Author: Paul Davidson

The Queen’s Vase has produced some fantastic winners over the years including the likes of yesterday’s runaway Ascot Stakes winner, Stradivarious. The race doesn’t seem to possess a horse anywhere near that calibre on current evidence but they are all lightly-raced with Born With Pride a warm order for William…

Another novel three-year-old handicap that we may never see again when normal service resumes at this meeting next year. Often these races can go to a future pattern-level performer and we may have one in the shape of HYPOTHETICAL, who cost 550,000 guineas last year and was priced up at…

It’s very hard to see past Stradivarious picking up his second Ascot Gold Cup and a remarkable third Royal meeting success in a row. Although he remains almost impossible to oppose, he has demonstrated that he’s not invincible over his last two starts and he is certainly a better animal…

A new addition to Royal Ascot is a 1m 6f Handicap on Day 2. Fujaira Prince was favourite at the time of writing with claims off the back of his third in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes last year, although he might not quite see out an extra two furlongs.…

The Duke Of Cambridge is a hot looking renewal with it difficult to rule out many with confidence. Michael Stoute has two potential Shamardal-sired improvers in the shape of Jubiloso and Queen Power, with the latter marginally preferred having run a career best on her reappearance to Terebellum (second favourite…

16:40 2m4f Ascot Stakes (A Handicap) (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-100) National Hunt trainers have had a dab hand in the Ascot Stakes over the last couple of decades, but with no Willie Mullins or Irish entries it looks like it could go to a flat trainer this season. Verdana Blue…

The Pretty Polly Stakes serves up a cracking appetiser to the 1000 Guineas later on the card. An Oaks trial in its own right, it’s difficult to know at this stage whether this crop will be good enough to compete at Epsom in July. One man who knows a thing…

2m4f (2m3f168y) (New) Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (Registered As The Golden Miller) (Class 1) (5yo+) The market doesn’t know who should be favourite for the Marsh Novices Chase with four essentially within a point of each other at the top of the market. Faugheen would be the story of…

2m½f Betfair Hurdle (Handicap) (Grade 3) (Class 1) (4yo+) Another excellent looking renewal of the Betfair Hurdle which is set to be run on unusually quick conditions for this time of year. Not So Sleepy looked very impressive on his second start over hurdles when making all at Ascot on…

2m2f Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+) A very hot looking renewal of this Mares Handicap hurdle. Jeremys Flame brings Grade 1 Novice form into this with a Tolworth second behind leading Supreme Novice contender, Fiddlerontheroof. Jeremys Flame is a general 5/1 and looks…