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Royal Ascot TIPS: Newsboy picks 1-2-3 for every race on Friday on ITV
Royal Ascot reaches its fourth day with another huge crowd expected at the Berkshire venue. The feature contest is the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, run over 1m for three-year-old fillies.
The other Group 1 is the Commonwealth Cup, another three-year-old only event, staged over 6f and set to feature candidates destined for future top sprinting honours. The Albany Stakes and the King Edward VII Stakes, Ascot's version of the Derby, are the other highlights. Newsboy has analysed every race and given his 1-2-3.
2.30 Albany Stakes
IPANEMA QUEEN did more than enough on her debut to suggest she has a future in Group company - and there's plenty more to come.
A glance at the Adrian Murray-trained youngster's pedigree shows she's bred to go - sire Sands Of Mali won York's Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes in 2017 before finishing a half-length second in the following year's Commonwealth Cup, while dam No More Thrills is a winning daughter of 2006 Norfolk Stakes hero Dutch Art.
And she had clearly been showing up at home before starting out in a five-furlong maiden at the Curragh last month, going off the 7-2 second favourite in a field of 21.
In the event, Ipanema Queen's backers were always on good terms with themselves as Wayne Lordan's mount led inside the final quarter mile and stretched away to beat Later Than Planned by five and a half lengths.
The performance triggered a purchase by Stonestreet Stables and Amo Racing - hence David Egan's presence in the saddle - and Ipanema Queen can pay back a chunky instalment on her first start for her new owners. Gold Digger, Tahalel and Green Sense are all promising fillies capable of playing a part.
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 IPANEMA QUEEN, 2 TAHALEL, 3 GOLD DIGGER
3.05 Commonwealth Cup
LEOVANNI returns to the scene of her Queen Mary Stakes triumph 12 months ago and is well capable of outrunning her odds.
Despite a taking debut success at Nottingham a fortnight earlier on her racecourse debut, the Karl Burke-saddled daughter of Kodi Bear drifted from single-figure odds to 22-1 for the her first visit to Royal Ascot, but defied her market unease with a fluent length-and-three-quarter victory from Mighty Eriu.
The rest of the campaign didn't go to plan - Leovanni suffered a first defeat when third in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York in August and came back last of seven to Lake Victoria in the top-level Cheveley Park Stakes on soft ground at Newmarket the following month.
However, there was plenty of promise to be gleaned from her comeback in the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock Park 20 days ago.
William Buick's partner - Wathnan Racing's retained jockey James Doyle is back on board today - was denied a run on the approach to the final furlong before finishing with effect to take fourth to Balmoral Lady.
A step forward is required for a first Group 1 win, but it's worth taking the chance. Favourite Shadow Of Light is feared most, ahead of Babouche, Whistlejacket and American raider Shisospicy.
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 LEOVANNI, 2 SHADOW OF LIGHT, 3 SHISOSPICY
3.40 Duke of Edinburgh Stakes
STRESSFREE will subject his supporters to a white-knuckle ride but looks sure to finish with a rattle.
Campaigned largely at a mile and a quarter in 2024, the five-year-old son of Anodin proved a model of consistency in some strong handicaps, hitting the bullseye just the once - he scored at Chester in September - but making the frame on numerous occasions.
Stressfree, a winner over hurdles in February, continued in similar vein over 10 furlongs at Doncaster and Epsom in his first two outings this season but trainer David O'Meara's move back up to a mile and a half appears to have unlocked further progress.
Having his second attempt at the trip, my selection missed out by a head to Almosh'her at York last month, but went one better in a big-money heat at Haydock Park last time with a last-gasp neck margin from Kildare Legend.
Stressfree's hold-up style means Danny Tudhope will play for luck and lay down his cards late, but a 5lb rise in the weights appears within range.
In a race of myriad possible outcomes, French Duke, War Rooms, Almosh'her and Auld Toon Loon are just four horses who merit a second look.
4.20 Coronation Stakes
FALAKEYAH is the selection to defend her unbeaten record as she moves down in distance and up in class.
The turf campaign was done with when New Bay's daughter - dam Alaflaak didn't make it to the track but hails from a family that includes Group 1 stars Baaeed and Hukum - started out in a fillies' maiden over Wolverhampton's extended mile on November 21 last year.
