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- Team Ireland set for a successful Day 2 at Royal Ascot
Team Ireland set for a successful Day 2 at Royal Ascot
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© Healy Racing Photos
Wednesday marks Day 2 of Royal Ascot and there are international runners from all over the world taking part. Ireland is set to send over a noticeably strong team so we’ve taken a close look at some of their best chances on the day.
Narrowing it down to three selections was a tough task so here are four strong candidates, including a horse that was as big as 100/1 a month ago and is now 7/1.
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Shackleton - Ascot 3.05
One for Aidan O’Brien, Shackleton showed plenty of staying power as a juvenile and won his maiden over 1m1f at the Curragh in September. Pulling clear in the final half-a-furlong, he made virtually all the running beforehand and clearly had plenty in hand.
Things didn’t quite go to plan in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes over 1m2f next time and he was far too keen early on. He was clearly in need of the experience and that performance wasn’t an accurate reflection of his ability.
O’Brien’s three-year-old was nowhere near sharp enough on seasonal debut at the Curragh last month but stuck to his task well after getting outpaced at a key stage. Stepping up to 1m6f should be in his favour and he can be a St Leger contender if winning this.
3.051m. 6f. 34yds. 13 Declared.
Queen's Vase (Group 2) (Class 1 ) of £265,000.00 3-y-o
- Formscan
- Race Info
1st - €150,282.00 2nd - €56,975.00 3rd - €28,514.00 4th - €14,204.00 5th - €7,128.00 6th - €3,578.00 Going - Good to Firm.
Formscan - Having enjoyed success on eight previous occasions, Aidan O'Brien's record in this race is impeccable and the Ballydoyle trainer again has live contenders in the shape of Shackleton and Scandinavia, who are potential improvers over this distance. John & Thady Gosden's yard also has a strong association with this event and their representative, Devil's Advocate, is another must for any shortlist given his dam was a Group 3 winner over 1m6f. However, CARMERS had this race nominated immediately after his facile success in the Yeats Stakes over 1m5f at Navan and, with the ground likely to be ideal, this unbeaten son of Wootton Bassett looks the most attractive proposition. French raider Asmarani can also go well if he handles the forecast going.
Odds Shortening 
Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
213 | 10th | Asmarani | 15/4 | |
75 | 8th | Pinhole | 4/1 | |
103 | 4th | Shackleton | 9/2  13/2 | 9/2 |
34 | 1st | Carmers | 13/2  4/1 | 9/2 |
810 | 3rd | Rahiebb | 9/2 15/2 | 9/1 |
49 | 13th | Devil's Advocate | 15/2 10/1 | 9/1 |
97 | 5th | Scandinavia | 15/2 11/1 | 16/1 |
52 | 2nd | Furthur | 20/1 | |
1111 | 11th | Spinning Wheel | 25/1 16/1 | 25/1 |
126 | 7th | Titanium Emperor | 66/1 22/1 | 33/1 |
1312 | 9th | Too Soon | 66/1 | |
11 | 12th | Al Wasl Storm | 70/1 | |
68 | 6th | Hallelujah U | 80/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 119% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 4 1/5 | |||
15/4
Los Angeles - Ascot 4.20
© Healy Racing Photos
Los Angeles also represents the Aidan O’Brien yard and he has done well over 1m2f this season, despite being a 1m4f horse really. The son of Camelot was third behind City Of Troy in the Derby at Epsom last year and came out on top in the Irish equivalent next time.
He ran a cracker to finish third in the Arc at Longchamp back in October and that performance was arguably a career-best. Starting 2025 off with a win, he got the better of White Birch in the Mooresbridge Stakes even though he was far from fully fit.
O’Brien’s colt then followed up in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with over this trip. Longer trips may suit later on in the season but he deserves his place at the head of the market here and is entitled to go close.
4.201m. 1f. 212yds. 8 Declared.
Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1 ) of £1,057,500.00 4-y-o plus
- Formscan
- Race Info
1st - €599,708.00 2nd - €227,362.00 3rd - €113,787.00 4th - €56,682.00 5th - €28,447.00 6th - €14,276.00 Going - Good to Firm.
