Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Day 3 of Royal Ascot 2024.
ROYAL ASCOT 2024 – DAY 3
Race 1 NORFOLK STAKES (Group 2)
No13 WHISTLEJACKET
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
WHISTLEJACKET enjoyed returning to the minimum trip when dominating from the front in the First Flier Stakes and has a similar profile to his brother Little Big Bear, who was successful at this meeting as a juvenile.
Mehmas colt AESTERIUS has to enter all permutations following his resounding triumph on debut at Bath. It’s hard to gauge how much improvement can be gleaned from Archie Watson’s charge, but the trainer is confident.
Wes Ward’s SATURDAY FLIRT made no mistake on his introduction at Keeneland, and in the popular silks of Fitri Hay can also get in on the act.
Prediction: 1st WHISTLEJACKET, 2nd Aesterius, 3rd Saturday Flirt
Race 2 KING GEORGE V HANDICAP
No2 GASPER DE LEMOS (Each away)
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: D McMonagle
JUSTIFY colt GASPER DE LEMOS is carded to start at a big double-figure price, but is one to take seriously. He was an impressive winner of his maiden at the Curragh, finished third in a Group 3 at Newmarket and has not been disgraced in a couple of Listed races this season. Though turned over when odds-on at Navan he is better than he showed, and a slight step back in trip won’t do him any harm.
CHANTILLY is another Coolmore colt in this harbouring genuine claims, and needs respecting even though he was beaten into third in the London Gold Cup at Newbury. The winner of that King’s Gambit carries my Nap in a later race, and I think the form is strong. GILDED WATER carries the colours of The King in a bid to give His Majesty a second success in this race in as many years. He was racing for only the third time when powering home at Chepstow, and from a good draw can get into the shake-up.
Ralph Beckett’s GOING THE DISTANCE seeks a fourth success on the bounce although life will not be easy for him from a draw one from the outer. It tempers my enthusiasm that he can further stretch his sequence.
Prediction: 1st GASPAR DE LEMOS, 2nd Chantilly, 3rd Gilded Water, 4th Going The Distance
Race 3 RIBBLESDALE STAKES (Group 2)
No6 KALPANA
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Study Of Man filly KALPANA had won two of her three starts when proving costly for her supporters in Listed company at the Newmarket Guineas meeting. It’s probably best to give her the benefit of the doubt and invest in her to bounce back in this step up in class but over a longer trip that will suit her.
PORT FAIRY is preferred to RUBIES ARE RED from the Coolmore challenge, the former having narrowly failed to resist FOREST FAIRY in the Cheshire Oaks. Her conqueror was then beaten fair and square in the Betfred Oaks where the undulating track didn’t play to her strengths.
YOU GOT TO ME fared best of Ralph Beckett’s four contenders at Epsom, and based on that fourth placing has to be respected dropped in class. DIAMOND RAIN took out a Newbury Listed prize for Godolphin and is greatly respected in her bid to complete a hat-trick and remain unbeaten.
Prediction: 1st KALPANA, 2nd Port Fairy, 3rd You Got To Me, 4th Diamond Rain
Race 4 GOLD CUP (Group 1)
No8 VAUBAN
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Colin Keane
KYPRIOS hasn’t managed to turn back the clock in two underwhelming displays so far this season and you need a chunk of belief to back him to regain his Gold Cup crown. Aidan O’Brien is confident the six-year-old can bounce back, but in a race that’s more open than usual, I prefer VAUBAN. The Mullins raider demonstrated his liking for this course in the 2023 Copper Horse and ran well to a point on comeback at York, suggesting he will be the one to benefit most should Kyprios continue on the decline.
SWEET WILLIAM has interlocking formlines with TRUESHAN, and with the latter unlikely to encounter his favoured cut in the ground can confirm recent superiority from Ascot and Sandown.
He’s an upwardly mobile member of the stayers’ premier league but might find it hard to reverse last autumn’s form here with TRAWLERMAN, who if buoyed by his excellent third to Tower Of London in the Dubai Gold Cup will definitely have a lot to say in proceedings.
Prediction: 1st VAUBAN, 2nd Trawlerman, 3rd Sweet William, 4th Kyprios
Race 5 BRITTANIA HANDICAP
No21 VOLTERRA (Each Way)
Trainer: Kevin Ryan – Jockey: Neil Callan
This wickedly competitive three-year-old only handicap presents punters with a puzzle that can prove impossible to solve. If you manage to back the winner, you are doing incredibly well. Let’s look at STARLORE, who although well beaten in his two outings for Sir Michael Stoute this year is one to have on your mind. The Kingman colt shows in his work that he’s a good horse, and could easily bounce back.
MICKLEY represents a trainer who came within an ace of landing a Group 1 here on Tuesday, and whose small but select team for the week need close inspection. After a couple of resounding wins in the North, he has a good chance of finishing in the money.
NATIVE WARRIOR is another raider making the long haul from Yorkshire who can go well even though he had to battle to land odds of 1-2 laid on him at Nottingham. AIR COMMANDER might find a first-time visor giving him the nudge he needs to get competitive for Aidan O’Brien, but a more solid entity is VOLTERRA who fairly romped home on handicap debut at Newmarket and has been kept on hold with this race his big target for Kevin Ryan.
Prediction: 1st VOLTERRA, 2nd Starlore, 3rd Mickley, 4th Native Warrior, 5th Air Commander
Race 6 HAMPTON COURT STAKES (Group 3)
No7 KING’S GAMBIT (Nap)
Trainer: Harry Charlton – Jockey:
KING’S GAMBIT made the very tough London Gold Cup look one-sided when taking out that Newbury race by a comfortable margin. He impressed with the way he momentarily came under a ride two furlongs out, only to find hidden reserves in the final furlong and draw clear. The chestnut has been masquerading as a Group horse in a handicap and can advertise that fact by proving the best bet of the week for a trainer who is showing he’s got what it takes to succeed.
FIRST LOOK comes firmly into the reckoning based on his second for Andre Fabre in the French Derby. The master trainer must always be respected with his runners here, and this son of Lope De Vega should contend for top honours. PORTLAND hit the woodwork a few times before taking out a Listed race at Leopardstown which if boosting his confidence puts him firmly in the mix.
The Richard Hughes-trained BRACKEN’S LAUGH is something of a joker in the pack, having very good form against King’s Gambit at Newbury, Los Angeles at Saint-Cloud and latterly against Capulet in the Dee Stakes at Chester. Rule him out at your peril.
Prediction: 1st KING’S GAMBIT, 2nd Bracken’s Laugh, 3rd First Look, 4th Portland,
Race 7 BUCKINGHAM PALACE HANDICAP
No23 FRESH (Each Way)
Trainer: James Fanshawe – Jockey: Hayley Turner
Anyone who saw FRESH’s recent run behind Buccabay at Haydock will find him of interest in this 1400-metre handicap, even though it’s inconclusive that this is his optimum trip. The seven-year-old appears to have gone off the boil but has consequently dropped to a very tempting mark, and let’s not forget he was a dual winner over this course and distance in the summer of 2022.
NORTHERN EXPRESS is a solid performer who on a fourth start of the year might be ready to step up to the plate. The strong traveller was just run out of it by Point Lynas at York after the pair came clear, and is a horse that looks ready to win.
ENGLISH OAK looked progressive when scoring at Haydock and has subsequently been snapped up by Wathnan Racing. I expect him to prove popular in the betting, while ROPEY GUEST is a roughie that can perform better than his price suggests he will.
Prediction: 1st FRESH, 2nd Northern Express, 3rd English Oak, 4th Ropey Guest
