Royal Ascot Day One Preview 2024

Usually a horse you would associate with early season success, Charyn has been in formidable form this season. Easily scoring in the Listed Doncaster Mile, this was followed up with Group 2 victory at Sandown in April cosily beating the likes of Poker Face and Witch Hunter who will be reopposing.

This progressive four year old by Kodiac was only denied a fine Lockinge success and a maiden Group 1 victory by Audience, who put in a staggering career best when afforded a soft lead, beating Big Rock and confirming form with Poker Face and Witch Hunter in the process.

Interestingly, 9/10 winners of this race were already winners over a mile and Charyn has tasted success at this trip in 2/3 races.

With Silvestre De Sousa onboard and a hard, straight mile that Charyn should relish, the Varian team will be confident the tables will be turned on Audience, and with the removal of Inspiral this hope will have only grown in recent days.

A wide-open race over six furlongs, the Coventry Stakes is the perfect stage for a blistering two year old prospect to light up Royal Ascot. Boasting recent winners such as River Tiber, Arizona and Bradsell, this race is not short of a future Group 1 winner.

The new boys on the scene Wathnan Racing will be hoping that £300,000 breeze up buy CATALYSE can build on his striking success at Hamilton earlier in the month and capture Ascot glory.

This smart type by Starspangledbanner took the six furlongs in his stride, putting the race effectively to bed with two furlongs to go at Hamilton, whilst demonstrating his speed and stamina hitting the line hard and in good style.

Opening at 20/1, all signals have been positive since with Richard Brown, Wathnan’s racing advisor, stating he was “delighted” after the Hamilton success.

This is further backed up with trend analysis, with CATALYSE winning LTO, having less than three starts and a winning distance of two or more lengths, this can only be a good thing.

With his favoured good ground seeming likely and Ascot no stranger to a bigger priced winner, there is no reason why CATALYSE can’t bring Ascot success to the Wathnan boys.

One of the finest five furlong prospects we have seen in recent years, BIG EVS three year old campaign went off without a hitch when scoring easily in the Westow Stakes at York under a 5lb penalty.

After previously ticking off the Windsor Castle and finishing strongly in Santa Anita at the Breeders Cup, a second Royal Ascot victory at only three years old would confirm BIG EVS status as one of the most impressive sprinters in recent years.

After dominating at two, the only blip on his impressive CV was at last years Nunthorpe Stakes where rather ominously, he failed to put it up to Regional one of the main dangers who will be reopposing.

However things were quickly put right, and Michael Appleby is on the record as stating just how good Big Evs has looked at home and strengthened up into a three year old.

As suggested by the name, BIG EVS is certainly a strapping horse quoted to be “like a bull” and this can only be a good sign considering he is receiving weight from most of the field.

Although trends show that 8/10 of the last winners were drawn in stall 7 or higher, BIG EVS draw of 6 will be of minimal concern.

Confidence from the Appleby team, receiving anywhere from 3 to 6lbs from a majority of the field and favourable ground are all huge ticks against his name, and this confidence should translate to a pleasing run in this years King Charles III.

One of the most highly anticipated races of the whole meeting boasting some of the highest quality in flat racing, the St James’s Palace promises to be a race for the ages.

The most highly anticipated clash will be that of 2000 Guineas 1 – 2 NOTABLE SPEECH and Rosallion locking horns again, with the Godolphin charge looking to confirm the one and a half-length victory over Rosallion and prove himself over some talented Irish raiders.

This unbeaten Dubawi Colt will look to maintain his unbeaten record and build on his Classic success for Charlie Appleby and the boys in blue.

When looking at the trends, 9/10 past winners were in the top three of the market, with 7/10 previosuly winning a Group 1 this shows the significance of NOTABLE SPEECH winning the Guineas.

With William Buick in the saddle as usual, there is no reason to suggest that NOTABLE SPEECH cannot continue his impressive rise up the ranks and cap off his 2000 Guineas win with a victory at the Royal meeting, cementing himself as the cream of the crop of two year. Olds in 2024.

The first handicap of the week comes in the shape of the Ascot Stakes, ran over two miles and four furlongs. A race renowned to be won by some classy staying types, it is no surprise that the market is littered with Irish raiders from the National Hunt game such as Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Emmet Mullins all confirming entries into the race.

Sticking with an Irish theme, it is ZANNDABAD who most catches the eye for this race. Connections will be disappointed that they did not secure the Chester Cup back in May, with the horse flying home all too late after having to be switched out and denied a proper run at a testing Chester track.

On trends, ZANNDABAD has a most appealing mark of 94 running off 9st6. Three of the last ten winners had carried 9st10, with the winner last year carrying 9st8. This, coupled with a rattling finish at Chester shows this horse may well be ahead of the handicapper.

The trip on Good to Firm ground will be absolutely no problem, as he flew home at 2m2f and with William Buick in the saddle, there is clearly a strong hope that this staying type can finally get some vengeance for his unlucky run at Chester last time out.

A race renowned for throwing up a long odds winner, the Wolferton Stakes is one of the most highly contested Listed races of the summer calendar. The Jamie Osborne trained OUZO is the horse of interest here looking to defy his odds of 25/1 and land a four timer for the Lambourn based team.

Already a course winner over a mile, Ouzo and Saffie Osborne enjoyed a roaring success over 1m1f in Meydan over the winter and heads here after dominating handicap company looking progressive at every step and fully deserving a shot at Listed success.

An interesting statistic to note is that 6/10 of the previous winners were drawn in the single figures, with all six coming between 5-7. OUZOs draw of 5 certainly looks more appealing on this evidence.

This, coupled with finishing a promising 6 th of 30 in last year’s Hunt Cup shows that OUZO is no stranger to a big field at Ascot and on that viewing would easily handle an extra furlong as an 8 year old.

A career best will be needed, however the horse maintains a fine partnership with Saffie Osborne, and is currently in fine fettle after a productive winter campaign and comes to a track he relishes. Big EW player.

The final race of Day 1 at Royal Ascot 2024 is the Copper Horse Handicap, another competitive staying Handicap which screams value all throughout the field. Another race attracting intriguing Irish raiders, William Haggas will be hoping the race comes back to Yorkshire with his sole runner NAQEEB.

Last seen being tailed off in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup trailing last years winner of this race Vauban, this significant drop in grade should be a much more suitable assignment after struggling to keep to the pace set by classier types.

A larger field should also offer more cover and allow NAQEEB to not race so freely, and cheekpieces have been reached for to prevent the horse from hanging.

A previous winner over 1m6f, one of only five in the field, Jim Crowley is an experienced pair of hands who will be on board for the fifth time hopefully providing the cunningness to exploit the very best out of this horse.

Another appealing factor is the OR Mark of 103, only 3 higher than his previous winning mark and the inform Haggas (20% SR last 14 days) will hope that another one of his horses goes well here.