Thursday, June 18, 2015

Royal Ascot Day 3 - King of the Juveniles

Arguably if one were looking for a horse having made a distinct impression in the last fortnight, it would have to be Buratino. After having annexed the field in the Listed Woodcote Stakes on Derby day by six lengths, the son of Exceed and Excel turned on the turbo again against solid Group 2 opposition in the  Coventry Stakes at Ascot yesterday, winning 2 clear lengths in the process.

It looks hard to believe but Buratino was himself soundly beaten 2 times by the Hannon pair of King of Rooks and Log Out Island who lock horns in the Norfolk Stakes today. That makes one wonder how good are the those two? King of Rooks has won his two races out of three starts, both in emphatic fashion by 5 and 6 lengths. Log Out Island has won his only career outing to date by an impressive 4.5 lengths and has been snapped up by Godolphin. Both of their pedigrees suggests that 5 furlongs is their optimal distance and the good to firm ground will suit both. King of Rooks has the benefit of the extra experience, which is why he is the preferred selection. The others are racing for the minor placings here.

The Gold Cup lost some of its lustre with the defection of Brown Panther. The unbeaten Forgotten Rules looks set to place a major role here and provided that the ground is not too firm to his liking, he should be at the finish. He is taken to give the Weld/Smullen combination another Ascot win after the winning return of Free Eagle in the Prince of Wales' Stakes yesterday.

Win: King of Rooks, Forgotten Rules.


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