Royal Ascot Day Four Preview 2024

Kicking off Day 4 is the Albany Stakes, a Group 3 race for two year olds ran over six furlongs. In the last two years, this race has been won by an O’Brien, Donnacha and Aidan, with the latter hoping for more of the same with his prospect FAIRY GODMOTHER the leading light for Ballydoyle.

O’Brien and Moore have enjoyed a productive Ascot so far, landing the Queen’s Vase with Illinois whilst shortly following up with a 400th Group 1 success in Auguste Rodin. The pair will be hoping that FAIRY GODMOTHER can carry on this good run. The winner of an ultra-competitive Group 3 in Naas which threw up the winners of the 2023 and 2022 iterations of this race, FAIRY GODMOTHER looks good to make that a hattrick.

Replays of that race in Naas will show FAIRY GODMOTHER had lots go wrong, including having to be switched out and caught on its heels by Sparkling Sea. She showed impressive determination and an incredible turn of foot to get back up on the line and turn the tables on a previous run. This is the kind of progression needed to win an Albany, and FAIRY GODMOTHER looks like she could keep improving.

Being by a distance winner, speed should be no issue, whilst the last ten winners won LTO. The last three renewals were also won by a horse drawn in single figures. As far as two year olds at Ascot go, O’Brien and Moore have a good one here in FAIRY GODMOTHER.

Following the Albany is another sprint, the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup ran over six furlongs exclusively for three year old horses. The 2023 edition of this race was famously won by fan favourite Shaquille, who completely missed the break and still went onto score. This shows the kind of speed and talent required to land a Commonwealth Cup. ELITE STATUS has both of these attributes in bundles and will hope to carry on a positive week for Karl Burke.

Burke had the 1st and 4th in Wednesday’s Queen Mary, showing that his sprinters are in fine form and ready to go. ELITE STATUS comes here an unexposed prospect, showing an impressive improvement in a Listed contest at Newbury – beating handy types such as Relief Rally and Adaay in Devon. His sire Havana Grey was a Group 1 and 2 winning three year old, showing that ELITE STATUS should continue to improve into a three year old campaign. Speaking at a stable tour after that Listed success, Burke stated “After that he wintered really well and came out at Newbury and showed us what he is all about. He should improve for fitness for that run, as well”. The signs from the camp are good, as is the draw of stall four which produced the 2019 and 2023 winners.

Three winners of this race contested the Coventry in the season prior to scoring here, which Burke had two of the top four in this year as previously mentioned. ELITE STATUS went off favourite for that race last year placing third. With a positive seasonal reappearance, solid Ascot form and a good draw ELITE STATUS should be right in the business end of things in the Commonwealth Cup.

The second Group 1 contest of the day, the Coronation Stakes is run over the notoriously stiff Ascot mile. A race that has historically been nice to the punters, the Coronation Stakes favours those horses rated at the top of the market.

The French raider RAMATUELLE is the horse of interest here. Just touched off in the 1000 Guineas by Elmalka who reopposes today, RAMATUELLE looked and shaped like the winner for a majority of the Newmarket mile. On reflection Aurelien Lemaitre would have had the race sewn up if he went for home even a few seconds later, being gathered up in the final strides. Lemaitre has been replaced for this assignment by Oisin Murphy who has greater success at the course and that experience could prove vital here. Stamina concerns and the reopposing Elmalka are obvious and natural concerns, however the Murphy factor could prove to be decisive.

Four of the past ten winners of this race had run in the 1000 Guineas previously, finishing 7 – 1 – 5 – 2 when lining up in the Coronation Stakes. This bodes well for RAMATUELLE, showing that she should be in the frame. On ratings RAMATUELLE comes here as the 2nd highest, three lower than the favourite Opera Singer which in the last ten years has produced nine winners with this approximate swing.

With Murphy in the saddle, RAMATUELLE should be given a much better ride than at Newmarket, ensuring that she goes for home at the right time and avenges the painful loss that this talented filly had to endure.

The first handicap of the day, the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes is a test of stamina and guile ran over a distance of 1m4f. A race which typically attracts lots of Irish staying types, it is the Joseph Patrick O’Brien trained DEAKIN which is the horse of interest here.

A horse in savage form towards the end of 2023, DEAKIN landed back to back victories over 1m3.5f and 1,4.5f by a combined winning margin of twelve and a half lengths. Both of these races were ran on yielding or soft ground, showing that DEAKIN has stamina in abundance and should easily handle a stiffer track here. O’Brien stated that “He’s going to be exciting next year” in the wake of these victories, and this prediction looks set to come true. Faster ground should pose no problems, just being touched off by the reopposing race fit rival Crystal Black on seasonal debut. DEAKIN should have come on bundles for that run, and the race fitness should be enough to turn the tables.

