Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for the opening day of Royal Ascot 2023.
Race 1 QUEEN ANNE STAKES (Group 1)
No7 MODERN GAMES
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: William Buick
Baaeed made the 2022 opening race of Royal Ascot something extra special with his silk-smooth victory at 1/6, and it will take an out-of-the-ordinary performance from anything in this field to go anywhere near matching it.
However, the clash of Lockinge Stakes hero and world stage earner MODERN GAMES and former champion two-year-old INSPIRAL can prove an exciting one that should tee us up for another fantastic week. Dubawi colt MODERN GAMES had CHINDIT back in second place when finishing too strongly for that rival at Newbury.
It showed that this three-time Graded stakes winner in North America and Group 1 scorer in France (French Guineas) can do it on the domestic stage. INSPIRAL blew the start when unplaced in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes last back end and looks to have been laid out for this by John Gosden. The daughter of Frankel was a Listed, Group 2 and Group 1 winner in her juvenile season, and enjoys the luxury of the 3lb fillies’ allowance.
CHINDIT displayed battling qualities when taking out the Summer Mile over course and distance last July, and after dispatching CASH over the same distance in a Listed race here in May, gave it his all in the Lockinge. He’s a thoroughly reliable performer who could benefit if those in front of him in the market slip up.
NATIVE TRAIL gives Godolphin a powerful second string to its bow, and is capable of turning the tables on MUTASAABEQ from the Earl Of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket. A winner of six of his ten starts, he’s benefitted from a wind operation but there is a slight issue about the overall recent form of the Appleby horses, and one that also casts a small shadow over Modern Games.
Prediction: 1st MODERN GAMES, 2nd Inspiral, 3rd Chindit, 4th Native Trail, 5th Mutasaabeq
Race 2 COVENTRY STAKES (Group 1)
No17 RIVER TIBER
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
Unbeaten RIVER TIBER is very short in the Hollywoodbets book on the Coventry but granted his ownership (sports the silks of Michael Tabor) and trainer Aidan O’Brien he is probably the one to beat.
Everything needs to go right for a colt to triumph in a race whose field size has doubled in the last decade and a half. Of the 22 acceptors, 17 were winners on their latest starts, but RIVER TIBER has been hugely impressive in storming to a 10-length triumph on Navan debut and a two-and-a-half lengths dismissal of Tourist at Naas. The son of Wootton Bassett comes with a glowing thumbs up from my own contact in Ballydoyle, and can show he possesses the X-factor.
FANDOM has Irad Ortiz Jr in the plate as he attempts to remain unbeaten for America’s happy Ascot hunter Wesley Ward. The son of Showcasing was unbackable when delivering on his Keeneland debut, and having clocked a good time is impossible to dismiss as he moves a fraction up the distance ladder.
Jessica Harrington’s hat-trick seeker GIVEMETHEBEATBOYS has the advantage of being a Group race winner, and it’s very interesting to see Frankie Dettori opting for this Bungleinthejungle colt on his final Coventry ride.
At longer prices I shall include ASADNA, BUCANERO FUERTE and super roughie ZOULU CHIEF in my exotic permutations.
Predication: 1st RIVER TIBER, 2nd Fandom, 3rd Givemethebeatboys, 4th Asadna, 5th Bucanero Fuerte, 6th Zoulu Chief
Race 3 KING’S STAND STAKES (Group 1)
No19 DRAMATISED (Nap)
Trainer: Karl Burke – Jockey: Danny Tudhope
Following the distaffers can pay dividends in a sizzling King’s Stand.
HIGHFIELD PRINCESS sets a high bar for her 18 opponents to aim at courtesy of a Group 1 hat-trick last season, rounded off over this trip in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. She was not disgraced in the Turf Sprint at the Keeneland Breeders’ Cup, and was giving away weight all round when second on seasonal reappearance in the Duke Of York Stakes.
COOLANGATTA is the first of a strong batch of Australian horses to showcase their wares and this Written Tycoon filly worked enthusiastically on the track last week. She was a Group 1 winner at Flemington and under top pilot James McDonald can make her presence felt.
MANACCAN made a pleasing comeback when placed in the Palace House at Newmarket and is one to take seriously, while TWILIGHT CALLS is surely better than he’s shown on two outings this year. He finished a clear second to Nature Strip in the corresponding race in 2022, and could bounce back.
The one that engages me most, however, is DRAMATISED. Karl Burke’s filly dominated the Queen Mary here last season, and after running well in defeat at the Breeders’ Cup came back to dominate the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park. Danny Tudhope starred on the daughter of Showcasing on that previous visit here, and he can do so again.
Prediction: 1st DRAMATISED (Nap), 2nd Highfield Princess, 3rd Coolangatta, 4th Twilight Calls
Race 4 ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES (Group 1)
No9 ROYAL SCOTSMAN (Each Way)
Trainer: Paul Cole – Jockey: Jamie Spencer
Arguably unlucky not to be unbeaten in six career starts, CHALDEAN has the Frankie Dettori factor behind him as he tries to add this Group 1 round a right-handed bend to his Qipco 2,000 Guineas triumph. The son of Frankel unseated Dettori leaving the starting stalls in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, but that proved a temporary blip as he made no mistake in our first Classic with a length and threequarters verdict over Hi Royal, with ROYAL SCOTSMAN and CHARYN in third and eighth.
