Yahoo Sport UK’s Royal Ascot – Day 1 Preview

Yahoo Sport UK has teamed up with Bet4Causes to bring you a preview of the day’s British racing – and The Night Hawk marks your card.

Each day we will provide you with a preview of the day’s racing, offering what the experts feel will be the value bets of the day.

It is Day One of the Royal meeting at Ascot and we have the analysis and selections for every race, plus all the other British and Irish meetings taking place on Tuesday, June 14, 2016…

ROYAL ASCOT – DAY ONE

2.30 Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 1m

Forecast: Tepin (7/2), Belardo (4/1), Ervedya (4/1), Endless Drama (6/1), Esoterique (7/1), Kodi Bear (10/1), Toormore (14/1), Amazing Maria (20/1), Arod (20/1), Mondialiste (20/1), Cougar Mountain (25/1), Lightning Spear (25/1), A Shin Erwin (66/1), Barchan (250/1)

History: First run in 1840, the Queen Anne Stakes commemorates the monarch who established racing at Ascot. Run over Ascot’s straight mile, the Queen Anne Stakes attracts the leading older milers from across Europe.

The Diamond Jubilee year of 2012 saw the greatest performance in the rich history of the Queen Anne Stakes. Frankel was imperious as he sauntered to a magnificent 11-length victory over Excelebration, giving trainer Sir Henry Cecil his fifth victory in the race. Frankel, who started at 1/10, retired at the end of the year as the winner of all 14 of his starts, (10 of which were Group One contests). The son of Galileo earned a rating of 140 in the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Ratings - the highest awarded since the system was introduced in 1977 - and was hailed as the greatest horse ever.

French raider Solow provided Freddy Head with another victory in 2015 and became the 19th favourite or joint favourite to succeed in 70 runnings.

ANALYSIS: Raiders from America, France, Japan and Ireland join the British contingent as 14 runners are scheduled to go to post.

TEPIN, who represents the American barn of Mark Casse, has won nine of her last 11 starts and finished on the two other occasions.

The five-year-old took the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup mile at Keeneland last October and while most of her best form is on a faster surface than she will encounter, she is likely to be vying for favouritism for the £340,260 first prize.

Japan is represented by A Shin Erwin, trained by Hidemasa Nakao. His won in heavy ground at Maisons-Laffitte last month but looks out of his depth at this leel.

Erveyda followed up her soft-ground win in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches by landing the Group 1 Coronation Stakes for French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget here last year. She has won her last three starts with ‘soft’ in the going description and showed her wellbeing with a fair second in a Group 2 at Saint-Cloud on her first run of the season. Like Tepin, she receives a weight allowance from the colts and could be the one to beat.

Fellow French raider Esoterique took the top-level Prix Jacques le Marois and the Sun Chariot Stakes last season on respectively very soft ground at Deauville and on quick ground at Newmarket. She found 7f a bit sharp on her seasonal debut and should be a force in an open race.

The Roger Varian-trained Belardo took the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on his last start and is proven on soft ground. He has a decent turn of foot which the likes of Endless Drama (3rd) Toormore (5th) and Kodi Bear (7th) and pace-setting stablemate Barchan (12th) could not deal with.

3.05 Coventry Stakes (Group 2) 6f

FORECAST: Caravaggio (9/4), Mehmas (5/1), Psychedelic Funk (11/2), Yalta (7/1), Mokarris (10/1), Silvertoni (12/1), Broken Stones (14/1), Thunder Snow (14/1), Lundy (20/1), Medieval (20/1), Monks Stand (25/1), Van Der Decken (25/1), Grand Coalition (33/1), Nibras Bounty (33/1), Parys Mountain (33/1), Rusumaat (33/1), Stoneyford Lane (50/1), Dolokhov (100/1), Garth Rockett (100/1)

ANALYSIS: A juvenile sprint and a fair race for those at the head of the market in recent years with seven of the last 12 winners either favourite or joint-favourite landing the first prize, which is £85,065 this year.

Mark Johnston won this for the first time last year with Buratino and he is represented this time by Yalta, who is unbeaten in two starts, having made all the running at Pontefract last time.

Aidan O’Brien is looking to win this race for the eighth time and relies upon Caravaggio, who won a Listed 5f event on soft ground at the Curragh last time, showing a neat turn of foot and recording a very good time for the conditions. However, he showed inexperience and fellow Irish raider PSYCHADELIC FUNK could be the viable alternative. Similarly unbeaten in two starts, Ger Lyons’s son of Choisir won from the front at Naas last time over 6f and quickened up well on soft ground that he would not necessarily have appreciated.

