Royal Ascot Betting / Graham Cunningham / 19 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Turning a good week into a great one is Graham Cunningham's goal, and thankfully he's sharing his selections with you...

Four down and one to go, but before attacking the final day of Royal Ascot it's worth touching on the highs and the lows of the week so far.

The sight of the mighty Yeats snorting and heaving his way back to the winners' enclosure after his fourth Gold Cup has to head the list of highs, followed closely by Scenic Blast's display of power in the King's Stand, Ghanaati's Coronation Stakes romp and Mastercraftsman's refusal to lie down when Delegator came calling in the St James's Palace.

From a punting perspective, I can hardly remember backing a [11.0] shot and having as few worries as Jealous Again gave me with her runaway Queen Mary win. The way Canford Cliffs demolished his Coventry Stakes rivals provided another sight to savour, while Paco Boy got the week off to a flyer by bursting the Gladiatorus bubble in the Queen Anne.

Now to the lows. Thankfully, there were precious few severe setbacks on the punting front, and considering I've spent the whole week watching the action on telly the annoyance level has been fairly low overall.

Granted, Derek "Thommo" Thompson's shameless schmoozing on ATR had me hitting the mute button as hard as ever, and although the Parrot-Wiltshire double act in the betting ring on the Beeb has a certain comedy value you can only take so much gurning at the camera and references to bets being "massive" and "huge" before the appeal begins to wane.

However, only a real curmudgeon would spend too long nit picking at the end of a week like this. There are six more chances to play up winnings or blast out of trouble. Let's hope the following paragraphs provide the right sort of ammo.

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2.30 Chesham Stakes

Splitting a big field of juveniles who are completely unexposed over this distance looks very tricky and I doubt I'll be getting too involved.

The Wes Ward bandwagon has come off the rails recently and Honor In Peace looks a suspect stayer, while Shakespearian powered clear late at Haydock but the form has taken a knock or two.

Beethoven looks more appealing. Granted, he's been beaten twice, but he showed useful form when pipped by Love Lockdown at Naas and the winner has franked that form since.


3.05 Hardwicke Stakes
Backing Campanologist at the best early price with a view to laying off at around [2.6] in running looks one of the more appealing trading options on the card.

This Godolphin colt beat subsequent Leger and Breeders' Cup hero Conduit under a canny front-running ride in the King Edward VII here last year and should be spot on here after a pipe opener at Sandown recently. He certainly wasn't knocked about once held there and the prospect of a softish lead here is a very real one.

Of the rest, Doctor Fremantle looks bound to go well but may not represent great value. John Gosden's quiet week and the prospect of a steady pace are concerns for Bronze Cannon, while Enroller improved on soft ground at Newbury but will find conditions very different indeed here.


3.45 Golden Jubilee Stakes

The King's Stand went Down Under thanks to Scenic Blast and this Group 1 sprint could be bound for either South Africa or Hong Kong courtesy of J J The Jet Plane or Sacred Kingdom.

There is precious little between them on form - and it might be worth backing one and saving on the other - but if pressed to split them I suspect J J The Jet Plane might be the one based on his runaway defeat of smart rivals under a big penalty at Windsor.

Newmarket vibes have been positive about last year's winner Kingsgate Native after an abortive spell at stud, but the "Greek Freak" Ialysos has much more on than when winning at Haydock.

King's Apostle goes really well here but needs a career best to improve his fine Ascot record, while Art Connoisseur is the one who appeals as capable of going well at a wild price if back to the sort of form he showed here last year.


4.25 Wokingham Handicap

Twenty-eight sprint handicappers with a mature market and all sort of possible riddles regarding the draw and where the pace will be.

In short, I'd rather be a bookie than a punter here and the horses who catch the eye are too obvious to be recommended as strong value options.

Jimmy Styles could be well berthed in stall one and is clearly well handicapped under a penalty for an impressive Newmarket success, while High Standing is thriving since being switched to William Haggas and is another who looks ahead of the game under a penalty for his eyecatching Goodwood swoop.

Richard Fahey's purple patch shows no sign of abating and Kaldoun Kingdom - who has been catching the eye over an inadequate five furlongs - appeals as the live longshot now he returns to a stiff six.


5.00 Duke of Edinburgh Stakes

Another nightmare handicap, and stakes are best kept to a minimum, but Crackentorp has been in my notebook for some while now and did little to alter the view that he's one to have on your side when chasing home the bang-in-form Red Merlin at Goodwood on his reappearance.


5.35 Queen Alexandra Stakes

Only extreme stayers need apply here and the marathon distance means official ratings are only of so much assistance.

Amerigo and the ageless Caracciola are well treated at the weights, but there are others to note at longer prices and Tyrrells Wood appeals as one who can outrun his relatively modest official mark of 83.

No distance looks too far for this progressive four-year-old. Granted, this is a completely different kettle of fish from the Pontefract handicap he won last week, but he powered clear in the manner of a fast improver that day and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him excel himself granted a still stiffer stamina test.