Royal Ascot Tips: Guinness drinker or the Spirit?

Royal Ascot / Alex Steedman / 18 June 2010 / Leave a Comment

Fleeting Spirit is Alex Steedman's headline selection on the final day of Royal Ascot

"With such a big field in the Golden Jubilee Stakes the draw will play a part and they will almost certainly split into two camps near either rail. Thursday proved that low is not a disadvantage but with luck and pace, Fleeting Spirit can win."

Alex Steedman has been hitting Royal Ascot winners all week, so who will be his selections on Saturday? Read on

The Ad men tell us 'Guinness is good for you' and Kinsale King might just be the living proof. While most American horses run on some sort of medication back home, this fella will go to post for the feature Golden Jubilee at 15:50 having been primed on a diet of the black stuff and eggs.

We certainly saw a fit, happy and very fast horse win the Shaheen in Dubai this spring and Kinsale King is on a roll. Trainer Carl O'Callaghan is an ebullient Irishman who fancies his chances and told Timeform Radio listeners last week that Keiren Fallon has flown over to New York to ride track work on the horse. Now that is preparation. They fancy their chances strongly.

He'll need to be very good though to beat the home team in what looks a good renewal. Fleeting Spirit beat all bar Scenic Blast in the King's Stand last year and she went on to win the July Cup over this trip. Her seasonal reappreance figures read 112, including that comeback effort at Royal Ascot last year, so there are no worries on that score. She travels well and can quicken and is the one they all have to beat.

The real improver in the race is Showcasing who won the Gymcrack as a two-year-old and looks to have a bright future judged on his reappearance at York. He came from a long way back that day and perhaps a little against the pace too, so it was a highly encouraging effort. It's not easy for the 3yos against the more mature sprinters but his sire won a July Cup and some day Showcasing might do too.

With such a big field the draw will play a part and they will almost certainly split into two camps near either rail. Thursday proved that low is not a disadvantage but with luck and pace, Fleeting Spirit can win.

Elsewhere, it might be worth looking at Clive Brittain's Zaidan in the opening Chesham Stakes at 14:30. He looked talented when winning at Doncaster over 5 furlongs on his debut last month and the trainer immediately talked Ascot afterwards. He clocked a reasonable time that night and is open to any amount of improvement over the extra quarter of a mile he faces today. Richard Hannon's King Torus looks a big threat but at the prices I like Zaidan.

I thought we were a little unlucky not to collect the jewels at the Derby meeting with our fancy Cill Rialaig but she gets another crack in the 17:00. Seb Sanders pinched that race from the front on Fortuni but Cill Rialaig was one of the few to make a fist of it from off the pace. This is definitely a hotter contest but she's on a similar mark and is still improving.

Recommended Bets:
14:00, Zaidan, 1pts win @ [7.4] (0-10)
15:50, Fleeting Spirit, 2pts win @ [8.6]
17:00, Cill Rialaig, 1pts win @ [19.0] and place @ [4.0]