Royal Ascot blog – follow the day five action, including the Wokingham Stakes

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1509: Blowout!

But not the biggest surprise with all that connections had to say about Continuous. Middle Earth was more disappointing with Murphy scrubbing along at the top of the straight to no great effect, he did stay on but quite slowly. Continuous looked to be travelling great to my eye and he stayed on fine into fifth without ‘being given an unduly hard time’.

But let’s celebrate Isle Of Jura, George Scott and Callum Shepherd and, of course, Dave who spoke to Sky this morning about the apple of his eye and who did give him a chance.

There are emotional scenes on ITV with a tearful Shepherd choking back the tears as he speaks to Persad. Jockey off Ambiente Friendly ahead of the Derby by the owners (which is part and parcel of the game), this win clearly meant so very much to him and it really is fabulous to see. There are hugs all round after he’s out of the saddle with Isle Of Jura looking pretty frisky in the winner’s enclosure where there’s a broad, broad grin and a clenched fist to camera from Shepherd.

Great stuff, it warms the heart.

The winning time was 2.32.19 and the margins 3 3/4 lengths and 3/4 length.

Hardwicke Stakes

1445: O’Brien and Moore have a leading fancy in the Hardwicke Stakes too but Continuous does represent a conundrum. He’s working well and ready to do himself justice but he is expected to come on for the run and Fitzgerald says ‘there is something to work on, there is no doubt’.

He could still be good enough though.

Middle Earth is rated one of Oisin Murphy’s best chances of the week and may just be a rapidly progressive individual. He is rated 115 to Continuous’ 120 but if he’s moving forwards and Continuous isn’t quite ready to run to that mark then there’s not a lot between them and in contrast to Bedtime Story, Continuous has been easy to back. They are 7/4 and 9/4 on my screen at present.

Candleford was backed down from 20s this morning and is a C&D winner while Tom Marquand felt that Desert Hero’s Newbury run was readily excused (came too soon) and he’s another with the C&D marker. Missed The Cut is used to racing over here but struts his stuff in the US of A nowadays although he did see some familiar faces when splitting Silver Knott and Bold Act last time.

The French have enjoyed a pretty decent week at Royal Ascot and their winner yesterday was mightily impressive and Francis-Henri Graffard will be hoping for more of the same from Goliath. Could Goliath topple, er Goliath?

The ground will be the fastest that he’s encountered and, sweeping statement alert, he has that German suffix which so often suggests a soft ground performer but he’s progressive and was only four and a bit lengths behind Horizon Dore four runs ago. The slow tempo was against him when ridden by William Buick last time and he could get a test that will show him in a better light here.

I think he’s one of the more interesting runners against the big two.

Almost set.

Result

1st Isle Of Jura 16/1
2nd Goliath 18/1
3rd Middle Earth 9/4

Reaction

1436: Bedtime Story has won by a NH type distance. Those margins were NINE AND A HALF LENGTHS and half a length. The time was 1m 27.01s and there will be some fascinating analysis of the speed figures on site next week.

Given both she and Fairy Godmother were well backed, it makes you wonder how good they thought Whistlejacket was given the money for him. He may yet show us what he’d been showing at home.

Betfair Sportsbook have made Bedtime Story their 3/1 favourite for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas with Fairy Godmother their 9/2 second favourite. It’s going to be fun seeing what those fillies can do next.

“Very good filly,” Moore tells Rishi Persad. Not only a master jockey but a master of understatement.

More reaction will slot in here as it comes through but you can also head to our Royal Ascot review for the full lowdown and the replays.

More from Moore: “She travelled very easy, they’ve gone too slow for her really. I had room at the three so we started going forward and the race was over very quickly. Obviously, she’s a level above all of them.

When asked about comparisons with Fairy Godmother, he added:

“It’s a hard one. They haven’t really been asked to do too much at home. We don’t know a whole lot about them, we don’t know what they’ve beaten yet but they are two very exciting fillies. A performance like that, you don’t see normally.”

And second home Tom Marquand is counting that as a winner.

“I think we can probably count ourselves the winner of one race, and Ryan was the winner of the other! He’s obviously run massive and bumped into an extremely good horse.”

