Royal Ascot 2021 - Day One Preview

Well well well, what a race we have in store to kick off Royal Ascot 2021 with nine set to go to post in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes ran over the straight mile.

A race that has had seven different winning trainers from the last seven renewals, we’re hoping it will be eight from the last eight with the John & Thady Gosden trained PALACE PIER catching our eye the most out of the field.

By Kingman out of Beach Frolic, he’s amassed an impressive seven victories from his eight career runs to date picking up four Group 1 wins in the process which has included the St James Palace Stakes here last year and most recently in the Lockinge at Newbury last month.

His only defeat to date did however come over this course and distance in the QEII Stakes but that race was ran on soft ground and much firmer conditions are expected for Tuesday.

He’s certainly a likeable type and connections rate him really highly and understandably so and with a good run under his belt here in a more than beatable field for a horse of his standard, it will put him in good stead for potential trips to Sandown and Goodwood over the next couple of months.

If you’re looking for something more at a bit of an e/w price, look no further than Lord Glitters. He was a Group 1 winner at Meydan over the Winter months and he wasn’t disgraced by any means when fourth of 11 behind Palace Pier in the Lockinge. He could have another big career defining performance in him in this race.

Now for the turn of the juveniles and our big pick for the race comes in the shape of the Richard Hannon trained GISBURN.

Fourth on debut behind rival Berkshire Shadow at Newbury over 5f in April, the well bred Ribchester colt excelled in fine style when absolutely hosing up by over six lengths on his run over 6f next time out.

The yard won this race back to back in 2009 & 2010 and for the first time since then, this looks like a genuine contender in the race for the Hannon team.

The obvious main threat in the field is the Wesley Ward American raider Kaufymaker however we’ve these juveniles, it’s whoever turns up on the day as we saw with the 150/1 winner of the race last year, Nando Parrado.

Either way though, it’s bound to be an exciting race.

The King’s Stand Stakes, one of the most highly anticipated races of the festival with the best sprinters from across the globe putting their best hooves forward in a bid to be crowned exactly that, the best sprinter in the world.

Infamous winners of the years such as Gold Bridge, Equine, Sole Power, Blue Point and most recently Battaash who unsurprisingly is our pick for this years race.

One of the most loveable yet equally frustrating horses you’ll probably ever come across, the Charlie Hills gelding has had a simply phenomenal career with 13 wins from 23 runs including 11 Group victories spanning over a five year period.

If you think he’s getting worse with age though you may stand corrected, 2020 was the first year in which he had gone unbeaten with victory in last years renewal of this race followed by triumphs in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood and then the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Form figures of 221 in this race over the past three renewals, the King’s Stakes Stakes is certainly a race in which he’s proven to love and with nothing but positive signs coming out of the yard ahead of his first defence of this race, we’re backing him to reign supreme once again.

In what looks like probably one of the toughest races to pick a winner from on Day One of Royal Ascot, we’re taking a gamble on last years Group 1 National Stakes winner THUNDER MOON.

A comfortable winner on debut over 7f at The Curragh back in August, the Joseph O’Brien trained Zoffany colt backed that up in style when winning the Group 1 affair by over a length to rival Wembley.

Sent off at 11/4 in the Dewhurst on his third and final run of 2020, he was a well beaten third.

A big 2021 was expected from him however despite going off second favourite in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, he was never in the mix and finished last of 14.

This is clearly a horse with something about him, he showed that last year and we’re kind of giving that run a pass as it was his first start of the season and he didn’t look anywhere near the quality he looked in 2020.

If the horse had really declined that much, surely connections wouldn’t throw him into a race of this quality, right?

The booking of Frankie is a huge sign of intent and at really nice each way odds, we believe he’ll rediscover that form of 2020 and be there or thereabouts in a wide open contest.

The first handicap of the week sees 20 go to post in the battle of the stayers in the Ascot Stakes over 2m 4f. The Willie Mullins trained M C Muldoon heads the market however we’ve gone with the George Boughey trained LOSTWITHIEL.

By far one of the most unexposed horses in the race with just four runs under his belt, he won over 1m 4f on debut and the again on his first start of 2021 at Wolves in April.

He’s followed that up with back to back second placed finishes over 1m 6f with it quite evident on both occasions that he needs a stronger gallop and if anything he’d cherish further, which he gets in this race.

Another one of the factors why we fancy this horse so much is the form of the trainer. Boughey is fairly new on to the scene having got his licence in 2019 but after picking up just two winners from his first 39 runners in 2019, he claimed 26 from 132 in 2020 and he’s now training at a 27% so far in 2021.

This is clearly a trainer who is going places so don’t be surprised to see him saddle Lostwithiel to glory in this race.

In just the fourth running of the race since the handicap element was taken away, the Wolferton Stakes is a Listed event which rarely fails to deliver.

Catching our eye in this years renewal is the Jim Goldie trained EUCHEN GLEN.

A consistent type over a variety of distances between 1m 2f and two miles, he’s a reliable sort that never really seems to be far off the pace.

After a busy 2020 where he picked up three wins from 10 runs after being off the racecourse for nearly two years, he put in disappointing performances over 1m 4f and then 1m 6f to kick start his 2021 but he returned to the winners enclosure in emphatic style when dropped back down to this distance of 1m 2f at Sandown at the end of May.

He’s clearly a capable type and if he manages to have a clear run, he’s got genuine chances.

The final race on day one of Royal Ascot 2021 sees 19 go to post in the competitive Copper Horse Stakes handicap with another Willie Mullins charge in the shape of Saldier heading up the betting.

Our big fancy for this race however is the Dr Richard Newland trained GALATA BRIDGE.

A good prospect for Sir Michael Stoute last season, he was victorious in three of his five starts in 2020 which saw his handicap mark rise from 71 to 93.

With a potential future in national hunt racing, he switched to Newland’s yard but put in a promising enough performance over 1m 4f at Kempton a couple of weeks ago to finish a close second.

That was his first run in nearly eight months and with the handicapper only upping him 3lbs from that run, he looks enormous odds at around 20/1 in this wide open field.