3.40 - Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
ROHAAN is a few pounds shy of the market principals but his record at Ascot raises hopes of a bold show.
David Evans’ five-year-old has an impressive strike rate of nine wins from 29 attempts, and his last three successes have come over this course and distance.
Rising through the ranks in 2021, Rohaan beat Fresh by a neck for the Wokingham Handicap and he defended his title 12 months ago with a three-quarter-length margin from Popmaster, in the process becoming the fifth horse since the race took its current form in 1874 to land it twice.
But Rohaan is not ‘just’ a handicapper, returning to Ascot for the Group 3 Bengough Stakes in October to hold Summerghand by a length and a half.
On the face of it, a fourth to Kinross in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint a fortnight later - Run To Freedom finished ahead in second, with Art Power back in eighth - might appear to expose my selection’s limitations at the top level, a sphere in which he is 0-7.
But closer inspection shows the 18-runner field split into two groups - 11 horses raced towards the far rail, with seven running down the centre - and Adam Kirby’s mount did best of those positioned closest to the inside of the course.
It was no great surprise Rohaan needed his comeback eighth of nine to Run To Freedom - Khaadem was third and Sandrine fifth - in Salisbury’s Listed Cathedral Stakes last, and better is expected back at his favourite hunting ground.
Artorius , who flew home for a share of third in this last year, the redoubtable Highfield Princess and Al Suhail , whose trainer Charlie Appleby has captured two of the past four runnings, look best of the rest in a compelling last Group 1 of the meeting.
2.30 - Chesham Stakes
LA GUARIDA is a going-places filly who should be well served by the opportunity to tackle seven furlongs for the first time.
New Bay’s daughter made her debut in a novice stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket last month, being sent off at 13-2 in a field of 10, and showed plenty of promise for the future with a third to Jabaara.
And she had clearly learned plenty from that first start when lining up for a six-furlong maiden at Goodwood a week later, joining issue with the lead on the run to the final quarter mile to beat Indispensable by two and a quarter lengths.
The form of that race looks strong - the runner-up has since gone one better at Ripon, third home Hellfire Bay scored at Kempton Park earlier this month and fourth-placed Neverstopdreaming has gone in at Pontefract.
La Guarida’s finishing effort on the South Downs - not to mention her bloodline - suggests further progress will be forthcoming over an additional furlong, and she gets the vote to show the colts the way home.
Aidan has won four of the last seven runnings, so favourite Pearls And Rubies has to be taken very seriously, while Golden Mind , Snellen and Lightning Leo also catch the eye.
3.05 - Jersey Stakes
ENFJAAR ventures into Group-race waters for the first time, but is unbeaten and gets the vote to stay that way.
There was market support for the Roger Varian-saddled son of Lope De Vega when he made his debut in a seven-furlong maiden at Newmarket last October - punters made Enfjaar the 7-2 second favourite in a field of 10 - and he got his career of to the perfect start, getting up close home to beat Arabian Storm by a neck.
On the back of a 236-day absence, my selection made his return to the fray in a maiden over a mile at Chelmsford City in the final week of May.
Enfjaar carried a 7lb penalty for his success at Headquarters in the autumn but he shrugged off the additional burden in style, making strides towards the lead two furlongs out and scooting clear to humble Lion Tamer by six lengths.
The evidence of that performance is that a strongly-run seven furlongs will not be an issue, and Jim Crowley’s partner has any amount of untapped potential to draw upon for this step up to Group 3 level.
The Antarctic , Covey and Quar Shamar are three-year-olds who have more to offer and rate the best candidates for the podium.
4.20 - Hardwicke Stakes
FREE WIND may not be the easiest horse to get to the track, but there’s no doubting her ability.
The John and Thady Gosden trainee has been limited to seven starts during the past three seasons, but she has won six of them.
A campaign in 2021 that began with victories at Goodwood (maiden) and Doncaster (novice stakes) wound up with success in the Group 3 Prix Minerve at Deauville in August that year and a seven-length romp in the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster the following month.
Her sole appearance of last season came in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks, where Free Wind posted a remarkable effort, being badly hampered against the far rail just inside the two-furlong pole but overcoming adversity to beat Sea La Rosa by two and a quarter lengths.
And Frankie Dettori’s mount completed the four-timer in another Group 2 test, York’s mile-and-a-quarter Middleton Stakes, last month with half-length call over subsequent Duke Of Cambridge Stakes heroine Rogue Millennium.
There is no penalty to carry here and with the return to 12 furlongs a plus, Free Wind should win again.
Fast ground has placed the participation of Hukum in jeopardy, so last year’s winner Changingoftheguard the choice to claim the silver medal, ahead of the returning Pyledriver .
5.00 - Wokingham Stakes
LETHAL LEVI is tried and trusted in big-field sprints and may yet have more to offer.
For a regular attender in six-furlong handicaps, Karl Burke’s four-year-old boasts a bounteous return of six victories and nine podium places.
Four wins came last season as the son of Lethal Force collected at Yarmouth, Haydock Park and twice at Newmarket, rising from a British Horseracing Authority rating of 79 at the start of the campaign to 99 by the time it reached its end.
Clifford Lee’s partner didn’t shine in the six-furlong handicap on Newmarket’s 2,000 Guineas undercard last month, returning sixth of 21 behind Probe .
