Start Right and Green Destiny hold the key to Royal Hunt Cup
THIS afternoon’s Royal Hunt Cup (4.25pm) is one of the biggest betting events of the meeting and was won last year by Frankie Dettori on Invisible Man at 28/1. There have been a number of surprise results over the past decade, but it has usually gone to an unexposed hotpot and there seem to be a number of those lurking in the field this time.
We highlighted Luca Cumani’s START RIGHT at 8/1 last week and he is now as short as 6/1 with Star Sports. He has to have a big chance with Kieren Fallon on board after an excellent run at Epsom last time from an impossible draw. The run at Meydan in January was also top quality and again he was very unlucky with the stall he was given that day.
There’s no point in going in again, but it is definitely worth having a few quid on William Haggas’ GREEN DESTINY who romped home at Newmarket last time in the style of a Group horse. Haggas is an outstanding trainer of these top quality young handicappers as he has proven with High Standing and Penitent over the past few seasons. There is no doubt that Green Destiny will end the season on a higher mark than his current 99 and he is worth backing at around 13/2 with William Hill.
Point North is interesting at the bottom of the weights for Jeremy Noseda, who won this with Forgotten Voice two years ago, while promising young trainer Roger Varian relies on Eton Forever who won really well at Doncaster on his seasonal reappearance. He is interesting, but he does have to carry quite a lot of weight and he didn’t run brilliantly here last time.
There are plenty of others in with a chance, as is always the case in this cavalry charge, notably Start Right’s Epsom conqueror Dance And Dance, Super Say from Ireland, York runner-up Mont Agel and Richard Fahey’s Kay Gee Bee. Invincible Soul from champion trainer Richard Hannon’s yard is another worthy of a mention, while Walter Swinburn’s Julienas shouldn’t be ignored. However, I’m happy to stick with Start Right and Green Destiny, as they surely have more to come this season.
The Queen Mary (5.00pm) was won by the 9/4 favourite Maqaasid 12 months ago and there is an even hotter jolly this time around. Brian Meehan’s Shumoos hacked up on debut at Haydock last month and the form has been franked by a number of those behind. She is easily the most likely winner, but I wouldn’t want to be taking 5/4 about a filly that has only run once in her life.
Kevin Ryan has his string in fine fettle and both Dozy and On The Dark Side must be considered. I’d favour the former who won well at Beverley last time, but I’m going to stick with a couple of speculative each-way bets on CHARLOTTE ROSINA and EBONY CLARETS both at a massive 25/1 with William Hill. The former won the race at Sandown that Maqaasid won 12 months ago, while the latter worked brilliantly earlier in the week and is peaking at exactly the right time. I’d much rather have a couple of big-priced runners in a race full of so many inexperienced fillies.
Timepiece was a comfortable winner of the closing Sandringham Handicap for Sir Henry Cecil last year, but the great man isn’t represented this time. Hannon’s Humdrum and Sir Michael Stoute’s Cape Dollar have to be considered, but the one that interests me is WINTER’S NIGHT for Clive Cox. She is two from two at Ascot and showed great courage to hold off her rivals the last time she visited the Berkshire course. The daughter of Night Shift ran a stormer to finish third in Haydock’s Silver Bowl last time and she is obviously very well suited to Ascot.
Luca Cumani and Kieren Fallon are always to be feared in this type of event and Dubai Queen could easily be very well handicapped. However, she has yet to run at Ascot and I’m prepared to look elsewhere. Rhythm Of Light hails from the in-form Tom Dascombe stable and would definitely have a chance, but I’ll stick with Winter’s Night to make it three-in-a-row at Ascot.
You can follow me live from Ascot on Twitter @BillEsdaile.
Pointers…
GREEN DESTINY Royal Ascot 4.25pm
CHARLOTTE ROSINA Royal Ascot 5.00pm
EBONY CLARETS Royal Ascot 5.00pm
WINTER’S NIGHT Royal Ascot 5.35pm
Already Advised
START RIGHT Royal Ascot 4.25pm