Derrick Smith: “I asked Ryan if she was as good as she looked and he said ‘absolutely’. You can’t get better than that. They don’t win like that here. I’m speechless really.”

Chesham Stakes

1415: Those in the carriages in the Royal Procession have alighted and it’s almost time to get this show on the road.

The ‘big two’ are represented by Bedtime Story and Age Of Gold and I couldn’t have the latter given the week that Charlie Appleby has had.

Diamond Rain was more D:Rain than D:Ream, Notable Speech was awful and the juveniles no more than okay. There may well be valid reasons for all of their performances but it’s hardly encouraging no matter how useful Age Of Gold looked at Yarmouth and there’s clearly confidence there with Boughey giving him a big shout earlier.

(Appleby has saddled a winner at Newmarket in Ancient Truth, a two-year-old who is now two from two)

It wasn’t a shout, more of a barely audible whisper but I did hear that Mr Chaplin would run well in the Coventry; he didn’t and nor was he backed as though better was expected. However, if you take it at face value that Mr Chaplin was expected to perform creditably then it might stand to reason that Defence Missile ran quite well when second to him at Newbury.

Obviously that bare form leaves him with plenty to find but, like them all, he is open to improvement. There are only three horses in single figures which is fairly remarkable; I think Motawahij was single figures earlier but he’s out to 12s now. Some have run well at big prices in the other juvenile races and you wouldn’t be any great surprise to see one of the outsiders in the mix.

They’re trying to hurry things along in the paddock. I think the carriages were a little behind time and there’s a rush to get this race off on time. They’re on the way down and Fitzgerald reports Motawahij was ‘getting a bit of run on Clifford Lee’, hopefully he can settle him down.

Loading underway a little past post time but they’ve done a fine job all week at getting everything off more or less to time.

Result

1st Bedtime Story 11/8 favourite
2nd Pentle Bay 5/1
3rd Brian 28/1

Fashionable winner

1359: Royal Ascot is not just about the racing with the fashion stakes (although not the Height of Fashion Stakes) playing a prominent role.

It’s certainly part of the fun and I find it a mildly diverting sidetrack – particularly when everything is losing – and I hope you’ve enjoyed the segments on ITV Racing. As someone who was once told ‘I’ve thrown away better clothes than the ones you’re wearing’, I have, and will, avoid commenting.

There may be some reasonable fashionable sires in the Chesham Stakes but they won’t be that precocious as the race is restricted to progeny of sires who won over at least 10 furlongs.

The favourite is trained by Aidan O’Brien who has just been collared by Mick Fitzgerald as he was overseeing the saddling of Bedtime Story.

“She works very good, she works like a very high-class group filly but whether she knows enough or not….She went to Leopardstown and we were thinking that she might run and come on and we were afraid she didn’t know enough but she obviously won.

“All her half speed work is very good, hopefully she knows enough and we think she’s a very high class filly.”

“He had a few hold ups, a few little things, he had two pieces (of work) away, so he will probably will come forward for the run, it is his first of the year.

“We are very happy with his work and he’s a lovely horse. He’s lovely and we think he’s going to be lovely at everything from a mile and a half up and hopefully he’s gong to run a nice race.”

“Delighted with his first run, we’re very happy with him since. We had three choices of races to come here and we picked the Jersey because he can go back to the July Cup or up to the Sussex.

“We were trying to split them all up but everything is well, everyone is happy with him and we think he’s come forward from the Curragh.”

Sing when you’re winning

1335: There is singing at the bandstand every day after racing at Royal Ascot I believe – as Graham Cunningham clearly enjoys – whether you have won or lost.

The Sky Sports Racing preview team have provided some winners this week with their team tips and here are today’s selections:

Josh Apiafi: Hand Of God (540) & Run For Oscar (615)

Jamie Lynch: Haatem (425) & Glenfinnan (505)

Zoey Bird: Harry Three (505) & Postileo (615)

Gina Bryce: Middle Earth (305) & Task Force (425)

Seb Sanders: Continuous (305), River Tiber (425) & Harry Three (505)

Glenfinnan was also advised by Matt ‘Value Bet‘ Brocklebank at 40/1.

