Day Four Royal Ascot Preview 2021

The first race on day four at the Berkshire track is the Group Three Albany Stakes and with such a big field we have two selections at differing prices.

The shorter of the two is the Simon & Ed Crisford trained Flotus and the two year old daughter of Starspangledbanner is exceptionally bred being bought for €65,000 as a foal and was then resold for 125,000gns as a yearling.

With big things expected from her, the juvenile stepped up for her debut on Saturday at Goodwood over 6f and she ran out an exceptional winner by close to five lengths.

What was taking about this horse was the way she went away from the field in the final stages, showing a clear burst of speed and stamina to stay out the trip well.

One to beat.

Eve Lodge for Charlie Fellowes is a much bigger price and is advised as an each way player, although looking like the value in the field.

The daughter of Ardad was seen for the first time in her career over course and distance on good to soft ground when finishing a good third behind two nice types.

She then went to Lingfield on soft ground and won really nicely over five furlongs and the more rain that comes for this horse the better.

Big improver.

The Group Two King Edward VII Stakes over 1m4f sees a cracking field of three year olds head to post and we are siding with Gear Up at a price for Mark Johnston.

The three year old made his seasonal debut at York over 7f in a decent maiden and dominated the field late one and then backed that run up over the same course and distance when landing the Group Three Acomb Stakes.

Seeking a hat-trick the son of Teofilo went to Newmarket for the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile and was a weak fourth of five.

He put that blip behind him on his final start last term when heading over to France for the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 1m2f and winning the event.

He saw off runners like Makaloun and Bolshoi Ballet that have since gone on to win in good style this season.

Gear Up made his seasonal debut this term in the Group Two Dante Stakes and finished an average fifth of 10 and off the back went into the Derby and only managed to beat one home.

This is a much easier race but does need to bounce back on what he has done this term.

The feature race on day four of the meeting is the Group One Commonwealth Cup and with 21 runners set to head to post we have two each way players.

The first is the American raider Campanelle with the daughter of Kodiac making her debut at Gulfstream on firm ground and went on to bolt up in a decent field and unlike previous seasons he was one of few Ward runners to get off the mark at the first time of asking.

She was then sent to Royal Ascot in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs and beat a solid field of runners and the form has since been franked with second, third, fourth and fifth all running credible races after that event.

Campanelle was then sent to France over six furlongs for the first time in the Group One Prix Morny and in soft ground she dominated a good field of juveniles to take the event.

The filly rounded off last term at Keeneland in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and although finishing a fair fourth behind the 1000 Guineas Mother earth and smart Aunt Pearl, the mile was too far for her.

Coming back down to this trip will be perfect for her and she has shown in the past she goes well fresh.

At a bigger price, but not to be discounted is the Clive Cox trained Supremacy who needs to bounce back to form in this but holds superb ability.

Cox's three year old laid down a big gauntlet for the rest of the sprinting division last season by landing the Group Two Richmond Stakes by four lengths at Glorious Goodwood, following in the footsteps of his sire Mehmas.

This came on just his third run in his career, where before he had landed a nice event at Windsor and after that Cox was dreaming big with the pacy youngster.

Having skipped the Prix Morny and Gimcrack Stakes to be fresh for the Group One Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket, it paid off as he ran out a smart winner of the event.

This term he returned over course and distance in the Trial for the race and ran a stinker to finish eighth, but now having that run under his belt he should be better for it.

Another huge race on the Friday of the meeting is the Group One Coronation Stakes over a mile and Empress Josephine for Aidan O'Brien is our selection.

The daughter of Galileo out of Lillie Langtry has a superb pedigree being a full sister to the superstar Minding and this season she has shown just how special she is.

On debut at Naas over a mile she was an impressive winner of a decent event showing a good turn of foot late on to just get up.

She was then disappointing on good ground in the Group Three 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown, but bounced back to form next time out when second at Gowran Park.

Last time out she gave a career best performance to land the Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh from stablemate Joan Of Arc and with the rain set to fall she looks a huge player once more at a nice price.

One of the minefield races of the afternoon is the Fillies' Sandringham Stakes over a mile and with 30 runners set to go to post we have two nice selections.

The first is the Charles Hills trained Prado who comes into the race as a big priced entry, but could outrun his odds if improving for his seasonal debut.

The 67,000gns purchase as a yearling was first seen last term when winning nicely at Salisbury over 7f and then on soft ground next time out finished second behind the smart Isabella Giles in a Group Three.

On her last start as a juvenile she was stepped up to the Group Two May Hill Stakes over a mile and she finished a fair sixth behind some nice horses.

Back this term she raced over course and distance at Ascot on debut and finished a good fourth in a Conditions Stakes behind Creative Flair, who has since gone on to win again.

Making her handicap debut in this event she could be well in off a mark of 93 and is worth keeping on side handling good and soft ground.

Another at a big price is the Joseph O'Brien trained My Generation who is drawn high and from watching this week she looks to be on the right part of the track for this type of event.

The three year old has been seen four times to date, finishing third over a mile at Dundalk on debut, but then backing that up in March over the same course and distance when getting off the mark in a Listed event

She was then sent into the Group Three 1000 Guineas trial running no sort of race, and again last time out struggled in another trial event.

Being a Listed winner and now dropping into a handicap makes her very appealing and she has come under some market support already.

The penultimate event on the afternoon is the Class 2 Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes over 1m4f and again with so many runners we have had two stabs at the race.

The first is the Alan King trained Tritonic who has been seen to superb effect over both the flat and jumps and now returns to Royal Ascot looking to go one better than last time.

Last season the gelding gave a career best on the flat to finish a narrow second to Highland Chief in the Golden Gates Handicap.

From there he ran poorly on the flat and was sent over hurdles where he transformed his career winning a Novices' Hurdle at Ascot over two miles and then landing the Grade Two Adonis Hurdle at Kempton.

He then went off as the second favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and unfortunately flopped.

Back for another flat campaign he was given a prep run at Chelmsford over 1m2f and blew the cobwebs away and now enters this race off a mark of 99, only 4lb than his run at last year's meeting.

Plenty of stamina.

Another nice runner in the race is the second string for Alan King with Raymond Tusk bouncing back to form on his last run and he could well be nicely handicapped.

The six year old has been threatening for his new yard of late and doesn’t look overly handicapped out of things off a mark of 102.

King over the last few years has been no stranger to success at this meeting and could be thereabouts, if building on the premise of his recent placed runs, especially last time out when second to the smart Ilaraab at York in a good handicap.

Live player.

The final event of the day is the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes Handicap over five furlongs and we can't look past the Karl Burke trained Significantly.

The three year old has been a highly consistent animal for his trainer over the last two years, placing in nine of his 11 events, whilst going on to win one of them.

He got off the mark in October last year over six furlongs, but his best run to date came at Newmarket when a good second behind the smart Creative Force, giving weight away.

The colt has been second again since then over 5f behind the smart Dragon Symbol and if building from that run, handling both good and soft ground he looks a big each way player.