Mehmas looks the best of the home guard, despite having his colours lowered by Global Applause at Sandown in the Listed National Stakes. That was over 5f and he had the winner behind previously over today’s trip at Newbury. Richard Hannon’s representative should be a leading player if handling the likely soft ground.

Mokarris looked very professional on his debut when accounting for 12 rivals at Newbury, but he may be better on a quicker surface.

Likewise, Wesley Ward’s American raider Silvertoni, who is a speedily-bred Tapit filly, would prefer a sounder surface than she is likely to get, despite her trainer’s upbeat assessment of her potential.

Bet4Causes ambassador Jim Crowley rides Monks Stand for Jeremy Noseda. A winner of his last two, he will sport cheekpieces and may run well at a big price.

3.40 King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) 5f

FORECAST: Mecca’s Angel (9/4), Profitable (5/1), Acapulco (11/2), Goldream (12/1), Muthmir (12/1), Waady (14/1), Jungle Cat (16/1), Mongolian Saturday (16/1), Pearl Secret (16/1), Take Cover (20/1), Cotai Glory (25/1), Medicean Man (25/1), Aeolus (33/1), Double Up (33/1), Goken (33/1), Lancelot Du Lac (33/1), Move In Time (33/1), Out Do (33/1), Sir Maximilian (33/1), Hay Chewed (100/1)

HSTORY: Trainer Robert Cowell and jockey Jim Crowley both celebrated Royal Ascot success for the first time in 2011 as Prohibit stormed home to win by half a length. The international stature of the sprint was highlighted as five different racing jurisdictions filled the first five places with Australia (Star Witness), Hong Kong (Sweet Sanette), Hungary (Overdose) and Germany (War Artist) chasing home the Newmarket-trained winner. Cowell was on the scoresheet again with 20/1 shot Goldream who got there in the last stride in a thrilling finish to the 2015 renewal.

This is not a good race for favourites, with just two market leaders landing the first price, which this year stands at £226,840, in the last 21 runnings.

ANALYSIS: This race, part of the British Champion Series and Global Sprint Challenge, has not attracted so many overseas raiders this year, although America, France, Ireland and Britain are all represented.

ACAPULCO scorched to victory in the Queen Mary here last year and then was narrowly beaten by Mecca’s Angel in the Nunthorpe at York. Wesley Ward’s American raider as showed her wellbeing with two victories on quick ground to start her three-year-old campaign, but the easy ground is a concern as it forced her to miss the Temple Stakes at Haydock.

The Michael Dods-trained Mecca’s Angel opened her campaign with a narrow second to Profitable in the heavy-ground Temple Stakes and had Waady (3rd), Pearl Secret (4th), Aeolus (5th), Muthmir (8th) and Sir Maximilian (9th) in behind.

Muthmir will no doubt come on a bit for that seasonal bow, although the easy surface will not play to his strengths. Likewise, last year’s winner Goldream would not appreciate any further rain.

4.20 St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) 1m

FORECAST: The Gurkha (11/8), Awtaad (7/4), Galileo Gold (5/1), Emotionless (12/1), Zonderland (16/1), Cymric (33/1), First Selection (33/1), Ehtiraas (66/1)

HISTORY: Named after the Tudor Royal residence, the inaugural running of the St James’s Palace Stakes in 1834 gave little indication of the high-quality fields that the race would later produce. The race usually features colts that won or were placed in the English, Irish or French 2,000 Guineas and is a good one for the market leaders, with nine of the last 11 prevailing, including last year’s winner Gleneagles.

ANALYSIS: This year’s select field is a high-class one, bringing together the winners of the English, Irish and French 2,000 Guineas.

THE GURKHA was a five-length winner of the French version, quickening up well to cruise past long-time leader First Selection. He had previously only won a Navan maiden but is in the right hands to find improvement, being saddled by master trainer Aidan O’Brien, who has won this race seven times.

The Kevin Prendergast-trained Awtaad was beaten on his debut last season but has since won four times and saw off English 2000 Guineas hero Galileo Gold (above) in the Irish version at the Curragh, with the yielding ground playing a major part in his two and a half-lengths success.

Hugo Palmer’s runner-up ran very freely and he needs to learn to settle better to remain a force at the top level. Still, it would not be a major surprise should he bounce back, although the east ground would be against him.

Zonderland, sixth in the 2000 Guineas, subsequently took the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown (Cymric well held) and Emotionless, who is having his first run of the season after being beaten by Air Force Blue in the Dewhurst last October, is more interesting and has scope for improvement.