ROYAL SCOTSMAN looked unfortunate to be drawn on the wrong side of the track but then ran a lifeless race in the Irish Guineas at the Curragh from which he returned with a genuine excuse. Brain Meehan’s ISAAC SHELBY was pipped in the Poule d’Essai Des Poulains at Longchamp and warrants respect, while the Aidan O’Brien-trained PADDINGTON upped his game to take out the Irish Guineas at the Curragh and has untapped potential.
Consideration is also afforded to the unbeaten CICERO’S GIFT, who needs to show that when running right away with a Class 2 at Goodwood was a Group horse in a handicap. The vibes about him from Charlie Hills’s Lambourn base are very strong, but in search of value I’m rowing in with ROYAL SCOTSMAN, who has worked brilliantly since his Irish debacle and can spring a surprise.
Prediction: 1st ROYAL SCOTSMAN, 2nd Chaldean, 3rd Cicero’s Gift
Race 5 ASCOT STAKES (HANDICAP)
No11 ZOFFEE (Each Way)
Trainer: Hugo Palmer – Jockey: Ben Curtis
In a race I’ll be looking to play, ZOFFEE makes a lot of sense as he tries to better his narrow defeat in the Chester Cup. The former hurdler and chaser arrived at Manor Farm Stables a well-handicapped horse, and showed that by taking away cheques in the Goodwood Stakes, the Ebor and the Cesarewitch. He gave it his all on the Roodee and in a race that will be run to suit can better that neck defeat by Metier.
Granted his good record in this race, Nicky Henderson needs respecting with progressive mare AHORSEWITHNONAME who wasn’t far behind Zoffee at Newmarket, and who won well in a two and a half mile Listed novice hurdle at Cheltenham’s April meeting. She’s been targeted at this race and very popular in the ante-post market.
BRING ON THE NIGHT has very few miles on his racing clock and made Coltrane fight for the spoils in this race 12 months ago. A dual scorer on the Flat in France and a smart dual-purpose performer for Wille Mullins, he won after a 644-day break on his 2022 return and will not be fazed by racing for the first time in exactly a year today.
At longer odds, others that could enter the argument and will go into my exotic permutations are CALLING THE WIND, LAW OF THE SEA and PLEASANT MAN.
1st ZOFFEE, 2nd Ahorsewithnoname, 3rd Bring On The Night, 4th Calling The Wind, 5th Law Of The Sea
Race 6 WOLFERTON STAKES (LISTED)
No7 CERTAIN LAD (Each Way)
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: Ben Curtis
CERTAIN LAD will be a big working man’s price but I can see him outperforming his odds for rookie handler Jack Channon. Any rain would increase my confidence in him, and that is forecast. The seven-year-old has a Group 3 success at York to his name, and ran well when handy throughout to claim a minor cheque in a Class 2 handicap at Chester. With only two outings to his name in the last ten months he’s a fresh entity and from a good draw can surprise a lot of those in front of him in the betting.
FRANCESCO CLEMENTE gets first-time cheek pieces from trainer John Gosden and needs considering. The Dubawi colt was having just a fourth career start when meeting defeat for the first time in a Listed race at Goodwood.
Frankie Dettori would bring the house down if successful on that horse’s stablemate SAGA. The grey is owned by the King, and was an unlucky loser of the Britannia here 12 months ago. KING OF CONQUEST proved a nemesis for Francesco Clemente at Goodwood and now, chasing an impressive four-timer, could have more to say.
Prediction: 1st CERTAIN LAD, 2nd Francesco Clemente, 3rd Saga, 4th King Of Conquest
Race 7 COPPER HORSE HANDICAP
No7 VAUBAN
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Ryan Moore
From an outfit that has a good record with its stayers at the meeting, VAUBAN is a horse that should be well worth waiting for. Sourced from the French provinces where he gained back-to-back triumphs on the Flat, he’s proved a top-class jumper for Mullins in two seasons’ racing.
The champion juvenile of the 2021/22 campaign, he was a 100% earner in a select campaign last season, being placed on all four starts as he chased the shadows of stablemate State Man and outstanding champion Constitution Hill. The chestnut has Ryan Moore in the irons, and has a great chance to deliver.
SAM COOKE appeals as a win and place value at a much longer price, as he’s shown in his last three outings for Ralph Beckett that he’s only now at the age of six realising his true potential. He gained back-to-back triumphs at Newmarket and Newbury last summer and returned from a protracted break to finish a close up second in a hotly contested Class2 handicap at York last month. A horse that doesn’t mind getting his toe in, the recent thunderstorms in this part of Berkshire should have kept enough juice in the ground for it to suit him.
RULING DYNASTY was a wide-margin winner of a Haydock Park novice when stepping up to this distance and has to be respected on this first venture 8nto handicap company for Charlie Appleby.
POSTILIO is chasing a hat-trick for Roger Varian and was returning from a seven-month absence when notching his latest success.the gelding is open to further progression, but caution is encouraged as he could be affected Ted by the bounce factor. POINT KING is another to take very seriously granted his Listed class at Leopardstown and narrow defeat in a Group 3 at the same track on his latest outing.
Prediction: 1st VAUBAN, 2nd Point King, 3rd Ruling Dynasty, 4th Sam Cooke, 5th Postilio
