Horse Racing Picks and Analysis
Tom and Rich are off to a fast start in the first two days of the Royal Ascot. Can they keep it up in day three?
Royal Ascot Tips
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Race 1: NORFOLK STAKES
Race 2: KING GEORGE V HANDICAP
Race 3: RIBBLESDALE STAKES
Race 4: GOLD CUP STAKES
Race 5: BRITANNIA HANDICAP
Race 6: HAMPTON COURT STAKES
Race 7: BUCKINGHAM PALACE STAKES
Royal Ascot Horse Racing Tips and Comments
22 to 1 Tom’s Tips
Race 1 – 14:30
Norfolk Stakes
8 – Mon Na Slieve – Draw 9
Won only starts at York, quickly running on the front end.
It was a minor event but the horses behind him have won or placed in their next starts. Only the horse who ran last hasn’t run.
Dam Side – suggests may be better at 7F to 1 mile
Sire Side – top miler who won the 2000 Guineas
3 – Devious – Draw 7
Won only start at Naas by 2L on the good to yielding going at 5F.
Ran close to the place drop over to the far side and pushed to finish comfortably. A comment was better ground will help this colt.
Dam Side – 6 foal most have won going distance except a Japanese runner who won at 6F
Sire Side – Winner in Australia in group 1 races at 6F to 1 mile. In UJ won a group 1 race at sprint distances.
4 – Elite Status – Draw 4
2 for 2 winning at Doncaster and Sandown on the soft and good going. Winning with room to spare by 3L and 5L.
Favorite?
Both sides of the family point to very strong sprinting abilities. So far, that has been true.
Race 2 – 15:05
King George V Stakes
2 – Gallerist – Draw 17
3 out of 4 wins in France. Won by 81/2L, 41/2L and 13/4L but these were at lesser tracks but he won.
He’s been running at distances 12F and 13.3F.
Last race he was eased at the end.
Mickael Barzalona is over to ride.
6 – Perfuse – Draw 10
Won last 2 races at 10F and 11F on the good to fast and heavy going. These were at the class 5 level.
Went off the favorite in both races.
Moves up in class and they want to see what they have with entry, I think they may have a good one.
16 – Inquiring Minds – Draw 3
Won first out at Newcastle on all-weather by 5L at 10F and then won ran in the Lingfield Derby on the all-weather and was last. A few of these competitors went on to the Epsom Derby. Asked too much of this horse.
Returned in a novice at Doncaster going 12F in class 5 and ran second to my second choice om the good to firm going.
Looks like there is a lot of upside to this horse and at the odds, why not.
Race 3 – 15:40
Ribblesdale Stakes
10 – Lumiere Rock – Draw 8
Good effort at Naas running 2nd in group 3 on the good to yielding at 10F.
Race before didn’t like the heavy going.
A winner of group 3 at the Curragh at 8F for the final race of last year.
This is a best bet horse for me on this day
1 – Al Asifah – Draw 13
A winner her first to race in style with 43/4L and 61/2L at 10F.
The last race was a listed race.
Nothing wrong, but I will try and beat her.
Big Favorite.
18 – Village Voice – Draw 14
Won last race at Navan by 3/4L at 10F on the heavy going.
She won her first start by 1/2L
She’s really run well from her 4 runs.
Trainer has a win already at Royal Ascot in a handicap.
Race 4 – 16:20
Ascot Gold Cup
10 – Yibir – Draw 6
This dead closer ran 4th in the first race of the season at 12F and now the Breeder’s Cup winner will try a long distance, and this may be his game.
Only one-win last year in July, but still at 12F.
Interesting move to a distance race but it should suit him fine with that closing kick just move him at the right time, and William Buick knows the horse.
2 – Broome – Draw 14
He’s raced 3 times this season with 1 win 1 third and average run in Qatar but set up the win.
Tried 16F for the first time in Dubai and showed he may have a career running in these stayer races.
He’s won at Royal Ascot, so he knows his way around.
Melbourne Cup?
11 – Courage Mon Ami – Draw 9
Interesting Gosden horse with only 3 runs, all wins, at distance but not this far and he’s doing it with lengths to spare.
Ok, he never run at this high level, but this is Gosden/Dettori so they must think they have something special.
Race 5 – 17:00
Britannia Stakes
21 – Good Karma – Draw 5
The first start was crap in Maiden and then.
He’s won 2 in a row and looked excellent in both races.
He moves up in class and goes his longest race to date.
He will be moving from the back so some racing luck will be needed.
If he wins, he outruns his breeding.
6 – Racingbreaks Ryder – Draw 22
Has won 4 in a row at this distance and a 7F race.
Racing in class handicaps, he’s been moving up with each race.
He won at Ascot in May by 3 1/2L at a big favorite.
Will be tough here.
9 – Docklands – Draw 18
He won last 2 races and ran 2nd in his first 2 starts.
Last was in class 4 at Ascot and did it with ease by 6 1/2L.
He’s won on the all-weather and soft to good soft going for good to firm will be a new experience.
I should point out that he has faced group winners in the first 2 races of his racing career.
