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Royal Ascot Day Three: Key Irish horses to watch
irishracing.com news
© Healy Racing Photos
Day three of Royal Ascot provides another excellent seven-race card and as usual, there’s plenty of Irish interest. It could be Aidan O’Brien’s day, as he has three particularly good chances and they’re all worth highlighting here.
Charles Darwin has a big reputation and he tackles the Norfolk Stakes, Illinois will attempt to fill the void left by Kyprios in the Gold Cup and Prix du Jockey Club fourth Trinity College has every chance in the Hampton Court Stakes, where he drops in grade.
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Charles Darwin - Ascot 2.30
O’Brien has a much better record in the Coventry Stakes than the Norfolk over 5f but he has still won it twice in the last decade. Charles Darwin could add to his tally and the talented juvenile has made a big impression so far.
The son of No Nay Never is a full-brother to the yard’s very smart Group 1-winning juvenile sprinter Blackbeard. He looked in need of the run when fourth on his debut and it was a decent enough effort.
Leaving that run well behind him when upped to 6f at Navan after that, Ryan Moore sent him to the front straight away and his rivals could get nowhere near him. The speed with which he put five lengths between himself and the runner-up was mightily impressive.
Connections decided to drop him back to 5f at Naas next time and aggressive tactics were once again employed. He never really saw another rival and scooted clear to score by just shy of four lengths. It’ll take a smart rival to beat him if he is in similar form at Ascot.
2.305f. 15 Declared.
Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1 ) of £150,000.00 2-y-o
Odds Shortening 
Odds Lengthening
4/6
7/1
8/13
Illinois - Ascot 4.20
© Healy Racing Photos
Star stayer Kyprios has been retired and that leaves a big gap in the division. Ballydoyle will be seeking to fill it with Illinois, who currently heads the market for this race.
The son of Galileo is a logical candidate for this, having finished second by a neck in the St Leger last season, and you can see why he’s popular. O’Brien’s four-year-old isn’t all stamina, though, as he possesses a touch of class too.
Second to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favourite Sosie in the Grand Prix de Paris last term, he followed that up with a narrow defeat at the hands of stablemate and Irish Derby winner Los Angeles He battled back well to win a French Group 2 over 1m7f on his final start at three.
Chester’s Ormonde Stakes was his fast task this season and connections felt he would improve significantly for the run. That didn’t stop him winning however, and the second has boosted the form by convincingly winning a Listed contest since.
4.202m. 3f. 210yds. 8 Declared.
Gold Cup (Group 1) (Class 1 ) of £650,000.00 4-y-o plus
Trinity College - Ascot 5.35
Detain and Trinity College were third and fourth respectively in the Prix du Jockey Club, which was won by the latter’s stablemate Camille Pissarro. Not a lot separated them that day and that could well be the case once again here.
It took the son of Dubawi a couple of starts to get the hang of things as a two-year-old but he did win a Galway maiden by 12 lengths, before running well in Group 2 and Group 3 company.
O’Brien’s colt stuck to his task well after being headed at Chantilly and may well want even further in time. The drop in grade should be a big help and if he can reproduce the level of form he showed in France here, you would imagine he’ll be bang in the mix.
5.351m. 1f. 212yds. 12 Declared.
Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1 ) of £150,000.00 3-y-o
