENTIA
30      JIMI HENDRIX
29      KITSUNE POWER
2        MR MCCANN
3        GREAT MAX
17      KOY KOY

Race 6 – Hampton Court Stakes

1        CLAYMORE
6        REACH FOR THE MOON
2        CRESTA
5        MAKSUD
3        HOWTH
4        KINGMAX

Race 7 – Buckingham Palace Stakes 

3        SILENT FILM
7        VAFORTINO
4        EJTILAAB
2        TACTICAL
30      THE ATTORNEY
5        PATH OF THUNDER