Ascot Racing Tips Today | Timeform experts predictions

It’s been four years since Aidan O’Brien last landed the Queen’s Vase with Santiago and his half-brother GROSVENOR SQUARE looks to be the forgotten one of the Ballydoyle quartet this year. A winner of two of his three starts as a juvenile, Grosvenor Square was sent off 7/4 favourite in the Chester Vase when third to the ill-fated Hidden Law and shaped as if he’d come on appreciably for the outing. I expect the son of Galileo to improve for the further step up in trip and, if getting a typically positive ride, he should be in the mix come the finish.

Switcheroo time with this race transferred to the round course this year and that might make things difficult for the pair that head the betting/Timeform ratings with them having to come from the two lowest stalls and risk meeting traffic. Favourite Laurel hasn’t been seen for over a year and with stablemates with similar profiles Inspiral and Emily Upjohn left short for their reappearance and reports of an unimpressive recent gallop, she’s easy enough to take on. Rogue Millennium is entitled to go well on her best form, but she couldn’t produce that on her return at the Curragh after caught in traffic on the rail and has ground to make up on OCEAN JEWEL who looks overpriced to confirm the form. This lightly-raced half-sister to 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth showed improved form to win that Lanwades Stud Stakes last time and really impressed with the way she travelled through the race and I think she’d have beaten Rogue Millennium even if that one got out sooner. There’s every reason to think she’ll be just as effective back under these quicker conditions and even under a penalty looks sure to go well.

If there’s a standout bet on the second day of Royal Ascot, it’s surely French raider Horizon Dore who will be extremely difficult to keep out of the frame in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at 4.25 yet can be backed at around 13-2. HORIZON DORE is a strong-travelling good-moving colt with a cracking turn of foot but can also be inclined to race a bit keenly, a trait which didn’t help him on Champions Day last season when the ground went against him or in Hong Kong in December, but he was right back to his best last time in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp when losing out by a whisker after making his run from too far back in last place. With pacemakers in for both Blue Rose Cen and Auguste Rodin, Horizon Dore could well find another chunk of improvement now finally getting a strongly-run race and the booking of Mickael Barzalona for the first time since their successful partnership in 2023 is another plus.

AZAHARA PALACE was gradually progressive last year at 3, winning 3 times at Chepstow while leaving the impression she still had maturing to do. Not only did she look more the finished article when coming out and winning at Leicester last month, but she did well in the circumstances too, not only coming from the back at a track that doesn’t tend to favour such tactics on the round course, but doing so in a steadily-run race with something of a tailwind in the straight to boot, all of which makes a 7 lb rise look on the lenient side given the first 2 came so far clear. Obviously this is far stiffer but that Leicester win suggested she’s ready for a race like this now, and a well-run mile on a stiff track could bring out a fair bit more from her.

Laurel has always been a well-regarded filly, winning her first two starts in her three-year-old season, and taking a huge step forward in form terms when finishing runner-up in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, just her lack of experience costing her victory after she’d looked to come with a winning run – she traded at 1.12 in-running on Betfair.

She stood out on form and completed a simple task in Listed company at Kempton on her return last season, but disappointed when last seen in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, racing apart from the principals, though her track position wasn’t a big enough excuse, and she clearly wasn’t right on the day.

Laurel hasn’t been seen since, so clearly has had some sort of setback, but she remains very lightly raced for her age, and still has plenty of potential. The form of her runner-up effort in the Sun Chariot stands out in this field and, given her record when fresh, and the connections she represents, she will surely be ready to roll on her belated return.

The Timeform Flag

Highbury – 15:05 Royal Ascot

Flags: Horse In Focus, Hot Trainer

Though he hasn’t dominated this race recently to the same extent as a few years ago, Aidan O’Brien clearly knows what it takes to win this three-year-old stayers’ prize having landed it seven times in total since 2007. His last win came in 2020 with Santiago, and his half-brother, Grosvenor Park, is amongst his four runners, but the most progressive of them all might just be stablemate Highbury.

A brother to three winners, including mile and a quarter winner Friendly Face and and mile and a half winner Mille Fois Merci (both in France), Highbury was much improved from debut (useful form) when winning a nine-runner maiden at Leopardstown last time. He scored impressively by seven and a half lengths from subsequent winner Himalayan Heights, leading over a furlong out, and staying on strongly.

Highbury looks very much the type who will go on progressing for top connections, particularly now moving up further in trip, and he is very interesting indeed.

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