1m6f Queen’s Vase (Group 2) (Class 1)
Aidan O’Brien, John Gosden and Mark Johnston have had a strangehold on this race in recent memory and they saddle more than 50% of the runners for what looks an incredibly strong renewal of the Queen’s Vase.
I fancy Coolmore to pick this up again with three horses entered, however I’m not siding with short-priced favourite Wordsworth who has looked a classy sort on his first few starts. He went down to a 2ptswin tip in the shape of Sir Lucan last time out when getting outstayed at the finish over 1m 5f and despite him being a full brother to Kew Gardens, I fancy that at least one of his stablemates will outstay him again.
I’m not sure I can fully understand why KYPRIOS is currently trading at odds of 11/1. Kyprios has an excellent looking pedigree being by Galileo out of a Danehill mare and is clearly bred for stamina as he is very closely related to recent 2m 2f Chester Cup winner Falcon Eight and two-time Irish St. Leger winner Search For A Song.
Kyprios is 2/4 in his young career and his most recent run in the Derby trial was behind eventual winner and placed horses Adayar and Third Realm respectively which is very strong form. Kyprios also beat a horse called O’reilly on his penultimate start who finished marginally ahead of Patrick Sarsfield (who finished 2nd in the Wolferton on day 1 of Royal Ascot) next time out and that also looks solid.
I don’t think Kyprios ran his race in the Lingfield Trial as he probably didn’t enjoy the track or the soft ground. It could also be telling that O’Brien takes the cheekpieces off him as he has a much better record when removing headgear then when applying it and I’m not sure we have quite seen what Kyprios is made of just yet.
From the same stable, I’m also going to back ARTURO TOSCANINI,
who also looks a big price and is likely to step up signficantly on his previous form over 1m 2f. Another Galileo, he stuck his neck out on the line to win his maiden, beating the likes of Sir Lamorak on heavy going at the Curragh last year over 7f.
His seasonal reappearance was too bad to be true at Newmarket and something was clearly amiss there, but I really liked the way he stayed on to finish a close second in a Group 3 over 1m 2f last time out with a staying-on Taipan back in fourth.
Arturo Toscanini looks like he is really crying out for a trip of this nature and although he is technically the stable’s third string, he is officially rated higher than Wordsworth. There are more question marks over him as regards the ground, but he should handle it and is fancied to be bang there at the finish.
1pt win Kyprios @11/1, 15:05 Wednesday, Royal Ascot
1pt win Arturo Toscanini @12/1, 15:05 Wednesday, Royal Ascot