The feature race on Thursday is the big stayers race the Gold Cup. The most prestigious long distance race in the calendar for flat horses the race has lost some of its appeal in the last few decades, though Yeats incredible winning run from 2006-2009 did a lot to rejuvenate the race. This years race could have another big story that helps sex up the Gold Cup and maybe even get the race on to the front pages, as current favourite for the race is
Estimate (5/1), a filly that is owned by none other than her majesty the Queen. Winner of the Group 3 Queens Vase here last season, the four-year-old for Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore has been well supported in recent days and will surely go off a very short-priced favourite on the day as the more casual punters on Ladies Day jump on the idea of a Royal winner. Estimates chance in the race is clear for all to see; she has stamina in abundance, has a turn of foot and will get a useful weight and age allowance from her male counterparts. However the price looks too short to me now and were she owned by anyone else I cant help but feel shed still be at least a couple of points bigger. Estimates ownership should help make the market though meaning we can get a good price on something else.
Rite Of Passage (6/1) landed the stayers race on Champions Day after an astounding five hundred and ten days of the track, in what is surely one of the training performances of the decade from Dermot Weld. A former winner of this race (he won it in 2010) he will surely run well again but this looks much tougher than the Long Distance Cup and it would take another Herculean effort to win a second Gold Cup so his price is certainly too short considering.
Simenon (7/1) was a dual winner at the Royal meeting last year, landing the Ascot Stakes on day one and the Queen Alexandra Stakes on the final day. He struggled in cup races for the rest of the season and floundered when sent back hurdling over the winter, however he ran a superb race in the Chester Cup under top weight when finishing fast and late and Willie Mullins is always to be respected with any horse sent over to the Royal meeting. Simenon looks to have a great chance of adding a third Royal Ascot win to his already impressive tally.
Saddlers Rock (7/1) has been performing consistently well in these Group level cup races and unless the ground was to deteriorate badly he should give another good showing, though the suspicion is that he may just find a couple too good again. Last years winner
Colour Vision (12/1) deserves a mention too, he was a thrilling winner of this twelve months ago but has somewhat struggled since then, he wouldnt be a shock winner but he would need to rediscover his best to land a blow in what looks a more competitive renewal twelve months on. Two French horses are set to line-up that could go well at bigger prices and they are
Top Trip (20/1) and
Last Train (20/1), with the last named of more interest to me. He has top class form in the bag he was second in the Grandd Prix De Paris last summer and although he disappointed somewhat when only third in his warm up for this, he can come on from that and could be primed to cause a bit of a surprise. With all the runners set to go off at odds of 4/1 or more, we recommend betting with Bet365 who offer on a free bet (to the same stake) if you pick a winner at odds greater than 4/1. For example, if you pick the winner (see below for our selection) in the Gold Cup - you would get a free bet on the Britannia Stakes at 4.25pm.
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Selection: Simenon @ 7/1
