12 hours ago
My Royal Ascot day one tips include a 40-1 beauty his trainer says ‘will improve a lot' after debut win
THEY say revenge is a dish best served cold — and that's exactly what Kieran Shoemark aims to deliver at Ascot today.
The five-day Royal extravaganza kicks off with a bang, and every race will be live on ITV.
Just sit back and enjoy.
It was only early Sunday morning when Shoemark found out he will ride DANCING GEMINI (2.30) in today's opening Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes belter over a mile.
That gives him the chance to beat Lead Artist and Sardinian Warrior, two horses he adored before John Gosden sacked him for not winning the 2,000 Guineas on Field Of Gold.
At the time, everyone was led to believe it was Field Of Gold's owner Juddmonte who had the issue with Shoemark.
But subsequent events have proved otherwise.
After all, Sardinian Warrior is owned by Marc Chan — and Shoemark gave the horse a peach to land the Queen Anne trial.
Yet he has been ditched from the horse. Well, that can't be down to Juddmonte can it?
There is every chance Classic class acts Rosallion and Notable Speech will improve past Lead Artist and Dancing Gemini — the one-two in the Lockinge — and I've long held the opinion Rosallion is the one to beat.
However, the draw has fallen kindly for Roger Teal's stable star and I'm sticking with the horse who will run right to the line.
Remember, back in the day, Dancing Gemini was far from disgraced in the Derby.
However he's come alive this season back over a mile and the more you watch the Newbury Group 1 the harder it is to quite know how he got beat.
Ideally he might prefer more juice in the ground this afternoon, but the draw has worked out very well with Lead Artist next door.
I imagine Shoemark will track that rival and try and pounce late.
What a start, I can't wait.
The Group 2 Coventry Stakes for two-year-old colts over six furlongs is always a lottery and there have been some big-priced winners over the years.
I'm going to chance BALLISTIC MISSILE (3.05) to shoot down his rivals for Richard Hannon and Shane Foley.
A €260,000 yearling, the son of Mehmas — second to Caravaggio in the 2016 Coventry — got off to the perfect start when scooting home at York on debut over five furlongs.
He looked green that day and will improve. This stiffer test will also suit him better.
Back to Group 1 company for the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes — the old King's Stand — over five furlongs. A right Royal tough one this!
Connections of REGIONAL (3.40) wanted to be drawn away from Night Raider and that's happened.
They are both speedballs who want to get out and be away and gone.
And Regional — second last year — might just be good enough to hang on for Callum Rodriguez.
Field Of Gold is odds-on for the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes for three-year-old colts over a mile.
There is a real chance for RULING COURT (4.20) here to show his 2,000 Guineas glory wasn't simply down to Shoemark and Field Of Gold challenging too late.
With two pacemakers, Ruling Court will get the perfect position in third or fourth to pounce on the leaders first.
Of course there is a little bit of heart ruling head here for me, and I won't be surprised in the least if Field Of Gold — a horse I love for a superb operation in Juddmonte — follows up his Irish 2,000 success under the classy Colin Keane.
But it's Ruling Court for me for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.
All eyes will be on Reaching High for the King — not to mention Ryan Moore and Willie Mullins — in the Ascot Stakes.
Hats will be orf if he wins at short odds but MANXMAN (5.00) might go well as an each-way hope from a good draw in stall four.
While I dislike the horse and the way jockeys have been treated when riding him, there is a real chance here for AMBIENTE FRIENDLY (5.35) will bounce back to form in the Listed Wolferton Stakes.
He has been hopeless in small fields this season, but they were never going to suit a horse who often is hard to settle and needs to run at a strong gallop.
Here the former Derby runner-up has no excuses from a fine draw and gets Rab Havlin back on, who was on board at Epsom.
CABALLO DE MAR (6.10) has been one of the success stories of the season and has risen up the handicap ranks from 65 to 97.
He ran a blinder in the Chester Cup and bounced back from that second to win at Haydock and can take the closing Copper Horse Stakes.
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