Ascot

Dark Angel's Sacred Angel Dominates The Princess Margaret

Purchased privately by Nurlan Bizakov following her success in the Newmarket July Festival's six-furlong fillies' maiden, the Charlie Johnston-trained Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) provided instant justification for the acquisition by making all in Ascot's G3 Bateaux London Princess Margaret S. on Saturday. Electric from her outside stall under Jason Hart, the 16-1 shot who was a £52,000 purchase for original owners the Titanium Racing Club at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, had pressure throughout but shook it off to go clear inside the final furlong. Veering left...

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Ancient Wisdom Takes Aim At The Pat Eddery

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a 'TDN Rising Star' by Dubawi (Ire). 16.15 Ascot, Listed, £50,000, 2yo, 7fT ANCIENT WISDOM (FR) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the key protagonist in this Listed Pat Eddery S. which his trainer Charlie Appleby has plundered in three of the last four years. Earning TDN Rising Star...

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Ascot: King George No Soft Option For Auguste Rodin

You've heard for a while that Saturday's edition of the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. is a special one. "Race for the ages" has been bandied about and for good reason given the accumulation of top-class mile-and-a-half horses set for the Ascot joust. What had for so long been starved of a meaningful intergenerational clash and threatened to become a bygone curio has suddenly been dusted off and revived due largely to the presence of the Derby winner. Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is no...

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Eleven For King George, Ascot Now Soft

Eleven high-quality runners will make up one of the greatest renewals of the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth II Qipco S. in recent memory on Saturday, with Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) the biggest missing name among them. Saeed Suhail's troubled 2022 Derby hero's leg infection means that the keenly-anticipated clash of the last two Blue Riband winners in the Ascot monument is cruelly denied, while the three other withdrawals disappointingly include the sole French challenger Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), whose chance was put paid to by...

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Desert Crown To Miss King George Due To Leg Infection

Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) will miss Saturday's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth II Qipco S. at Ascot due to a leg infection. The 2022 Derby winner, who was off with an ankle injury for a year following his Epsom triumph, was beaten on his return by Hukum in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown in May. Sir Michael Stoute's charge had been reported to be working well in the build-up to a clash with that rival at Ascot and was also set to take on this year's Derby one-two...

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Stott Labels King George 'Race Of The Season' And Puts Faith In King Of Steel

Kevin Stott has billed Saturday's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. as the race of the season so far and backed his mount King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) to exact revenge on his Derby conqueror Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). However, the jockey warned that the Ascot showpiece is far from a two-horse race, and described being a part of such a spectacle as incredibly exciting.  King Of Steel finished just a half a length behind Auguste Rodin at huge odds of 66-1 in the G1...

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Five-Year Pool Betting Deal Renewed Between Ascot And HKJC

A five-year partnership renewal agreement for pool betting was agreed upon by Ascot Racecourse and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) on Friday. The deal renewal, signed by Michael Fitzsimons of the HKJC and Felicity Barnard of Ascot, features the delivery of a dedicated HKJC feed from Ascot, as well as additional content to help raise awareness of the racing at Ascot in Hong Kong. It will begin on July 1, 2023 and last until July 1, 2028. It is an extension of a deal that began between the two...

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Porta Fortuna Is Medallion Racing's Lucky Charm at Ascot

Ever since Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio)'s win in the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. at Naas last month, bloodstock agent Mark McStay had been pestering Taylor Made's Mark Taylor to make his plans to come to Royal Ascot. But the Taylor family is more known for probity and hard work than they are flights of fancy, and Taylor demurred, citing preparations for upcoming sales in America. But when Porta Fortuna launched a determined bid and got up for the win in Friday's G3 Albany S. at Ascot...

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Plays And Lays: Who Are The Juveniles To Side With And Against At Ascot?

It never ceases to amaze how much debate the two-year-old races at Royal Ascot generate each year. A quick scan on racing Twitter over the past few days confirmed as much.  For all the fascinating puzzles that the royal meeting will serve up this week, including whether Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) can cope with Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the St James's Palace, what will reign supreme in the Prince Of Wales's or if any of the Australian sprinters can land a blow in the King's Stand S., it's the...

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“This Is Massive For Us” – Asadna Has Aughamore Team Excited For Ascot

Aughamore Stud's Michael Gleeson has said that producing Asadna (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), arguably the most impressive two-year-old winner there has been so far this season and a genuine Royal Ascot contender, eclipses anything the family-run farm has achieved in the sales ring.  Gleeson runs one of the shrewdest breeding and pinhooking operations in Ireland along with his brother Laurence. The Westmeath men have made a habit of producing a number of big results at the sales in recent years and are now savouring what looks a real Coventry S. contender...

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Observations: Craven Breeze-Up Topper Debuts at Ascot

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Insights features Ocean Runner (Ire), a joint sale topper at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, at Ascot. 15.10 Ascot, Novice, £15,000, 2yo, 5fT OCEAN RUNNER (IRE) (Blue Point {Ire}) was the joint-sale topper at the Tatts Craven Breeze-Up last month and starts out for Godolphin's Charlie Appleby stable...

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Saint-Cloud Debut For Persian King's Sister

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a full-sister to three-time Group 1 winner Persian King (Ire). 14.15 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €27,000, 3yo, f, 8fT PROPHETIE (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a key runner for Ballymore Thoroughbred Racing and the Andre Fabre stable, being a full-sister to the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, G1 Prix...

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