Daydream believer

1309: It’s been a pretty good week for George Boughey and he’s hoping that it will get better yet. He runs two today with Believing out for the second time and Pentle Bay running in the opener.

“She’s a pretty remarkable filly. When she won the Chelmer Stakes it was only five or six days after running so well in the Nell Gwyn and she bounced out of the race, I had to send her up Warren Hill yesterday morning she was in such good form and Holly, who rides her every day, is a huge part behind her. She knows her inside out and she watched her on the CCTV getting fed at about 0430 this morning, she was straight into her grub and trotted up sound before we left. I think the six will show her in a better light, she’ll be able to travel that bit easier early doors and I’m really pleased with her. Looking forward to today.

“I think it’s a pretty similar race, they’re not vintage renewals of either but there’s some pretty strong form. The York form is going to be pretty key I would imagine, possibly soft ground form in there. She wants rattling fast ground. I came back with my tail well and truly between my legs coming back from Hong Kong when it rained; we’ve got everything in place today and hopefully she turns up.”

“It has always been the plan and Jamie gave him a brilliant ride. He’s a pretty talented horse I think, he’s done so well in a short space of time to get here and I think he’s a live each-way chance. He’s drawn next to Charlie’s who I think is a strong fancy in the race.”

‘Charlie’ is Mr Appleby of course and he had this to say about the aforementioned Age Of Gold:

“Aidan’s filly is the one we’ve all got to beat. He’s a smaller individual than Pinatubo and lighter framed but this horse is a very good moving horse, he’s well related and has done nothing wrong. He deserves to be here and I feel he’s a big player.”

It’s not been a great week for Appleby so far but he felt the ground was to blame for Diamond Rain’s run yesterday and she will be put away until the autumn.

Back to Boughey who also had a word for his jockey Billy Loughnane, describing the teenager as ‘the complete package’. His father sent him to Boughey saying ‘I think the boy rides all right, see how he goes’.

The boy’s done alright.

Boughey will also be cheering on former stablemate Missed The Cut in the Hardwicke in whom he still owns a small share.

Incidentally, his half-brother South Pole has joined Boughey from Aidan O’Brien’s yard and has a couple of entries this week at Salisbury and Hamilton.

Under the radar

1246: Karl Burke has reflected on his week and looked ahead to today with Bird on Sky.

“It’s been fantastic, two great results and third in the Britannia as well but there’s been a few disappointments along the way.

“Leovanni was very professional, great mind especially for a breeze-up filly, they can have a tough time preparing them for the breeze-ups. She’s taken everything in her stride. Shareholder is a beautiful animal and came with a big reputation, hadn’t had him very long before his debut and he did everything wrong but came out of it really well and took a big step forward which he showed here on Thursday. I think he’s a little bit special but she’s obviously very quick and talented.”

“He’s by American Pharoah who obviously got this sort of trip really well. He’s out of quite a fast family, he travels strongly and I think he’ll take a big step forwards from his debut second at Hamilton, beaten by a nice horse of Richard Fahey’s. I like him a lot and I think if he relaxes early and gets a bit of cover, he’ll come home strong. He’s a talented horse and we’ll see how good he is today.”

“I think she’s going in under the radar. She was fourth here last year in the Commonwealth against the colts, she was fourth here on Champions Day, she loves the track, fast ground won’t be an issue to her and she’s in great shape. She’s come on a lot for her first run, I probably didn’t have her as fit as I should have first time up, she’s stepped forward in a good way from that and we’ll make plenty of use of her. She’s got a big long stride and she stays the trip well.”

“The trip should be spot on. The Guineas was a bit of a disaster, everything went wrong. I’m concerned about stall 1, he’s a horse that needs a bit of cover so Danny is going to have to be on his A-game to get that but he’s a talented horse. He’s got a lot to prove now and needs to run well today. He’s also a little bit edgy in the stalls so I’ve got to have a word with the starters and hopefully he won’t be in too long.”

“He’s a great horse, one of the yard’s favourites, and has been around us for a while now. Ran a fantastic race at Newbury with the first time blinkers on. Sometimes he can be slow away and if he does that today I think it will be game over but he hit the gates really strong at Newbury and I think if he does that and gets away he’ll run a big race.”

