Our form expert Ben Linfoot tipped Rosallion on day one and he has five selections for day two of Royal Ascot 2024 including in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
The Verdict: Wednesday, June 19
1pt win Grosvenor Square in 3.05 Royal Ascot at 10/1 (General)
1pt win Orchid Bloom in the 3.45 Royal Ascot at 18/1 (General)
1pt win Alflaila in the 4.25 Royal Ascot at 9/1 (General)
1pt win Daysofourlives in the 5.05 Royal Ascot at 20/1 (bet365, BetVictor, Ladbrokes)
1pt win Azahara Palace in 5.40 Royal Ascot at 16/1 (bet365)
Alflaila can be crowned Prince of Ascot
The Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot has diluted in quality ever so slightly with two sons of Ulysses, Passenger and White Birch, ruled out, but it remains a fascinating renewal of the 10-furlong showpiece with Auguste Rodin topping the bill.
Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character, but with the ground on the quick side conditions are in his favour so he’s in no excuses territory as he bids to win his first Group 1 as an older horse.
On the best of his three-year-old form he’s the one to beat, but he looks short enough given he can be hit and miss and he didn’t have a good experience on his last visit to Ascot, even if there was a bit of cut in the ground that day.
I’m happy to take him on and while Inspiral is the obvious one who can take advantage she can be a moody mare as well, as she showed when missing the break on Champions Day at this track in 2022 when a well beaten 11/10 favourite in the QEII.
Either could win this race if they are on their A-game, but neither are reliable on that score and consequently I do think it’s worth having a go against the big two with Owen Burrows’ ALFLAILA who is a bit of a forgotten horse at 9/1.
That’s because he hasn’t been seen for 284 days, but he’s a horse that goes very well fresh having won off 209 and 294 days off before, including in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes last July where he showcased a rapid turn of foot to go from last to first on the Knavesmire.
It’s a performance that marked him out as a Group 1 contender and while things didn’t work out for him in the Irish Champion Stakes, he was beaten just over three lengths by Auguste Rodin despite giving himself plenty to do after a slow start.
Burrows must be keen to have a go at Auguste Rodin again, as he could’ve run Alflaila in the Wolferton, and he has made encouraging noises regarding his progress at home in the build-up saying ‘he has filled out and strengthened up again’.
He’s a trainer that has an excellent record bringing his horses back after a break, his record with horses who have had 220+ days off reading 21/95 at 22.11%, and with the faster ground very much in his favour Alflaila could well cause a bit of an upset in the day two feature.
The Verdict: Back ALFLAILA in the 4.25 Royal Ascot
Grosvenor Square can thrive in Queen’s Vase
Aidan O’Brien looks to have a strong grip on the Queen’s Vase as he bids to win it for an eighth time with Illinois and stablemate Highbury dominating the top of the betting.
However, it’s the Ballydoyle third string, GROSVENOR SQUARE, that looks the bet and he’s worth an interest at 10/1 and bigger.
The son of Galileo looked a stayer in the making when he won the nine-furlong Eyrefield Stakes by over four lengths on heavy ground at two, making all for a decisive success after which Seamie Heffernan declared he had a ‘huge future’.
Such a reputation was one reason he went off 7/4 favourite for the Chester Vase, but it wasn’t a surprise to see him get turned over there after a spring in which O’Brien’s three-year-olds looked badly in need of their first runs of the campaign.
That was certainly the case with this horse who was considerately handled by Ryan Moore on his way to third at Chester and he is expected to come on significantly for that run.
Dashing Willoughby was third in the Chester Vase before he won the Queen’s Vase and Grosvenor Square’s half-brother, Santiago, won the Queen’s Vase on his first go at the 1m6f distance.
Indeed, everything points to Grosvenor Square improving now he tackles a trip at three while he’s arguably the form pick anyway on his Group 3 win at two.
The Verdict: Back GROSVENOR SQUARE in the 3.05 Royal Ascot
Orchid to Bloom for Haggas
In the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes for fillies and mares, now on the round course, I’m going to take a chance on ORCHID BLOOM on the quickest ground she’ll have ever faced at a big price.
William Haggas has gone on record saying how much she likes soft ground and she was ruled out of the Sandringham last year on Good to Firm because of the fast conditions, so I am well prepared to see her taken out of the race in which case stakes are returned and we’ll move on.
However, progeny of Farhh have a very good record on Good to Firm and I just wonder if Haggas will let her take her chance given this looks the perfect race for her after she caught the eye in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh last time out.
Beaten a head by Rogue Millennium, winner of last year’s Duke Of Cambridge and well fancied again this time, she was undone by the slow pace but shaped like she had loads more to give as she ran on strongly for fourth.
A stronger gallop around Ascot will likely see her in a much better light and after just eight career runs she remains unexposed – just like Move Swiftly who won this race for the same owner, sire and trainer in 2019 on her eighth career start.
Haggas has opted for a first-time tongue-tie, so it’s encouraging he’s a respectable 21% with the t1, and in a race where the one standout mare, Laurel, is coming off a long break, it could be worth taking a chance on a lightly-raced filly like Orchid Bloom who could improve to the required standard.
The Verdict: Back ORCHIRD BLOOM in the 3.45 Royal Ascot
Taking two in the handicaps
With the Kensington Palace Stakes switched to the straight track there are two big-field cavalry charges to get stuck into and DAYSOFOURLIVES makes plenty of appeal at around 20/1 in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Marco Botti’s horse has improved this season despite being inconvenienced by trying to come from off the pace in races that weren’t particularly run to suit on his first two starts of the season on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile.
His third and second places suggest he is in the form of his life and he could improve significantly now he’ll be tracking a proper gallop in the Hunt Cup.
The son of Churchill stays 10 furlongs well and this race should bring his stamina into play, with Botti applying the first-time visor in a bid to help him travel through the early stages so he doesn’t get taken off his feet.
It’s with hope it has the desired effect and he is a horse that responds well to headgear switches, as he won in first-time cheekpieces and the first time he ran without a hood on.
He’s got two good runs on the Ascot straight track on his CV, a dead-heat win and a good third, while he’ll love the quick ground. Luke Morris, who knows him well, takes the ride and he’s got pace around him from stall 10, so plenty of things are in this horse’s favour. He looks a sporting bet in an open race.
The Verdict: Back Daysofourlives in the 5.05 Royal Ascot
In the Kensington Palace Stakes Hughie Morrison’s AZAHARA PALACE looks a threat to all from towards the bottom of the weights under Silvestre De Sousa, drawn around the pace towards the stands’ side from stall 25.
The Adaay filly looks to have improved significantly from three to four judging by her win at Leicester last time where she came from an unpromising position to run out a ready winner from Indemnity who has subsequently won her maiden at Nottingham.
Those two were clear of the rest and she looks ready to step up in grade, the 7lb rise allowing her to get in the race at the bottom end.
She looks a threat to all given the nature of this race should really suit, as she’s another that looks the type to thrive in a proper end-to-end gallop.
Morrison punches above his weight in Royal Ascot handicaps, winning seven of them over the years, and this filly looks his best chance of the week.
The Verdict: Back AZAHARA PALACE in the 5.40 Royal Ascot
Preview posted at 1640 BST on 18/06/24
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