Race 6 – 17:35
Hampton Court Stakes
2 – Drumroll – Draw 5
2 wins and 1 second in his racing career.
Last race at the Curragh over 10F won as the favorite.
He’s won on the heavy and good going so should like Ascot’s good going.
Looks like a winner to me – Moore/O’Brien combo.
1 – Brave Emperor – Draw 3
Has run well in the past 6 races with 3 wins 2 seconds 1 third.
He’s a winner in France, Germany and England and a group 3 winner.
For me, distance is a question mark but with his record, he should be strong at the end.
4 – Bolster – Draw 8
2 for 2 with a win last out in class 5 at Windsor by 6 1/2L.
He won both races on the good going.
Big step up but has done nothing wrong so far.
Race 7 – 18:10
Buckingham Palace Stakes
14 – Biggles – Draw 3
He ran last at Ascot and a good 2nd in big field at 7F in class 2.
His last six races have been good overall 2 wins 2 seconds 2 thirds.
He runs exclusively at 7F in the class 2,3,4 handicaps.
Like any big field, he will need some racing luck to get the job done because the horses so have not been winning from the far side posts.
4 – Vafortino – Draw 19
Good even runs this season with a 1 second and 2 thirds. He’s a winner at 1 mile but at this distance he has 12 starts 3 wins 5 placings.
He better with some moisture in the ground but has won over the good going.
Should get some decent odds.
18 – Lir Speciale – Draw 7
Won his last 2 races at this distance but it was a Kempton on the all-weather.
This horse is 4 wins from 8 starts and was gelded before his last race.
Turf running should be again to his liking now can he get a good trip.
Rich’s Ranks
Race 1: NORFOLK STAKES
10 – NO NAY METS – is George Weaver this year’s Wesley Ward -got a W yesterday, easy work in NGSTK debut win at GP and Toga bullet work in turf since
4 – ELITE STATUS – trusting the oddsmaker with a 7/5 ML
1 – AMERICAN RASCAL – won his debut as the 50 cent FAV at Keeneland, some nice works since
15 – TOCA MADERA – got to have a bomb, won his last with one of the highest class ratings in the field
Race 2: KING GEORGE V HANDICAP
6 – PERFUSE – won the last two, including his last at 1 ½ miles – distance is no problem
1 – BERTINELLI – Ryan Moore, Aiden O’Brien on a horse that isn’t all that far from being undefeated in 4
19 – DOUBLE MARCH – won last out in his best race at Ascot, smells of a practice round with the eye on this race, 3rd up and won only third start after a layoff
Race 3: RIBBLESDALE STAKES
4 – CROWN PRINCESS – finished 3rd in a G1 in France by ¾ a length – only finished behind three horses all that only finished OTM in 4 of 14 races – with 10 wins in those 14 races.
1 – AL ASIFAH – two dominate wins in two races, with becoming late, added distance and traffic are the concerns
2 – BLUESTOKING – just missed last out at 6/5 odds, that was a quarter mile shorter, extra quarter today is beneficial
18 – VILLAGE VOICE – has two wins in three races, the debut and the lone start after a rest. That’s two for two off the bench and she comes in after time off here.
Race 4: GOLD CUP STAKES
3 – COLTRANE – A head away from winning last three at Ascot
13 – ECHOES IN RAIN – off since September, runs well off the bench and ran in top rated races
12 – ELDAR ELDAROV – concerns be a bit, got smoked by COLTRAN and TRUESHAN when they met, but does has a win on Ascot
8 – TRUESHAN – is a half length and a neck from winning his last 5 first up starts
10 – YIBIR – if TRUESHAN scratches as Tom suggests he will on a good track.
Race 5: BRITANNIA HANDICAP
2 – ONE NATION – ITM 8/9, cuts back from 1 ¼ miles to a mile, which I feel might prove to be the right distance for him
6 – RACINGBREAKS RYDER –won last four, unbeaten in three this year, including a crushing win at Ascot in last
9 – DOCKLANDS – never ran a bad race in 4 and absolutely demolished a field at Ascot in his last
5 – STARNBERG – looks like a completely different horse in 2023 and is getting better by the race
Race 6: HAMPTON COURT STAKES
14 – TORITO – appears to be versatile, can adapt to wherever it is on the track, important in deep fields
16 – CAERNARFON – a 3rd and 4th in a pair of G1s in last two – moving a couple notches lower here
4 – BOLSTER two crushing wins in some of the highest class rated races
2 – DRUMROLL – deadheated as the 80 cent favorite in a G3 at the Curragh last out – strong turf pedigree
Race 7: BUCKINGHAM PALACE STAKES
15 – CROUPIER – won his last and also won his last two 2nd starts after a layoff
14 – BIGGLES – ran decently over the Ascot course on May 13th, should run another good one in third off the bench
21 – NOTHERN EXPRESS – usually very close at the end, just missed versus top pick in last and has a solid 7f run at Ascot
27 – SPANISH STAR – let’s end with a bang – the last three races are a major reversal in form, 7f is the right distance 8/2-1-3
