King George: Telescope looks vulnerable

This year's edition of the King George at Ascot looks to be a cracking race; granted, Australia and Treve might not be here but the rest of the field is steeped with top-class middle-distance performers. Here's an analysis of the field.

Telescope. The son of Galileo will start with the favourite tag following his demolition of the field in the Hardwicke Stakes at the same course and distance last month. Sir Michael Stoute's colt will try to follow the footsteps of Harbinger, another Stoute top performer who went on to an authoritative win in the race after success in the Hardwicke. Telescope has never come out worse than second in six career races but he's never faced a talented field of this kind before. He relishes good to firm conditions, and the latest downpour on Friday does not bode well for him. I think he is seriously exposed in this race and will find one or two better on the day. I cannot see him win this.

Taghrooda is the unbeaten Oaks winner who will race against the males for the first time. Given the benefit of her sex and age allowance at the weights, she's a big player. She won the Oaks in a manner that suggests that she's above anything that comes from the distaff side of her generation and  will not be ill at ease in such illustrious company. Her trainer John Gosden is a master at readying his charges for the big occasion and Taghrooda is undoubtedly his main hope; I cannot see her out of the first 3.

At the start of the season, Magician was hailed as being a main contender for the biggest middle-distance prizes this year and it is fair to say that he has not reached the high levels expected of him. He laboured to win a Group 3 in Ireland and has since been runner-up to Noble Mission in the Tatersalls Gold Cup and The Fugue in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot. Unless the Ballydoyle crew have gotten the bottom of him, I fear his biggest hope will be for the minor places.

Mukhradam will be the second-string for Hamdan Al Maktoum but always has the potential to steal a race as he showed in the Coral-Eclipse some weeks ago. He's most dangerous when left to dictate the pace of the race and if allowed to freely roam in front until the straight, he's sure to cause worried looks to the rest of the pack. The 12 furlong trip will certainly stretch the stamina of this mile-and-a quarter specialist.

Trading Leather. A consistent performer who's never out of the places and who will relish the distance. Onb ability, he seems to be a notch below the main contenders but he can definitely spring a surprise if others failing to fire on the day.

Eagle Top. Connections have supplemented this son of Pivotal following his impressive victory in the King Edwards Stakes at Royal Ascot. I suspect that although he's unproven on soft conditions, he will not mind any rain, being a son of Pivotal and a mare from In the Wings. In fact, I think that any downpour will suit him best out of the lot and should be strongly considered if the going gets any worse from good.

Romsdal. This colt is another representative of the Gosden stable and seems to always give the best of himself. He finished a fantastic third in the Derby and is definitely a horse on the upgrade. William Buick has preferred Eagle Top, but then in the Derby he chose Western Hymn with the results we know. Richard Hughes gets the leg-up again on Romsdal and it will not be surprising if he finishes inside the first 3.

Leitir Mor has no chance and his main contribution in the race might be to foil Mukhradam's chances of setting the pace.

This should be a well-disputed race and I will be in the minority in suggesting that Telescope will not win this race. I think the horse is over-hyped more than anything despite his Hardwicke triumph. I think Gosden's horses all have live chances and expect Taghrooda to keep her invincible tag at the finishing post.

Win: Taghrooda
Won't win (lay): Telescope
Place (If going is good/soft): Eagle Top

A Magician to look forward to

Tremendous wins for Night of Thunder and Miss France in the 2000 and 1000 Guineas over the week-end. It was particularly pleasing to see Kieran Fallon win a classic after an 8-year drought. Although beaten, Australia confirmed all the good vibes from Ballydoyle and is certainly a horse to look forward to with excitement this year.

The other horse that is expected to light the fireworks for the Irish powerhouse this year is Magician. The winner of the Breeders Cup Turf makes his European re-appearance of the season at the Curragh on Monday. He finished 6th in the Sheema Classic in Dubai on World Cup day but it is a race best forgotten as he met into serious traffic trouble in the straight. Word is that he's in better nick than in Dubai, so he should win the Moorsbridge Group 3 Monday race.

Win: Magician

Royal Ascot 2013 - Day 1

Animal Kingdom towers above the field in the opening race Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot. If he is anywhere near his true form and has no problem adapting to the undulations of the track, there is really nothing in the field that can beat him. Signs from connections have been positive throughout his preparations so it looks like he will be tough to beat. Should he fail to fire, I see Elusive Kate and Trade Storm as his nearest pursuers. The former runs very well fresh and has had good form in Group 1 races last year. Trade Storm has been a revelation in Dubai and if he gets the firm ground that he relishes, he has strong claims to be in the placings. Animal Kingdom is short-priced but he should win.

The King's Stand Stakes is an intriguing contest with Shea Shea, the Mike de Kock representative, being another short-priced favourite. This is a big field of 19 runners, so it won't be a surprise if he's turned over. The Aussies have a great record in the race and will be represented by Shamexpress, who although does not seem to have the star power or reputation of Choisir, Takeover Target and Miss Andretti, should be be respected. I think Reckless Abandon represents tremendous value in this race. The son of Exchange rate lost  his unbeaten tag on this seasonal return this year when a good third to Kingsgate Native in the Betfred Temple Stakes a few weeks ago. This race will have brought him on nicely and he's shown very good speed in all his races to suggest that he can be one of the premier sprinters in the country if kept at the 5-6 furlong distance. I see value in having him in the placings.

Finally, the St James Palace stakes looks set to be a dandy. The rather shocking return of Dawn Approach has turned the race upside down. If he's truly recovered from the disastrous Derby and is still the horse that won the Guineas, then he must have a live chance to win. Magician is a top-drawer horse in his own right and his backers will be eager to see if the setback in his preparation will have any effect on race day. Despite his Guineas flop, Toronado is still highly regarded in the Richard Hannon camp. I think we can throw away that race. He showed great speed and the way he floundered in the end definitely meant that something had bothered him. Very possibly his newly-fitted spoon-bit might be the solution to the issue. The vibes from the connections are most positive and I think there is a great chance that he will run to his full potential. I think he's the value Place punt of the race.

Win: Animal Kingdom
Place: Reckless Abandon, Toronado