Mullins only third

1225: It’s not often you can rule Willie Mullins out of winning any contest but he’s guaranteed to come back in third today as that’s the carriage he’s in before racing.

1st Carriage: The King; The Queen; HH Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani; The Lady Charles Spencer-Churchill

2nd Carriage: The Earl De La Warr; The Countess De La Warr; Mr. Wafic Saïd; Mrs. John Harrington

3rd Carriage: Mr. Willie Mullins; Mrs. Willie Mullins; Mr. Jamie Snowden; Mrs. Jamie Snowden

4th Carriage: Sir Michael Stevens; Lady Stevens; Mr. Dominic Spencer-Churchill; Mrs. Dominic Spencer Churchill

In the actual racing he might have hoped for more than the one winner as he’s had a few chances but he’ll probably be content enough and without a runner today, he can put his feet up and enjoy the company and the action.

Seeing Wafic Saïd’s name on the carriage list brings back memories of his brilliant mare Bosra Sham who was brilliantly handled by Sir Henry Cecil. Take a quick nostalgia dive into some Royal Ascot memories with the video above.

Eavesy does it

1217: It was a good Friday for Tom Eaves with that performance from Inisherin and he seemed in relaxed mood today, nothing like a big winner to ease those nerves.

“You try and run the race through your head going into the race and it all went quite smooth and he was impressive. He just backed up what he did at Haydock and he’s very talented and he’s got a very good mind to go with it. The race went to plan and I’m very pleased.

“Washington Heights is coming here off the back of two good runs and I’m delighted the rain has stayed away. He’s got plenty of speed, he’s quite a simple race and we’ll see how we go. It looks a wide open race and he comes here in good form, we’re looking forward to it.”

Washington Heights goes in the Jubilee and the winner of that race is more than likely to go for the July Cup at Newmarket which is, of course, the intended target for Inisherin. I wonder who Eaves will ride if they both head there? Hmm

Moore the merrier

1203: The Retraining Of Racehorses charity will be cheering on Ryan Moore today as Ascot are donating £5,000 for every winner he rides at the meeting as part of their community and charity programme and he has another strong book of rides but it hasn’t all gone his way this week.

Moore kicks off with Bedtime Story in the Chesham, a race Aidan O’Brien has won on six occasions, including with a filly. She was the stable second string on debut but won tidily and is quite strong in the market at 13/8.

Easier to back is Continuous in the Hardwicke Stakes and he featured among the market drifters. Clear on ratings and a Group 1 winner without a penalty in a Group 2 he’s the one to beat but this is his first run of the season and although he may be ready to start off, it wouldn’t be surprising if his team had still left something to work on with a long campaign ahead.

The Betfair Ambassador did say as much in his column on their site, commenting ‘it is his first run back and that is definitely something to bear in mind as he takes on race-fit, in-form rivals’.

He teams up with Wizard Of Eye for Charlie Fellowes in the Jubilee Stakes; he has plenty to find but made a great start for his new yard when winning the Victoria Cup over seven furlongs.

River Tiber has more obvious claims and is priced accordingly in the Jersey; he receives 3lbs from Haatem and doesn’t have too much to find on their running in the Irish 2000 Guineas.

It’s market mover Harry Three for Clive Cox in the Wokingham before he signs off with the quirky (perhaps) Old Faithful in the Golden Gates.

Power packed

1140: Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield has been in touch with a betting update.

“The two at the front of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee market, Believing and Mill Stream, both have plenty of supporters and we’re currently unable to separate them at 4/1,” he reports.

“But punters really are steaming into the former after George Boughey’s winner at the Royal extravaganza yesterday and they clearly believe that the extra furlong today will assist her in going closer than her fourth in the King Charles III on Tuesday.”

230 Bedtime Story 6/4 from 13/8

305 Missed The Cut 11/1 from 12/1

345 Believing 4/1 from 13/2; Mill Stream 4/1 from 9/2; Shouldvebeenaring 10/1 from 12/1

425 River Tiber 5/4 from 6/4

505 Dark Trooper 9/2 from 13/2

540 Approval 6/1 from 15/2

He’s a monster

1124: Is it telling that when I hear the words Isle Of Jura I think of a single malt?

