Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
It’s the final day of Royal Ascot on Saturday and punters have taken a walloping over the first two days. However, I did get something back with Jimi Hendrix who won the Royal Hunt Cup on Wednesday. I tipped him to win the Spring Cup at Newbury earlier in the season and was following up with him.
The big handicap on Saturday is the Wokingham which I have reviewed below and this is preceded by four Class 1’s, including the Group 1 Jubilee Stakes which looks like a tremendous contest with entries from all around the world.
So I have looked through the card for value and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Royal Ascot Lucky Fifteen
3.05 The Antarctic
3.40 Kinross
5.00 Fresh
5.35 Lion Of Way
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
I will begin with the 3.05 the Jersey Stakes a Group 3 run over 7 furlongs. John and Thady Gosden have the favourite here with Frankie Dettori’s mount Covey who is a winner of his last three races, including a handicap at Haydock last month. He steps into Group company for the first time.
Empty Metaphor is trained by Mohammed Al Attiyah and has been running this year in Ireland winning a maiden in April at Limerick, this is a major step up.
Roger Varian sends out Enfjaar who has won both his races this year, both Class 4 contests of which the latest was on the all-weather at Chelmsford.
Andrew Balding’s Holguin won at Newbury as a 2-year-old. This season, he has filled the runner-up spot in his last three outings the last twice in Listed company he can go very close here.
But the class horse here seems to be A P O’Brien’s The Antarctic. He had a busy time as a 2-year-old winning three times in eight outings. This season, he has run twice and won a Group 3 at Naas last month. He looks the answer here.
The richest race of the week is at 3.40- The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. This Class 1 is run over 6 furlongs and has attracted an international turnout with runners from Australia, USA, Spain, Hong Kong and of course the UK.
Among the favourites is the Australian-trained Artorius who is looked after by Antony and Sam Freedman who won a Group 1 at Randwick in March.
Vying for favouritism is John Quinn’s Highfield Princess who is a dual Group 1 winner. She has been runner-up in both of her Group 1 races this year.
Big Invasion is a great name for the American invader trained by Christophe Clement who ran up a six-timer last year. In his latest run, he was second in a Group 1 at Belmont Park.
Wellington trained in Hong Kong by Richard Gibson is a multiple Group 1 winner at Sha Tin. He has the help of Ryan Moore aboard.
But my fancy is Ralph Beckett’s Kinross who is a course and distance winner. He hasn’t been seen since running third at the Breeders Cup but Beckett will have him spot on for this and he has the services of Dettori to ride him.
It’s the big handicap of the week at 5.00 the Wokingham Stakes, a Heritage Handicap run over a sharp 6 furlongs with 28 runners, a real charge of the Light Brigade. The bookmakers choice is Orazio who has won his last two races the latest of which was here at Ascot over this distance but this is much tougher. Top weight is Hugo Palmer’s Flaming Rib but after winning the first time out this year his form has taken a downward turn.
Andrew Balding’s King’s Lynn ran a good second last time at Chester but he looks too high in the weights.
Kevin Ryan’s Bielsa had a fine victory at York last time. He can go close here.
William Haggas’s Khanjar is a course and distance winner. He was a beaten favourite second at Hamilton earlier this month and needs to improve on that to figure here.
I like the look of James Fanshawe’s Fresh. His run here in the Victoria Cup last month was too bad to be believed but he was drawn on the wrong side and the jockey said he was never travelling, I give him another chance.
The Golden Gates Stakes is at 5.35. This is a handicap for 3-year-olds run over 1m 2f. This looks like a really open contest with possibly Charlie Appleby’s First Sight going off favourite. He has won both of his contests this year on the all-weather but it remains to be seen how he performs on turf.
Appleby also has the top weight Local Dynasty who was third at Chester last month but he looks too high in the weights here.
A P O’Brien runs Canute who won at Navan earlier this month, the handicapper may have a grip on him.
I like the way Lion Of War won last time out at Musselburgh when he won the Edinburgh Cup for trainer Charlie Johnson. The booking of Oisin Murphy shows he means business.
Royal Ascot Lucky Fifteen
3.05 The Antarctic
3.40 Kinross
5.00 Fresh
5.35 Lion Of Way
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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