Handicap Focus

Royal fans were disappointed when Reaching High pulled far too hard in the Ascot Stakes on the first day, but they can gain adequate compensation in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (3.40). 

Like its sister race for the three-year-olds, the King George V Stakes, this race tends to favour horses drawn high and WARRANT HOLDER, in the colours of Charles and Camilla, will be tough to hold out. This horse had developed a pretty good record prior to his gelding operation and, on the evidence of his York win last month, the cruelest cut of all may have elicited further improvement. He drew well on the Knavesmire, but he has great alley here too in stall 17 and he can sit off what should be a strong gallop. Another recently gelded runner, HOPEWELL ROCK, who went extremely well in the Daiquiri Bay/Gamrai race against the speed bias, will be thereabouts, as will PLAGE DE HAVRE. 

The Sandringham (5.00), for three-year-old fillies down the straight mile, a bit like the Britannia, favours hold up runners with a late surge and GLYFADA fits the bill perfectly. Granted, she looked a bit green a Killarney last time on only her third start, but the charge of inexperience can be thrown at a lot of the runners in this race and I liked the way she made ground into a quickening pace at the business end of that contest. AWAKEN was second to Venetian Sun in last year's Albany and has plenty of weight to carry, but Boughey and Loughnane struck with a similarly profiled horse called Soprano two years ago and she can go well too.

The final handicap on the card on Friday is the blink-and-you'll miss cavalry charge that is the Palace Of Holyrood Stakes (6.10). BACIO is a very interesting US challenger and difficult for the UK handicapper to assess. He has molten early speed and, while that may not be sustained all the way up the Ascot straight course, he is still a must for those who want to play the wider exotics. Stall 31 is a big plus too. I like STARGAZED as well, who was only chinned just on the line at York last, but if you want just one to play against the field I would be happy to go with the top weight, DICKENSIAN. He travelled really powerfully when finishing second in the Windsor Castle last year and came through eye-catchingly when ridden a bit more conservatively in a York listed race last time out. Gate 19 looks fine, although it is his stalk and pounce run style that is just as if not more pertinent.

All 35 Royal Ascot races will be globally commingled as part of the Tote World Pool, giving UK and Irish customers the chance to bet into massive international pools with the Tote.