Falakeyah went off the even-money favourite and her trainer Owen Burrows must have been licking his lips at the manner in which Jim Crowley's mount scooted home by five and a half lengths.
My selection then tried 10 furlongs for the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes on the 1,000 Guineas undercard at Newmarket last month - and was again explosive in victory.
Ushering his mount to the front of the seven-runner field soon after the start, Crowley sat motionless as Falakeyah sauntered clear inside the final half mile en route to a three-and-a-quarter-length humbling of Life Is Beautiful.
With the Oaks deemed too far for such an exuberant racer, connections mooted a challenge for the French version, the Prix de Diane over a mile and a quarter but, after Falakeyah was temporarily laid low by a bug, have opted to supplement her for today.
This stiff mile looks ideal and Falakeyah, with so much as-yet untapped potential, is taken to take her tally to 3-3. Zarigana, clearly a prodigious talent despite needing the intervention of the stewards' to land the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas), isn't passed over lightly, with Kon Tiki and Longchamp fourth Exactly best of the rest.
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 FALAKEYAH, 2 ZARIGANA, 3 EXACTLY
5.00 Sandringham Stakes
SILVER GHOST is moving sublimely through the gears and receives the vote to give trainer Emma Lavelle a first Royal Ascot success.
Lavelle is better known for her exploits in the National Hunt sphere but has a burgeoning side-hustle on the Flat, with Silver Ghost one of its emerging talents.
The grey daughter of Phoenix Of Spain missed the target on the first six starts of her career but enjoyed a red-letter day when a two-length supremacy in a seven-furlong handicap at Newmarket on 2,000 Guineas day last month.
The handicapper reacted with a 6lb rise in the weights but my selection went in again over the same trip at Goodwood three weeks later, surging through from the back to beat Miss Nightfall by two and a half lengths.
There is an additional 8lb hike to deal with but the step up to a mile will help Sean Levey's mount, whose upward curve has not yet plateaued.
The shortlist is, unsurprisingly, a long one and has Supermodel, Bountiful, Arabian Leopard and Miss Nightfall at the top of it.
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 SILVER GHOST, 2 SUPERMODEL, 3 ARABIAN LEOPARD
5.35 King Edward VII Stakes
ZAHRANN hardly broke sweat for Listed gains at Leopardstown last time and the 'Ascot Derby' looks within his reach.
An elevated temperature prevented the Night Of Thunder colt, bred by the late Aga Khan and carrying his green-and-red livery, from making his debut in a one-mile maiden at Leopardstown last October - but the Johnny Murtagh trainee has come a long way in a short space of time at three.
A head second to Mississippi River in a similar event at Navan in April, Zahrann went one better in emphatic fashion with a seven-length thumping of Des Moines when tackling an extended 10 furlongs for a Cork maiden next time.
Fifteen days ago, his sights were raised to Listed company for the King George V Cup over a mile and a half in South Dublin, and Zahrann came from the rear under Ben Coen to score by two and a quarter lengths from Arouet.
There is still polish to be applied to a horse learning on the job, and Zahrann can make his presence felt at Group 2 level. The unbeaten Amiloc is the logical starting point in the search for dangers, ahead of Convergent and Nightwalker.
6.10 Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes
ADRESTIA did enough on her return to action at Windsor 11 days ago to be of strong interest here.
The winner of a Great Yarmouth maiden and a nursery at Sandown Park last July from six outings as a two-year-old, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained daughter of Havana was having her first start for 282 days when lining up against nine rivals for a five-furlong handicap on Thameside.
A third, beaten three-quarters of a length and a neck, behind the more experienced Regal Envoy represents a promising comeback.
If, as anticipated, Oisín Murphy's mount takes a step forward from it, Adrestia looks favourably treated on the same British Horseracing Authority mark of 89.
The close to Friday's entertainment makes for a real headscratcher, but Jorge Alvares, Red Orange and Realign are all three-year-old speedsters capable of better.
NEWSBOY'S 1-2-3: 1 ADRESTIA, 2 RED ORANGE, 3 REALIGN
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