The Neighsayers - Royal Ascot Antepost's

Following on from Elliot taking the plunge into the Royal Ascot markets, I (Lewis) have decided to do the same and found 2 I think could definitely SP at single figure odds.

Queen Anne

The race that kicks off the greatest week in the flat racing calendar, and the racing calendar in general depending where your allegiances lie... and I'm hoping to kick it off in style. Firstly I think this race is begging for something to come out of the pack and I'm hoping DOLAYLI can be the horse to do so. First caught my attention when I just happened to have Sky Sports Racing on the TV while working early March and he was taking on Junko who won the G1 Hong Kong Vase late last year and has since finished 7th in the Sheema Classic and won the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly. There was also Dawn Intello in the race, who was G2 Placed and a G3 & Listed winner. Now on this day, granted Junko had bigger targets in his sights but he's quickened away from him like a relative good thing over an intermediate trip for both.

After this race DOLAYLI turned up in a Saint-Cloud group 2 along with horses we'd all be familiar with, Tribalist, multiple stakes winner and 3rd in Modern Games French Guineas win, along side Marhaba Y Sanafi who won last years French Guineas and placed in the French Derby and finally Skalleti, who's a multiple group 1 winner and placed horse. Now he was 3rd here but beaten by horses that got first run on him and were more prominent off a slow pace, he did make ground on them but when he couldn't win was just pushed out, beaten a length.

Prior to the Isphan, Graffard said in an Interview the ground has been a problem for this horse, meaning he wanted it quicker than they could find it in France but he needed to run in the previously mentioned Group 2 at Saint Cloud. Now hopefully mid June at Ascot we will find it fast ground which will suit this horse. Mixed forecasts this week though depending on what site you use, unlikely to be heavy though. He ran much better in the Isphan beaten a length but he was in front at the furlong pole and shaped as if the mile would suit better.

Enough of the essay on his form anyway, now his rivals. Charyn the only real one to come away from the Queen Anne with credit, pulling away from the rest but not catching the freak winner. Facteur Cheval has struggled to find consistency since his 2yo campaign and I think that win in Meydan could've took something out of him, now I've nothing to prove that but to run that huge a race off a break and then come here off a break, I wouldn't be taking that price. Quddwah a huge step up in grade no matter how he won the listed race at Ascot, it would be some feat to take this. Audience won't get the same set up as the freak result in the Lockinge, couldn't bet him at any price. Big Rock showed absolutely 0 at Newbury and can his new trainer get him back to where he was? Probably not, and ground concerns too. Maljoom I think will struggle to reproduce that SJP run after clearly a few serious injuries. Royal Scotsman interesting at a price as that was a monster run at Epsom but is priced as if he skips Ascot and I'd be inclined to agree. 

Little has been made public around DOLAYLI and his running plans which is why I think he's the one that the market could love if he's confirmed and the price is worth taking that chance for me. Would love to see him rock up in Berkshire.

Selection - Dolayli EW (20/1 General)

Duke of Cambridge

Now when I first wrote the introduction to the blog, this horse was floating around the 14, 12/1 mark, but now sitting at a general 10/1 shot, the claim that this could be SP at single figures isn't that outlandish, but still plenty of value in the price available. OCEAN JEWEL for the Mcreery stable looks to have a great chance in this years renewal. Only tried this trip for the first time on her last start as a 3 year old and seemed to be ridden with getting the trip in mind and she was too far out her ground to make any ground. 

She returned at 4 ridden much more positively in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud at the Curragh just behind the leaders and by god she relished the mile. She won as she liked her and I can appreciate the how unlucky was Rogue Millennium shouts but she wouldn't have beat this filly that day. She's travelled into the race so powerfully that Billy Lee never really got that serious on her, he even had the chance to have a look over his shoulder with 1 1/4 furlongs to go. Lee only give her one go of the whip and in my eyes that was because she'd started to hang right ever so slightly. If she'd have run true then this would've been a hands and heels job. She'll have to give a 3lb penalty to the field at Ascot but no concerns there.

Onto her rivals, Laurel takes up the top of the market as big as 3/1 but generally 5/2, now that's short enough for a filly who's not been seen since May of last year, where in the aftermath of that run she was favourite for this race and caused me significant pain. Also there's how Gosden's have been running first time up, particularly his fillies and then there's the whole Shoemark debacle depending on where you sit in that debate, fwiw I'm not really sure he's done that much wrong, but all that pressure culminating here at Ascot, I couldn't be a backer. Rogue Millennium I've touched on her, we should have her held here. Similar comments apply to Goldana. Breege only a winner on paper I think from Epsom considering how unlucky the 2nd & 3rd were. Running Lion highly touted but has looked difficult this year and better up in trip for me. The rest in here are much of a muchness and there's multiple other races upcoming which they could go for.

Mcreery commented after the Curragh that this would be the target for OCEAN JEWEL and I've got to get involved. She's my best bet of the week in terms of Antepost selections.

Selection - Ocean Jewel (10/1 General)

Royal Ascot bets so far;

Elliot	Lewis
Continuous – Hardwick 3/1	Dolayli – Queen Anne 20/1 EW
Mill Stream – QE II Platinum Jubilee Stakes 6/1	Ocean Jewel – Duke of Camrbridge 10/1