But there was much more to like about his neck second to Bielsa in a similar event at York - Spirit Of Light (fourth), Mr Wagyu (seventh), Khanjar (12th), Summerghand (14th) and First Folio (16th) are all on the guest list for the reunion party - 11 days later, and another good run is on the cards.
The Wokingham is famously a race of endless possibilities, and Apollo One , King’s Lynn and Orazio are just three more capable of having a say.
5.35 - Golden Gates Stakes
LION OF WAR dragged victory from the jaws of defeat at Musselburgh three weeks ago and has a sound chance of the follow-up.
Twice successful from five attempts as a two-year-old, Roaring Lion’s son filled the frame at Musselburgh and Newmarket on his first two starts of 2023.
But he posted a personal best in landing a nine-furlong handicap back in East Lothian on Derby day - a success that looked unlikely when a stumble leaving the stalls left Lion Of War at the back of the 11-runner field.
But he pulled it off, making headway down the outside approaching the final quarter mile and pouncing 75 yards from the line to beat Coco Jack by a length and a quarter.
A 4lb rise in the weights could have been worse.
All of these three-year-olds very likely have their best days ahead of them and Local Dynasty , Knockbrex and favourite Canute sit atop the shortlist.
6.10 - Queen Alexandra Stakes
STRATUM has captured the past two runnings of Royal Ascot’s finale, and the hat-trick is on the cards.
At two miles, five furlongs and 143 yards, the Queen Alexandra Stakes is the longest race run on the Flat in Britain.
Its unique demands certainly suit Willie Mullins’ 10-year-old, who beat Calling The Wind by three and a quarter lengths in 2021 before doubling up by one length from Reshoun 12 months ago.
Stratum was below his best when beating just one home in the Group 3 Levmoss Stakes won by Yashin at Leopardstown last month - Dawn Rising finished third - but this is his stage.
Irish raiders hold a particularly strong hand, with 2022 Cesarewitch hero Run For Oscar and 2021 Chester Cup victor Falcon Eight likely to be on the scene.
SELECTIONS
ROYAL ASCOT
2.30 LA GUARIDA
3.05 ENFJAAR
3.40 ROHAAN (NAP)
4.20 HUKUM
5.00 LETHAL LEVI
5.35 LION OF WAR (NB)
6.10 STRATUM
AYR
1.15 JEHANGEER
1.50 SHOWALONG
2.24 B ASSOCIATES
2.59 KIHAVAH
3.34 NYNMPHADORA
4.14 PAPA COCKTAIL
4.54 JKR COBBLER
NEWMARKET
1.32 ANCIENT WISDOM
2.07 MY DELILIAH
2.42 IMPERIAL EMPEROR
3.17 SEAL OF SOLOMON
3.52 CONCERT BOY
4.32 CUBANISTA
5.09 THE GREEN MAN
REDCAR
1.37 INDIVAR
2.12 MIRRIE DANCERS
2.47 JAZZ SAMBA
3.22 WOVEN
4.02 LET’S GO HUGO
4.38 ROOSKA
5.13 SHINE’S AMBITION
PERTH
1.42 GORTMILLISH
2.17 DRAGON ROCK
2.52 PETITE RHAPSODY
3.27 CAPTAIN IVAN
4.07 BALLYKEEL
4.42 TREBIZOND
5.17 COOL CROI
DOWN ROYAL
2.00 HUTTON GLEN
2.35 MOBILISE
3.10 JAMES HENRY
3.45 GALACTICA
4.25 MATT CONNOR
5.05 ALL IN PEDER
5.40 IMPERO
LIMERICK
5.23 PIVOTAL REVIVE
5.55 GUNSIGHT
6.25 STARTING MONDAY
7.00 MARY SALOME
7.30 ATLAS
8.00 DUKE CADOR
8.30 MILWAUKEE
LINGFIELD PARK
5.50 MOONLIT CLOUD
6.20 STAR FROM AFARHH
6.50 BLUE ANTARES
7.20 NEW KINGS ROAD
7.50 DEACS DELIGHT
8.20 SWISS STAR
8.50 SAN FRANCISCO BAY
HAYDOCK PARK
6.00 CHRONOGRAPH
6.35 ANGLE LAND
7.10 CHATURANGA
7.40 MAGICAL MILE
8.10 TREMENDOUS TIMES
8.40 SUNGLASSES
DOUBLE: ROHAAN and LION OF WAR
SUNDAY
HEXHAM
1.45 BERGENTOWN
2.15 CLASSIC LADY
2.45 IMPERIAL DATA
3.20 WATERGRANGE JACK
3.53 KICKSAFTERSIX
4.23 EXIT TO WHERE
4.53 DREAM BOY
FFOS LAS
2.00 HEED THE CALL
2.30 NOTRE MAISON
3.05 VAPE
3.35 ROYAL DREAM
4.05 MERLIN THE WIZARD
4.35 SYMPATHISE
5.05 LUSAKA
PONTEFRACT
3.45 WHOOP WHOOP
4.15 PROPHET’S DREAM
4.45 LUISA CASATI (NB)
5.15 HAIZOOM (NAP)
5.45 TWO BROTHERS
6.15 CONCORD
6.45 MILBANKE
DOUBLE: HAIZOOM and LUISA CASATI