5.00 Ascot Handicap 2m4f

FORECAST: Pique Sous (6/1), Silver Concorde (7/1), Galizzi (8/1), No Heretic (8/1), Sempre Medici (8/1), Eshtiaal (10/1), Jennies Jewel (10/1), Moscato (10/1), Hassle (16/1), Penglai Pavilion (16/1), Chartbreaker (20/1), Le Maitre Chat (20/1), Mill Springs (20/1), Mirsaale (20/1), Wolfcatcher (20/1), Montaly (25/1), Qewy (25/1), Totalize (25/1), Saved By The Bell (33/1), Sunblazer (33/1)

ALANLYSIS: Never an easy puzzle to solve. Clondaw Warrior became only the second favourite to land this staying handicap in 23 years when taking the prize in 2015.

This race is invariably won by a trainer more noted for jumpers and in the past five years it has been landed by Willie Mullins (twice), Jonjo O’Neill and Nicky Henderson.

Mullins relies on Pique Sous, who won the Queen Alexandra Stakes here two years ago and has had just one run since (a lacklustre tenth of 15 in a Curragh handicap last month) and Sempre Medici, last seen finishing almost 10 lengths behind stablemate Vroum Vroum Mag in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

Derby-winning trainer Dermot Weld saddles SILVER CONCORDE, who has plenty of easy-ground form and there was plenty to like about his close-up third to the Nicky Henderson-trained No Heretic in the Chester Cup last month (Totalize and Le Maitre Chat well held).

Trained by Charlie Appleby, Galizzi looked a horse who was well above his handicap mark when scoring easily at Goodwood on good to firm ground a week ago and he runs under a penalty. It would be no shock to see him follow up and continue to improve.

Fran Berry, who has won this race twice in the last three years, has been booked to ride Eshtiaal, a winner last time at Cartmel for Gordon Elliott. Jennies Jewel, runner-up in the Champion Stayers Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival, and Moscato, seventh in last season’s Cesarewitch, are others to consider.

5.35 Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) 5f

FORECAST: Big City Dreamin (4/1), Drafted (9/2), Mister Trader (7/1), Tomily (10/1), Battaash (12/1), Kananee (12/1), Pedestal (12/1), Copper Knight (14/1), Top Score (14/1), Yulong Baobei (14/1), Ardad (20/1), Pretty Vacant (20/1), Ready To Roc (20/1), Ambiguity (25/1), Callender (25/1), Fayez (25/1), Full Intention (25/1), Bective (33/1), Bolt Phantom (33/1), Savannah’s Dream (33/1), Leontes (50/1), Stringybark Creek (50/1), Big Lachie (66/1), Just An Idea (66/1)

ANALYSIS: American handler Wesley Ward has won this race twice in the last seven years and has the likely favourite in the shape of Big City Dreamin, who won on the dirt at Keeneland in April over 4.5f. Ward thins the world of this filly, who is all speed. Whether she will handle easy ground is open to argument.

Godolphin’s American operation is run by Eoin Harty, who sends over DRAFTED. Like Big City Dreamin, he has a similar profile, having has just one run, a winning effort over the Keeneland dirt.

There is not a lot between Mister Trader, a fine second of nine to Caravaggio at the Curragh, Tomily, who made all at Chepstow and Battaash, who looked promising when scoring at Bath last time.

LUCKY 15 SELECTIONS

THE GURKHA (Ascot 4.20, NAP)

PSYCHADELIC FUNK (Ascot 3.05, nb)

EL DUCQUE (Brighton 6.20)

CAPTAIN BARBOSA (Roscommon 7.30)

OTHER SELECTIONS:

THIRSK: 2.10 Speed Freak, 2.45 Princess Peaches, 3.20 Trevisani, 3.55 Apres Midi, 4.35 Rural Celebration, 5.10 Manatee Bay, 5.45 Malakky, 6.15 Pavers Star

STRATFORD: 2.20 Miliair, 2.55 Blue Et Noir, 3.30 Sonofagun, 4.05 Red Hammer, 4.45 Ballyvaughn, 5.20 Magic Bullet

BEVERLEY: 6.40 Bear Valley, 7.10 Sonnet, 7.40 Foxy Forever, 8.10 Miss Ranger, 8.40 Lord Kelvin, 9.10 British Embassy

BRIGHTON: 5.50 Afandem, 6.20 El Duque, 6.50 Dalavand, 7.20 Yankee Mail, 7.50 Mrs Warren, 8.20 Compton Prince, 8.50 Picansort

ROSCOMMON: 5.30 Miro, 6.00 Champagne Harmony, 6.30 All Summer Long, 7.00 Lean Times, 7.30 Captain Barbosa, 8.00 Chitu, 8.30 Dramatic Event, 9.00 Dorans River

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