Joseph O'Brien is far too composed to toss his top hat in the air but he could still bring up a big hat-trick at Royal Ascot on Wednesday. Coming into this year's meeting, the two-time Melbourne Cup winning handler - who won five times here as a jockey - had just one Royal Ascot training success, last year's Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner State of Rest.
O'Brien's training operation has skyrocketed since he started just seven years ago, following a brief but brilliant career in the saddle that produced 30 Group One successes, including ten Classics. He saddled four winners on his first day - including with his very first representative. Some say he's lucky but he’s also very good, with a work ethic and attention to detail as ferocious as his father.
However, one win leaves him a long way short of Aidan's dizzying tally of royal meeting winners but O’Brien could edge closer with three top hopes on Wednesday. He fires YERWANTREE at the Kensington Palace Fillies' Handicap (3.05pm), with top Kiwi jockey James McDonald booked.
Unbeaten last season, she can be forgiven her run on a seasonal reappearance at Naas, caught in traffic she finished seventh but only four lengths off the winner.
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His father is without a runner in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (3.40pm) so Ballydoyle's top jockey Ryan Moore takes the ride on the fast-improving JUMBLY, who could bring up a quick-fire double for the 30-year-old trainer. O'Brien has also made a canny booking for the Queen's Vase (5.35pm) with William Buick taking the ride on the promising and unexposed colt ST VINCENTS GARDEN.
Only six horses are declared for the showpiece Prince Of Wales's Stakes (4.20pm) but this race is stacked with talent. Bay Bridge is a winner over course and distance, though that was on good to soft ground at Champions Day, and Luxembourg is a three-time Group One winner, claiming the recent Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
However, Charlie Appleby seems to have the slight advantage with former Derby winner ADAYAR, in only his sixth race since winning at Epsom two years ago. Narrowly beaten by Bay Bridge at Champions Day, the lightly-raced colt hasn't had his optimum ground since that Classic win on the Surrey Downs - so will absolutely relish the conditions.
It could be a good day for young trainers too with Northern Ireland based handler Natalia Lupini, who has just 17 horses at her operation in Banbridge, sending her stable star DUNUM to compete in the cavalry charge Royal Hunt Cup (5.00pm).
With 30 runners it pays to pick a few and look at the prices but Dunum hasn't been outside the top two in their previous seven starts. Ascot's juvenile fillies race, the Queen Mary Stakes (2.05pm) can be a tough one to call with just one or two runs to frame a judgement on.
Sired by Dark Angel, whose two-year old progeny have been impressive in the last two seasons, unbeaten GOT TO LOVE A GREY has been professional in two wins, finishing strongly to win on both good to firm and soft ground at Nottingham and York.
Top Puerto Rican jockey Irad Ortiz has been the number one ranked US-based jockey by earnings and wins for the last four years but has a sorry record at Royal Ascot. However, Alice Haynes' MAXIMUM IMPACT looks the one to end that run in the Windsor Castle Stakes (6.10pm), who is unbeaten after two starts and emphatically won at this track just over six weeks ago.
Selections: 2.30: Got To Love A Grey, 3.05: Yewantree, 3.40: Jumbly, 4.20: Adayar, 5.00: Dunum, 5.35: St Vincent's Garden, 6.10: Maximum Impact
