Royal Ascot

Excelebration you beauty! Even coming 2nd can make some ppl happy!
From Santa -D

Absolutely fantastic run by Frankel but those pointing out the weakness of the opposition have a point.

Excelebration, a genuine Gr1 horse, only managed to scrape into second by a nose ahead of Side Glance.

Side Glance is a Gr3 horse (won twice), placed 3rd in a Gr2 and 4th/7th in Gr1's.

Indomito was a length further back (12 lengths off Frankel). This horse has only won once in his last 22 starts, and that was a listed race by a short head.

Next was Windsor Palace, beaten 15.50 lengths by Frankel. In his previous Gr1 races, he has been beaten 21 lengths (Frankel), 35 lengths (Twice Over), 25 lengths (So You Think), pulled up at 200/1 (Alandi), 25 lengths (Henrythenavigator). The highest official career rating he's got is 104.

Bullet Train was less than a length further back. He's only won twice (a maiden and a Gr3), and hasn't PLACED in his last 8 starts, not even in two starts outside group level.

A further neck back was Helmet. Until October last year, he was a genuine Gr1 horse in Australia. He then lost form, unplaced in three races in Australia (including a Gr3 5th when 13/20 fav) before heading to Dubai to finish 24 lengths behind Daddy Long Legs in a Gr2 in his only start there. He finished more than 7 lengths closer to Frankel than he did in that race.

Seriously? These are top class and/or in form horses? No way.

For Christmas this year all I ask is that the connections of Excelebration PLEASE just enter him in a race without Frankel and the same with Bullet Train. Lets see how E then runs when he is not running against Frankel and BT not being used as a pacemaker for Frankel. Poor horses!

imo its not worth having a bet at Ascot because its just to darn difficult to pick a winner unless you are one of those who buy money by backing the likes of Frankel and Black Cavier.

Ascot Day 2 selections:
R1 - Sentaril
R2 - Chachamaidee
R3 - Carlton House
R4 - Invisible Man
R5 - Jodanna
R6 - Electrelane

Sabre Wrote:

---

> Absolutely fantastic run by Frankel but those
> pointing out the weakness of the opposition have a
> point.
>
> Excelebration, a genuine Gr1 horse, only managed
> to scrape into second by a nose ahead of Side
> Glance.
>
> Side Glance is a Gr3 horse (won twice), placed 3rd
> in a Gr2 and 4th/7th in Gr1's.
>
> Indomito was a length further back (12 lengths off
> Frankel). This horse has only won once in his last
> 22 starts, and that was a listed race by a short
> head.
>
> Next was Windsor Palace, beaten 15.50 lengths by
> Frankel. In his previous Gr1 races, he has been
> beaten 21 lengths (Frankel), 35 lengths (Twice
> Over), 25 lengths (So You Think), pulled up at
> 200/1 (Alandi), 25 lengths (Henrythenavigator).
> The highest official career rating he's got is
> 104.
>
> Bullet Train was less than a length further back.
> He's only won twice (a maiden and a Gr3), and
> hasn't PLACED in his last 8 starts, not even in
> two starts outside group level.
>
> A further neck back was Helmet. Until October last
> year, he was a genuine Gr1 horse in Australia. He
> then lost form, unplaced in three races in
> Australia (including a Gr3 5th when 13/20 fav)
> before heading to Dubai to finish 24 lengths
> behind Daddy Long Legs in a Gr2 in his only start
> there. He finished more than 7 lengths closer to
> Frankel than he did in that race.
>
> Seriously? These are top class and/or in form
> horses? No way.

Hibs posting above, about his time over the last 1000m sums it up for me...(tu)

chicken 'n chips Wrote:

---

> .....unless you are one of those who buy money by backing the
> likes of Frankel and Black Cavier.

My double of 4/7 is now looking an absolute bargain -

Agree Mac

Ahern 2.30 Ascot
I tipped this when it won its debut at Mussleburgh,it easily beat Satsuma by 3 lengths and it
ran very green. Satsuma finished 7th yesterday in the Queen Mary from a low draw(2).
This is David Barrons best 2yr old and with Ladbrokes offering 5/1 an ew bet looks risk free.
I can see there being money for this so take the price

Sid James are also 5/1 Ahern

Ryan Moore discusses his rides today...

