Royal Ascot 2020 - Day Three Tips

We're just about to reach the half-way point of the royal meeting, and there's been some thrilling action so far.

Royal Ascot has cut a deserted figure this week.

With the Gold Cup the headline event on Thursday, Harry Reynolds, Ben Wignall and Joseph Richardson cast their eyes over the card, looking for some more winners to add to the week's tally.

13:15 – Golden Gates Handicap

Harry Reynolds – Good luck finding the winner here. A number of very interesting horses feature, but I’ll stick with MAORI KNIGHT, who reappeared with a decent run when narrowly denied over this distance at Haydock just over a week ago, and has a nice low weight.

Ben Wignall – Some nice unexposed looking three-year-olds in the first race of day three, and HYPOTHETICAL could be a very exciting horse for John Gosden. Impressive on debut at Chelmsford last year, the Lope De Vega colt was fourth in the Classic Trial just two weeks ago. With the winner and runner-up of that race both running well earlier at Ascot this week, Frankie Dettori’s mount may just frank the form even more on his handicap debut.

Joseph Richardson – GLOBAL STORM beat Arthurian Fable last time out, who ran a good race in the King George on day two, and has a nice weight for the Godolphin team.

13:50 – Wolferton Stakes

HR – Not a race to get the juices flowing. Sir Dragonet has been so disappointing, Regal Reality can’t be trusted and Fox Tal hasn’t raced in eight months. Therefore, I’ll take a chance on DUBAI WARRIOR to get a place. He showed serious class when beating Bangkok very easily in the Winter Derby, and that horse ran a creditable fifth in the St. James’ Palace Stakes. BW – In this race last year we were treated to a great showdown between Magic Wand and eventual winner Addeybb, but this renewal lacks that kind of quality. There’s a lot of Group 1 form though to take in, and if Sir Dragonet can find the potential he had as a three-year-old, he could take all the beating here. But REGAL REALITY’s third place behind Enable in the Eclipse last year looks solid enough, and Sir Michael Stoute’s horse can take his performances to the next level after being gelded.

Regal Reality lines up for his first start after being gelded.

JR - This is an interesting but tough race to decipher, reflected by the open look to the top of the market. Last year's favourite for the Derby, Sir Dragonet, looked a shadow of his former self on his last run in March, while Regal Reality is too short, and Dubai Warrior carries a 5lb penalty for his Winter Derby victory. So I’m putting up the favourite FOX TAL who has the best recent concrete form.

14:25 – Jersey Stakes

HR – This was a toss-up between the top two of the market for me. We’ve seen such a serious draw bias on the stands rail, so with that in mind KING LEONIDAS has to be the selection. He is superbly bred, by Kingman out of a Galileo mare, and his main rival Molatham is drawn on the opposite side of the track. BW – King Leonidas has a remarkable pedigree and looked impressive at Newmarket last week, but the juvenile form of MOLATHAM reads very well. He’s unbeaten in two starts over seven furlongs, and perhaps didn’t want it soft on his final start of last season over a mile at Newmarket. His Listed win at Doncaster in September though – where he defeated 2000 Guineas runner-up Wichita and Berlin Tango – looks solid and if he’s trained on he could be very difficult to stop.

JR – This has a quality look at the top of the market, and weighing up two-year-old form vs horses who have had a run is difficult. MOLATHAM’s two-year-old form in beating 2000 Guineas runner up Wichita is looking very good. He goes for the on-fire Jim Crowley.

Molatham (centre) got the better of future 2000 Guineas second Wichita (right) in September.

15:00 – Chesham Stakes

HR – A tricky contest to work out but MODERN NEWS won well in what looked a pretty decent novice event at HQ on Guineas weekend. He was very game when he hit the front, and this stiff finish should bring out the best in him. BW – Not a huge field for this race, which Pinatubo won last year before conquering everything as a two-year-old. Just four of the nine runners have won a race, and MODERN NEWS is one of those who has been victorious in this shortened 2020 flat racing season. Charlie Appleby’s Shamardal colt just got up at Newmarket to defeat stable rival Noble Dynasty, and he could swoop under another patient ride here.

JR - Frankie Dettori will be looking forward to riding GOLDEN FLAME. This son of his beloved Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn who won’t have an issue getting this 7f trip for trainer Mark Johnston. 15:35 – Gold Cup

HR – The rain that Technician so desperately needed didn’t materialise on Wednesday, so prepare for another STRADIVARIUS masterclass with decent ground conditions. He’s far too good for this modest field, and can land a historic hat-trick in the race. BW – This is about one horse and one horse only, and it would be the biggest shock of the whole week if STRADIVARIUS doesn’t make it three Gold Cups in a row. With no Kew Gardens to take him on, there’s no other horses in this race that stand up to John Godsen’s star stayer in terms of quality. He had a great prep run at Newmarket over a mile and a half and should have no issues here.

JR - The absence of Kew Gardens means no rematch with STRADIVARIUS, and therefore a pretty average renewal of the blue riband event. Technician and Nayef Road are yet to prove they stay the trip, so either Cross Counter each way or a Stradivarius and Cross Counter forecast looks the best way to go for me.

16:10 – Britannia Stakes

HR – The price has gone for me on Finest Sound so I’ll take PATH OF THUNDER each way. He’s got some decent form in the book and looks underestimated by the handicapper, despite a long absence to overcome.

BW – Another straight mile Ascot handicap that will probably favour horses with a high draw, with the top four in the market being in stalls 17 or higher. But in PATH OF THUNDER I’m selecting a horse that is drawn towards the low-middle of the course, but is very progressive and in his last two starts won nicely at Haydock both times. He hasn’t been seen for nearly 11 months but he could have the ability to defy that absence. JR – There has been a clear draw bias towards the stand side rail so far. GROVE FERRY falls into that category, and finished strongly on his first appearance after being gelded on the all weather at Lingfield.

16:40 – Sandringham Stakes

HR – You don’t have to be an expert to work out why AFRICAN DREAM is a short-priced favourite. She was beaten a nose when giving Stylistique, rated 106, 7lbs a week ago. Racing off a mark of 80 here is an absolute steal, and with a draw on the stands rail she should bolt up with ease. BW – Unlike most of the other handicaps at Royal Ascot, the Sandringham this year has a very short-priced favourite, and with good reason. AFRICAN DREAM was just touched off by Stylistique – a horse who placed in a Group 2 last year - at Newbury last week, and she is due to go up 16 pounds in the handicap after this race. That suggests she could make a mockery of her current rating, although there are horses like Soffika and Dubai Love who also have decent form in group races.

JR – Racing off a mark of 80, AFRICAN DREAM has gone under the handicapper’s radar and has been punted in accordingly.

Selections

Harry Reynolds

13:15 Maori Knight 7/1

13:50 Dubai Warrior 10/1

14:25 King Leonidas 5/2

15:00 Modern News 11/4

15:35 Stradivarius 8/13

16:10 Path Of Thunder 12/1

16:40 African Dream 7/4

Ben Wignall

13:15 Hypothetical 4/1

13:50 Regal Reality 9/2

14:25 Molatham 9/2

15:00 Modern News 11/4

15:35 Stradivarius 8/13

16:10 Path Of Thunder 12/1

16:40 African Dream 7/4

Joseph Richardson

13:15 Global Storm 9/2

13:50 Fox Tal 3/1

14:25 Molatham 9/2

15:00 Golden Flame 4/1

15:35 Stradivarius 8/13

16:10 Grove Ferry 16/1

16:40 African Dream 7/4