Nine of the past ten winners of this race were drawn in double figures or aged four/five. DEAKIN hits both of these trends, whilst his OR of 97 puts him firmly around the mark of past winners. Dylan Browne McMonagle has a good partnership with this horse, riding it to two victories and one place in his six races onboard. Rated just 79 last summer, this progressive type by Australia looks to have a big pot in him and DEAKIN looks primed for a big run here. Holds each way value.

The fifth race of the day sees another handicap, this time the turn of the Sandringham Stakes ran over a mile exclusively for three year old horses. The last three renewals of this race have been won by a horse going off at single figures and KITTY ROSE is sure to be near the top end of the market.

On her last start, KITTY ROSE went down by a short head in Group 3 company at Leopardstown over seven furlongs. That race was run on heavy ground, showing this short step up in trip on quicker ground should be no problem. A dual winner over seven furlongs as a two year old, one in Listed company, KITTY ROSE clearly has the class and stamina to land a big pot. Running off top weight and an OR of 104, the handicapper clearly agrees that KITTY ROSE is bang there when it comes to ability.

Four of the past ten winners of this race had contested Listed or Group races as a three year old, whilst a draw of over twenty has produced three of the last ten winners. The booking of Oisin Murphy for the first time is a positive by her new Australian handlers Mick Price and Michael Kent JR – who have already plundered Group 1 pots this June back home. The confidence of the pair is astounding. Kent Jr stated “We could have easily put her in the Irish or English Guineas, but we had the mindset that we really wanted to win a race at Ascot, that was the goal, so we’ll go there”.

This contest is significantly below the level her trainers clearly believe she can perform at, so expect KITTY ROSE to exude her class and announce herself as a serious prospect for bigger races in the future.

Next is the turn of the King Edward VII Stakes, a Group 2 contest ran over 1m4f exclusively for three year old horses. Usually won by horses who have not yet won over the trip, the King Edward is a wide open contest.

CALANDAGAN is the horse of interest this year, a French raider trained by Francis Henri Graffard. Last seen scoring in the Group 3 Prix Hocquart at Longchamp in May over heavy ground, this step up in trip should suit. Being by Gleneagles, a sire that has produced fine staying types such as Ambiente Friendly and Highland Chief, CALANDAGAN will handle 1m4f on quicker ground than faced at Longchamp. Stephane Pasquier will be onboard, looking to complete a hattrick for the partnership and a fourth win overall. This knowledge of the horse will be crucial to ensure the previously employed hold up tactics are seen to good effect at a new track.

With ten of the last ten winners having won in their past three starts, and eight out of ten yet to win over the trip CALANDAGAN looks well up for this assignment. Beaten just a shoulder by Metropolitan when both horses clashed as a juvenile, this clearly shows how highly rated CALANDAGAN is in France. Whilst Diego Velazquez and Wathnan runner Space Legend are obvious dangers, this talented French raider has every chance of taking the King Edward VII Stakes back home.

Rounding off Day 4 is the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes, a blistering five furlong handicap contested by three year old horses. Founded in 2020, this race is a typical big field cavalry charge. Caution is advised when getting stuck into a race of this nature.

WOODHAY WONDER, looking to complete a fiver timer is the horse of choice here. With a record of five out of six on turf, WOODHAY WONDER is an interesting proposition stepping back to five furlongs. Last seen beating Completely Random who reopposes by a neck at Newmarket whilst giving 10lbs to her rival, WOODHAY WONDER is a hardy speedball.

Skipping the Macmillan Sprint Handicap at York last week, Tom Ward rates his progressive filly’s chances. Ward stated ahead of that contest that “She seems to be improving with each run and each time we send her out to the races, she is getting more and more confidence and she’s going the right way”. More progress is clearly expected from the trainer and the track should suit. Retaining Tom Marquand onboard is a smart move, as he looks to complete a hattrick for the partnership at this race.

A race that has been won from stalls eleven and nineteen in the past, WOODHAY WONDER’s draw of sixteen looks like the place to be to ensure cover and a strong pace to bring her into the race. Sitting at a backable each way price at the time of writing, WOODHAY WONDER looks set to be bang there on her bid for a five timer, and a sixth win from seven on turf.