14:30
Mister Marc

This doesn't look the hottest of Norfolks though you obviously have the usual array of once-raced maiden winners who could step up a good deal. And Cay Verde, winner of a Curragh listed race from Tuesday's Windsor Castle third, probably looks the one to beat on form. I know that Richard found it difficult to choose between wide margin Windsor winner Annunciation and my mount Mister Marc, so I would be hopeful of a good run. I rode him to win on his debut at Goodwood and then he ran an excellent race when second to the Coventry winner Dawn Approach at Naas earlier in the month. I wouldn't get carried away with that as he was well beaten there but the form clearly looks better after Tuesday, and I think the step down to the minimum trip will suit him.

15:05
Twirl

I thought she would run a lot better than she did in the Oaks - in fact, I gave her an outside place chance at Epsom - but there is no getting away from it, she ran badly, dropping away from 2f out. She is clearly better than that and her first two runs this season give her some sort of chance, but you can't be confident about her chances after Epsom. This looks a hot Ribblesdale, with all the major Oaks fillies bar the winner all in here. A lot of people expect The Fugue to come out top but it is a different track on a different day, and it is not that straightforward. But a filly I like in here didn't run at Epsom and I think that is a big positive, as they all looked to have hard races in the Oaks. I give Princess Highway a big chance. She won a good maiden at Leopardstown in March and had the Oaks winner. She was two-and-three-quarter lengths away in third when winning a Group 3 at Naas last time. Her dam won the 2002 Ribblesdale for Dermot Weld and he would have trained her to win this.

15:45
Bridge of Gold

Showed he was a smart Group 3 horse when runner-up in the John Porter last season but didn't run well on his reappearance and an official mark of just 102 tells you all to need to know about him. Namely, that he is outclassed in this field and probably shouldn't be running. In fact, I would rather be sitting in the weighing room having a cup of tea and watching the race, but Mr Magnusson asked me to ride him. I have made no secret of the fact that I am a big fan of Colour Vision, and he looked a top class stayer when beating me on Red Cadeaux at Kempton and the runner up has done nothing wrong since. He only has just over a length to find with the favourite on their Ascot running in October, and I see him as a real threat and a decent price at around 5-1. But Fame And Glory is the proven class horse and is the one to beat. Opinion Poll is honest and dependable and comes here in good form, but the favourite always looks to have his measure when they meet. Saddlers Rock looked good at Doncaster last year but to me this is between Fame And Glory and Colour Vision.

16:25
Fast Or Free

Created a really good impression when winning for me at Newmarket last time, winning a bit snugly. The runner-up didn't advertise the form at Sandown on Saturday but my horse has a good profile, is straightforward, and hopefully hasn't stopped improving yet. But, 7lb higher than Newmarket, he will have to live up to his progressive profile to be competitive here and drying ground may be a concern. And this is a 30-runner Britannia, after all.

17:00
Tales of Grimm

Won on his sole start at Newbury last season, and is a horse I have always liked from when he started working as two-year-old. In fact, I would like to hope that he makes up into a really good horse one day; let us hope that starts today. We had to be very happy with his comeback run over 1m in the Heron Stakes at Sandown, where he picked up well for me, from off the pace, in the closing stages to finish third to Cogito. He would have needed that run and there should be more to come from him, particularly over this longer trip. But being drawn 10 of 11 isn't ideal - though at least there aren't 20 runners like there normally are in this race - and this looks a strong Group 3. Wrotham Heath won well at Epsom, I thought Starboard showed a really good attitude at Doncaster, Stipulate ran well at Sandown and Mukhadram has done nothing wrong. A win for any of those wouldn't surprise me.

17:35
Uriah Heep

I actually thought he ran ok at Chester, and his narrow second to Minimise Risk at Newbury would give him prospects off 90, though that isn't overly-generous by any means. In fact, when you look down the list of the runners here and the number of progressive winners, you would have to think one maybe has 7lb in hand. And, even though he is lightly-raced, I don't think Uriah Heep has that. But I hope I am wrong. If you are backing him, I may do a couple of pounds overweight as you don't want to be sweating too much at these big meetings. But it is the final race of the day and I may have lost the weight through the afternoon.

Mac Wrote:

---

> chicken 'n chips Wrote:
>

---

>

---

> > .....unless you are one of those who buy money
> by backing the
> > likes of Frankel and Black Cavier.
>
> My double of 4/7 is now looking an absolute
> bargain -

you have not won yet