Royal Ascot
2.30pm
Bless Him
You could argue that he is pretty much as good as ever this season as a 7yo, and we know that he is in his element over a mile on quick ground on this straight track. He won the Britannia here back in 2017 and produced his career best when giving Lord North 4lb and a very comfortable ½ length beating at the track a couple of years ago. That was pretty much the last time he had his ideal set-up. His run behind Palace Pier at Sandown last time clearly shows what a job on he has if the favourite runs his race – they all do – but if gets a good pace to run at, in quick conditions on a straight track where he has excelled in the past, then I won’t be at all surprised if he hits the frame at a big price. He has been running to a pretty high level all year and, outside of Palace Pier, nothing much in here particularly scares you, for all there are Group 1 scorers and previous winners of this race among them.
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3.05pm
Golden War
We saw in this race with Nando Parrado last season how horses can, and do, come on massively for their first starts, and hopefully there is a lot more to come from Golden War. I was delighted with the way he shaped when second at Goodwood on his debut and I think it was a good novice, as the third had shown a lot at Ascot first time up, though the fourth has been well beaten since. But the bare form is only secondary as this Churchill colt is all about potential, and there is plenty of it. The quicker ground here – it was soft at Goodwood – will suit him a lot better, too, as will a strongly-run 6f.
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3.40pm
Arecibo
Obviously, rated 104, he has a mountain to climb here but Robert has nursed him back to top form this season – he is on a career-high mark now – and the fact that there is so much pace in this race will play to his strengths. So while you would obviously struggle to make a form case for him, this could set up nicely for him, he has good course form and quick ground isn’t a problem.
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5.00pm
Lethal Steps
Lethal Steps has been very lightly raced over hurdles of late, and was having his first start for over a year at Punchestown recently, so hopefully that run will have brought him on a lot, fitness-wise. He was a fair novice hurdler over 2m4f/2m6f in 2019 and was rated as high as 102 on the Flat when with Andrew Balding in 2018 – I actually rode him when he ran in the Duke Of Edinburgh at this meeting a couple of years ago – so hopefully he has a decent run in him. One of his best runs on the Flat came on quick ground in Listed company, too.
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6.10pm
Dubious Affair
She progressed massively for Charlie last season, winning her first three, with the opening win at Yarmouth coming off 74, and ending up in Group 2 company. Soft ground was obviously against her on his final start here in the Long Distance Cup in October – and the opposition was a bit too hot, as well – but her earlier fourth to Pista in the Park Hill at Doncaster probably marks her out as still being fairly, if not generously, treated here off 100. The stable is in good form and she has her ideal conditions.
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