Royal Ascot 2023:Three horses who can bounce back at the Royal meeting
As Royal Ascot approaches there will be plenty extolling the virtues of heading to the Festival off the back of a victory. However, for price sensitive punters backing only last time out winners is seldom a smart strategy. In this piece we take a look through some horses that although beaten last time out, had excuses and can bounce back in the perfect fashion in the big week at the end of June...
Modern Games has earned the right to be favourite for the opening race at Royal Ascot 2023 over a mile after a string of fine efforts culminated in his breakout victory last time out in the Lockinge. Charlie Appleby's charge is a wonderfully consistent type and would be the dream for any owner, but does he have the talent of the second favourite in the market right now INSPIRAL? On all known evidence, the answer is no.
John & Thady Gosden's filly is simply electric on her day, as she proved with a stunning success as 15/8 favourite in last year's Coronation Stakes. A juvenile with the world at her feet after four brilliant wins from four starts, it was disappointing that she missed the 2022 1000 Guineas due to a slight knock but her reappearance at Royal Ascot was as good as ever. Next time out she was unbelievably turned over by Prosperous Voyage at odds of 1/7 at Newmarket, but now we know that is no mug of an opponent and Inspiral may have only been slightly off her best rather than way below form. She bounced back to winning ways in the Group One Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August but only just claimed glory by a neck and didn't look quite as brilliant as she had at Royal Ascot.
Her final start of the season came on Champions Day at Ascot but she was clearly checked out after a woeful run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, eventually finishing sixth. This was the last time we saw her and obviously off the back of that effort nobody would take 3/1 for her in the Queen Anne. However, her record on seasonal debut is two runs, two wins and her career best came at last year's Royal Meeting when fresh. The Gosden team seem happy with her and it is all systems go for this race, and with Frankie set to take the ride at his final Royal Ascot Inspiral can bounce back to her best and give the iconic jockey the perfect start to the week.
It is often the horses that swerve Epsom who profit at Royal Ascot and with this Ralph Beckett trained filly one can easily see the pattern repeating. To claim BLUESTOCKING has to 'bounce back' is perhaps a tad harsh after she was beaten just a head on her latest outing behind another filly entered here in Warm Heart, however judging by the odds of both for this potential rematch the bookies clearly believe the better horse lost that day.
The evidence for that claim is fairly stark too, with Bluestocking taking the scenic route around Newbury after an overly patient ride from Rossa Ryan, in the end just failing to reel in the Ballydoyle representative. Trainer Ralph Beckett has issued positive bulletins since that race, and indeed they swerved The Oaks with the sole intention of coming to Royal Ascot for the Ribblesdale.
The higher profile names heading the betting such as Oaks 1-2 Soul Sister and Savethelastdance will surely be given more time off to head for different targets as the season progresses, so now may be the time to take the odds on any Ribblesdale fancies before that duo are confirmed as out. At 6/1, Bluestocking looks a brilliant each-way bet and it would be no surprise to see her go off favourite on the day.
If you opened an encyclopedia to read up for the definition of a non-staying effort in a Classic by a horse destined to thrive over sprint distances, there would be plenty of examples from the 2023 Guineas Festival. The highest profile couple are of course the favourite for this race in Little Big Bear, who proved he is a top class sprinter with Sandy Lane success, and Sakheer who ran very well at Newmarket before emptying completely. Roger Varian's charge has a shot here but hasn't been missed in the market, and so for a better priced angle we would advise looking to the Fillies' Classic.
LEZOO will be ridden by Frankie Dettori in this contest. With all the hype surrounding his last Royal Ascot, it is hard to see her going off double figures on the day should she take up this engagement. She could even go off second favourite if Frankie has had a fruitful first three days. The case for backing her to bounce back from the 14 length sixth place at Newmarket is clear.
Firstly, on breeding she was never going to get a mile on a fast surface, so when Newmarket came up soft she had zero chance. Dettori gave her a tender ride after all winning chance was gone and it was clear she would be a sprinter going forward. The eventual Guineas winner Mawj is the only filly that beat Lezoo as a juvenile and if willing to put a line through her run in the Classic, which we certainly are, she can bounce back to much like her best with optimal conditions of quick ground and six furlongs at Ascot.
