Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
The last day of Ascot used to be known as Ascot Heath but now it’s deemed as Royal Ascot. But whatever it’s called, the quality of racing is not diminished.
ITV have provided some great coverage this week and this continues with Saturday’s racing where they are covering every race on the card. And although the Platinum Jubilee is the richest race of the week, the highlight for me is the Wokingham, a real 6-furlong cavalry charge.
There are only two handicaps on the card to try and find real value but I’ve looked through the other races to try and find decent-priced horses with a good chance of landing the spoils, and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Royal Ascot Lucky Fifteen
3.05 Samburu
4.20 Campanelle
5.00 Fresh
5.35 Falling Shadow
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
On another great Royal Ascot card, I will start with the 3.05 the Jersey Stakes run over 7 furlongs. The favourite here is likely to be Charlie Appleby’s Noble Truth who won at Newmarket in April after wintering in Dubai where he ran disappointingly. I feel he can be taken on.
Alflaila won at Ascot on his seasonal reappearance for trainer Owen Burrows but steps up to Group class here.
I like the look of the French challenger Tommy Son trained by Y Barberot who was successful in a Listed race at Lonchamp in May, he may hit the frame.
While from Ireland, Henry de Bromhead sends Star Girls Aalmal over to challenge. She won at Gowan Park in April then was unlucky at the Curragh the following month when she was hampered a furlong out finishing fourth, another for the frame.
The Gosdens have a strong hand here with Audience, Find and Samburu and it does not need a great leap of faith to pick out the latter of the three. He is unbeaten in three contests latterly at York in May in a Class 3 handicap. He is stepping up in class hugely but the Gosdens have faith in him.
The biggest race of the meeting is the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at 4.20 and what an international field we have for this 6-furlong race. Wesley Ward brings Campanelle over from the United States to try and win for the third time at Ascot. She won at Keeneland in April as a prep for this race and Ward is very upbeat about her chances.
From Australia, Chris Waller runs Home Affairs who beat Nature Strip at Flemington in February then was beaten by Anthony and Sam Freedman’s Artorius in March who has also made the long journey here.
For the British, Clive Cox runs Diligent Harry who had a good prep for this when running second at Doncaster in March.
Last year’s Sprint Cup winner at Haydock, Emeraaty Ana, has wintered in Dubai and run very poorly. Could he bounce back from these runs? Unlikely.
I like Richard Hannon’s Happy Romance who has also spent the winter in the Middle East. He will relish the good ground and I expect him to be placed, but Campanelle is my idea of the winner.
At 5.00 it is the Wokingham Stakes and this annual 6-furlong cavalry charge has once again attracted a top-quality field of handicappers. One of the favourites is Archie Watson’s Tabdeed who was a Group winner in 2020. His form over the last two seasons has been very consistent finishing out of the frame just once in seven attempts without getting his head in front.
Michael Dods’ Blackrod won at Newmarket in April beating several of the horses he will meet here, he should go close.
Marco Botti’s Silver Samurai has won his last two races at Newbury and Haydock both of which were last month but he has a penalty for those wins which may hold him back.
Last year’s winner Rohaan trained by David Evans returns to try and repeat the feat but with top weight and 3lbs more to carry than last year he faces a difficult task.
I am a believer in Ascot horses for Ascot races and Fresh falls into that category. James Fanshawe’s speedster was second last year and can go one better this time around, he was an Ascot winner in May last year and ran a pleasing fourth here last month in preparation for this. He is primed for action.
The Golden Gates Stakes Handicap is at 5.35 run over 1m 2f for 3-year-olds. George Boughey’s Missed The Cut looks a warm favourite here after winning at Salisbury and Pontefract but they were lowly Class 5 contests and even though he won them easily, he would still have to show major improvement to take this.
The Gosdens have top weight with Aldous Huxley who was only beaten a neck in a Listed race at Goodwood last time but the weight is a factor.
Aidan O’Brien’s Sun King looks like an interesting entrant. He won at Bellewstown in April and then was a disappointing favourite at Navan in May where he finished sixth but O’Brien’s horses have to be respected and he may go close.
But I like Charlie Appleby’s Falling Shadow who won at Wolverhampton in December but was disqualified after failing a drugs test. Since then, he won at Newbury last month where he came home easily. He has the ability to take this.
Royal Ascot Lucky Fifteen
3.05 Samburu
4.20 Campanelle
5.00 Fresh
5.35 Falling Shadow
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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