Prosperous Voyage can finally shed the bridesmaid tag by winning Friday’s Coronation Stakes (4.20) at Royal Ascot.
Inspiral will be a warm order on the day, after looking pretty invincible as a two-year-old — winning all four races before being made favourite for the Guineas only to suffer a set-back.
However, reservations remain over the daughter of Frankel, who will be making her first start for 252 days. Prosperous Voyage was runner-up behind John Gosden’s filly on two occasions and was second again in the Guineas behind Cachet, who is in opposition again.
Ralph Beckett’s charge, who will go off at around 10-1 under regular jockey Rob Hornby, looks straightforward and there is little between her and Cachet — who beat her by a neck at Newmarket — and Mangoustine, who was just a head in front of Cachet when winning the French 1000 Guineas.
The warm weather kept connections of awesome Irish Guineas winner Homeless Songs at home, which is a shame, as her joust with Inspiral would have been one of the races of the week.
The Albany (2.30) sees a somewhat vulnerable favourite in Meditate, who is unbeaten so far in Ireland but has not been ultra-impressive. Mawj looks really promising, but Ivory Madonna is put forward at around 33-1. She does not have much to find with Fully Wet on Goodwood form and ought to be capable of better under Hollie Doyle.
Royal Ascot
Day 4 tips
2.30 Ivory Madonna 33-
3.05 Twilight Jet 8-
3.40 Mashoor 10-
4.20 Prosperous Voyage 10-
5.00 Cigamia 22-
5.35 Ottoman Fleet 9-
6.10 Ladies Church 10-1
Twilight Jet has finished behind Perfect Power twice as a two-year-old, but he looks to have progressed into a powerhouse three-year-old, and trainer Michael O’Callaghan is confident about his chance in the Commonwealth Cup (3.05).
He was kept busy as a two-year-old, running 11 times, including in the Breeders’ Cup. He took his racing really well, but seemed to improve around half a stone on his seasonal return alone, so perhaps he can go six better after finishing midfield in the Norfolk here last year.
The drop back in trip is logical for Perfect Power. Given his stamina apparently gave up in the Guineas — run over a mile, as opposed to tomorrow’s six furlongs — he did not run badly to finish seventh and this will tell us how good he is as a sprinter. Go Bears Go also seems feasible.
Just Fine could be a welcome winner for the Queen in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (5.00), but his former stablemate, Mashoor, appeals more. He shaped well on his Irish debut on easy ground at Cork, but was on another level in a better race than that at the Curragh four weeks ago, powering clear, and he gives the impression he will last it out over this distance.
Bookmakers are understandably offering good terms in the 29-runner Sandringham Stakes (5.00), a minefield that looks one to bet a little on and each-way. Cigamia, a rare Royal runner for Willie McCreery, is drawn 25 and it is hard to know how that will work out. She had a straightforward task at Killarney last time but is certainly of interest on her Leopardstown run on her seasonal return behind Homeless Songs, where she was only a little inferior to everything else on the day.
Changingoftheguard is sure to be popular in the King Edward VII Stakes (5.35) after a good run in the Derby last time, but he looked pretty one-paced after making the speed and that was a hard race less than a fortnight go. It is difficult to know what to make of his returning so soon and preference is for the twice-raced Ottoman Fleet. Charlie Appleby has had a superb year with his three-year-olds and this one overcame some inexperience to beat a smart horse stylishly at Newmarket.
Perhaps the bet of the day goes in the closing Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes (6.10). Ladies Church ran a really eye-catching trial for this race in Listed company on her Cork return and looks to have progressed as a three-year-old. She is surely a Group horse in handicap company here under the excellent Ben Coen.
