Tuesday 14th June 2022

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Author: Jordan Yates (EvRacing_)

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Royal Ascot 2022 Previews Sponsor:

A big welcome to my Royal Ascot preview for 2022 where things kick off at 2:30 with the opener which is the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile. I’ll keep this short and sweet, it’s almost impossible to oppose Baeed here at the prohibited odds of 1/4 for William Haggas and Jim Crowley. He arrives here boasting a perfect record of seven wins from seven races and has been receiving comparisons to the mighty Frankel. Last month he made his seasonal reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury where he dismantled a Group 1 field with minimal fuss, it will take an enourmous performance to stop him here.

Next up it’s the 3:05 which is the Coventry Stakes which is a listed event that’s contested over six furlongs. This is a lot more competitive as these are all exciting two-year-olds, I’ve however taken a chance on the Richard Hannon trained Persian Force at 7/2 who’s the mount of Rossa Ryan. He’s won both of his starts to date this term in impressive style, opening his account at Doncaster with a near five-length success at the Lincoln Meeting in March before following up with a comfortable victory at Newbury in a conditions race. This requires an obviously big step up from those races but there’s no telling how high the ceiling to his ability could be.

We move onto the 3:40 now which is more Group 1 action this time in the form of the King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs. We’ve seen some of the best sprinters in the business take this race over the years, and I think the answer could come from America again with the Wesley Ward trained Golden Pal who’s currently a best price of 2/1. Wesley won the race back in 2017 with the sensational Lady Aurelia and this colt is very smart in his own right. He did flop on his latest start in the UK when finishing seventh in the Nunthorpe at York, however, since then he’s notched up a Breeders Cup success as well as bolting up by nearly five lengths in a Group 2 on his seasonal reappearance back in April. He could prove very hard to peg back.

It’s the 4:20 up next which is the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes that’s contested over a mile. This is a race with an illustrious back catalogue of winners which include the likes of Frankel, Kingman, and most recently Palace Pier. In this year’s renewal of the race, it looks to be all about Coroebus who’s currently a short-price favourite at 8/11 for Charlie Appleby and William Buick. The three-year-old colt by Dubawi was last seen when getting the better of his highly talented stablemate Native Trail in the Guineas at Newmarket, and he looks to have the world at his feet. This race has a whole host of potential top-class talent on show, but I think this market leader could well be right out of the top drawer.

We move into handicapping company at 5:00 with the Ascot Stakes taking centre stage which is a heritage handicap that’s contested over two miles and four furlongs. The race is usually dominated by National Hunt trainers and this year’s renewal is no different with the likes of Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls all trying their hand in the race. I’ve taken a chance on a runner representing a flat yard though and I’ve done that with the Andrew Balding trained Coltrane who’s currently trading at a best price of 12/1. He’s a very consistent customer and is set to be ridden by Callum Hutchinson who takes off five pounds, when he was last seen he was narrowly denied into second in the Chester Cup by the Cleveland, who’s a warm order himself in another contest at the meeting. He’s only been raised three pounds for that effort and with Hutchinson’s claim, I think he’s got every chance of going very close for another big handicap pot.

The penultimate race on the opening day comes up at 5:35 and it’s the Wolferston Stakes which is a listed event over a mile and two furlongs. I’ve sided with the Irish raider here Cadillac who’s a 7/1 chance for the team of Jessica Harrington. He’s a smart four-year-old colt by Lope De Vega who’s got a Group 2 and Group 3 victories on his CV already, when he was last seen he bolted up by just shy of four lengths at Leopardstown in a listed race, getting the better of a solid yardstick in Georgeville in the process. He went to the sales before this race and I think he’s every chance of proving to be a shrewd purchase if he continues progression from the last outing.

Concluding the day is the 6:10 which is the Copper House Stakes a Class 2 Handicap over a mile and six furlongs. The Chester Cup winner Cleveland is currently the warm favourite here, and will likely be very tough to beat for his powerful connections. However, I have tried to take him on and I’ve done that with Juan De Montalban at 10/1 for Kevin Philippart De Foey and Jack Mitchell. The yard has already had success in valuable handicaps at Ascot this term with Vafortino taking the Victoria Cup last month, today’s runner also has track form having won a handicap at the track himself in May. He certainly looks a progressive sort, and whilst this requires him to take a rather big step-up on the form that he’s shown so far I think he could well run another big race.