It’s probably a little early in the day to start on the whisky (in case the editor is reading) although Zoey Bird is interviewing a happy group of young people with pints in front of them; it could be non-alcoholic lager of course.

Earlier she went down to the stables and spoke to Dave who rides Isle Of Jura every day. George Scott’s four-year-old is on something of a roll and takes another step up in class in the Hardwicke Stakes.

“He’s very well. Excited to be here. He had a very successful spell in Bahrain and you never really know quite how that form holds up over here but he certainly backed it up at Goodwood in a Listed race and we’re quietly confident of a good run today.

“The way the weather has been over here……we were praying for some good weather so we’d have good, fast ground here which we have so everything is really in his favour today and we’re looking forward to it.

“He’s very, very athletic for a horse of his size, he’s just shy of 17 hands. He’s very much a monster and to ride he’s just an absolute gentleman, he’s brilliant and I’m very lucky to be a part of it.

“He’s special to me and I hope he can prove to the public that he’s very special too.”

Royal Ascot takeaway

1106: “I really, really love eating Chinese food in the car.”

Those weren’t words I expected to hear or a subject I ever expected to discuss – and we did – but they did crop up in the same conversation.

Just like racing, it’s a game of opinions.

Fish and chips by the beach sure. So often it’s raining on Albion’s coastline and the car is the only sensible place to eat them before the batter gets even soggier but it had never crossed my mind to chew on a chow mein in the motor.

Digressions aside, there is no shortage of opinions on our pages and if you’re reading this, I’m sure you know where to find them all without any pointing.

I’ll throw in some nonsense of my own and try to bring you a range of views from elsewhere too in the hope of unearthing a winner or seven (yeah!).

Movers and drifters

1053: The bods on the telly have kindly put up the early movers and drifters and they are:

Movers Drifters

Motawhahij (230) 12/1 > 8/1 Pentle Bay 5/1

Candleford (305) 20/1 > 11/1 Continuous 13/8

Mitbaahy (345) 11/2

Pearls And Rubies (425) 50/1 > 14/1 Eben Shaddad 14/1

Harry Three (505) 16/1 > 8/1 [bah humbug] Saint Lawrence 10/1

Run For Oscar (615) 6/1 > 11/4

There’s a story there with Pearls And Rubies, not a very good or interesting one, but I was talking to a friend last night and he was keen on her chance (he likes an outsider) and told me to look at her record on quick ground which is a decent two runs on good to firm and two second places.

Those two runs saw her post her highest figures and include a second to Porta Fortuna in the Cheveley Park Stakes, form boosted twice yesterday by the winner and by Soprano in the Sandringham. The other run came on this day last year when she went down by a head in the Chesham.

I was going to steal his work and put her up as an interesting 50/1 shot but that horse has well and truly bolted.

Lara out without scoring

1045: Good morning, are you still feeling bright and breezy?

We’re all set for another fine day’s racing and, atypically, the weather is playing ball and Chris Stickels, who has just spoken to Sky, is looking quite relaxed, if a little tired. Four or five hours sleep a night this week apparently. I know some can and do but I am not one of their number.

There are a few non-runners and a couple of notable ones unfortunately with neither Kinross nor Primo Lara taking part. I see Trueshan, predictably, and Aleezdancer are also absent.

It says dry overnight on the below going update but Stickels did say they had had a few spots but it was barely enough to register on the rain gauge so qualified as none.

The going for day five of Royal Ascot, Saturday 22nd June, is Good to Firm.

GoingStick readings at 8am:

Stands’ side: 8.6

Centre: 8.8

Far side: 8.5

Round: 7.7

Stalls:

Straight Course: centre

Round Course: inside

Weather:

Dry overnight. 1.4mm rain recorded over the past 7 days. Today is forecast to be generally dry with sunny spells, a light shower is possible.

Watering:

Watered Straight Course with 4mm and Round Course with 3mm after racing on Friday.

More Royal Ascot previews, tips & features

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