Formscan - A high-class renewal is likely to be headed by Los Angeles, who recorded his third Group 1 success when defeating ANMAAT (second) in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month. Typically, Aidan O'Brien is no stranger to success in this race but, although respected, Owen Burrows' talented seven-year-old can turn the tables. The son of Awtaad was seemingly going best of all two furlongs from home that day and if stepping forward from that seasonal return, he could add further success to an already stellar CV. Middleton winner See The Fire was supplemented for 70,000 pounds and is interesting receiving the fillies' allowance, while Prix Ganay runner-up Map Of Stars and the progressive Ombudsman add further spice to the race.
Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
55 | 5th | Los Angeles | 2/1 6/4 | 9/4 |
62 | 4th | Map Of Stars | 3/1 13/2 | 7/2 |
18 | 2nd | Anmaat | 7/2 5/1 | 7/2 |
93 | 3rd | See The Fire | 11/2 4/1 | 5/1 |
| 71 | 1st | Ombudsman | 6/1 | |
44 | 6th | Facteur Cheval | 25/1 | |
86 | 7th | Royal Champion | 40/1 20/1 | 50/1 |
37 | 8th | Continuous | 100/1 | |
29 | n.r. | Certain Lad | 100/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 113% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 3 1/5 | |||
The Liffey - Ascot 5.00
Joseph O’Brien knows how to target major handicaps and he runs The Liffey, who has been the subject of sustained market support in recent weeks. This horse was as big as 100/1 in the ante-post market less than a month ago but is currently as short as 7/1.
Beginning his career with Aidan O’Brien, he won a 6f maiden on debut at two, before finishing fifth in a Group 3 over a furlong further. He returned to winning ways when upped to a mile at Listowel after that and didn’t run again for Ballydoyle.
It was a fair effort when fourth in Listed company on stable debut at Naas and he will come on significantly for the run. Going back up to a mile should suit and the great Ryan Moore has been booked to take the ride.
5.001m. 30 Declared.
Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Str) (Class 2 ) of £175,000.00 3-y-o plus
- Formscan
- Race Info
1st - €90,195.00 2nd - €42,298.00 3rd - €21,158.00 4th - €10,570.00 5th - €5,285.00 6th - €2,642.00 Going - Good to Firm.
Formscan - My Cloud is two from two since competing in handicaps, most recently beating a subsequent winner by a head at Newbury, and it's easy to see why he will have his supporters. The Liffey wasn't disgraced when fourth in a Listed contest at Naas last month and that effort is likely to have put him spot on for this under Ryan Moore, but a chance can be taken on HI ROYAL. Kevin Ryan's five-year-old has plenty of class as the runner-up of the 2023 edition of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and he bounced back to form when second at Thirsk last month. This race could be perfectly run to suit and he looks the way to go.
Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
2732 | 1st | My Cloud | 3/1 4/1 | 10/3 |
1431 | 23rd | The Liffey | 6/1 11/1 | 13/2 |
2311 | 6th | Fox Legacy | 15/2 11/2 | 8/1 |
| 521 | 27th | Qirat | 10/1 15/2 | 17/2 |
192 | 2nd | Bullet Point | 9/1 12/1 | 9/1 |
| 1212 | 14th | Tony Montana | 11/1 22/1 | 11/1 |
2530 | 4th | Greek Order | 12/1 | |
2926 | 24th | Tokenomics | 14/1 20/1 | 14/1 |
2813 | 9th | Sisyphean | 14/1 | |
829 | 13th | Epictetus | 20/1 12/1 | 14/1 |
213 | 5th | Urban Lion | 16/1 | |
| 125 | 29th | Arabian Light | 22/1 9/1 | 16/1 |
620 | 10th | Ancient Rome | 22/1 16/1 | 18/1 |
| 2014 | 28th | Silawi | 20/1 | |
1610 | 7th | Ebt's Guard | 22/1 | |
1528 | 16th | Popmaster | 22/1 | |
| 1122 | 18th | Blue Brother | 33/1 18/1 | 25/1 |
26 | 19th | Hi Royal | 25/1 | |
| 1716 | 25th | Magnum Opus | 30/1 | |
1318 | 12th | La Trinidad | 30/1 | |
185 | 11th | Talis Evolvere | 33/1 | |
221 | 3rd | Bopedro | 40/1 | |
1023 | 30th | Sean | 40/1 | |
919 | 20th | Galeron | 33/1 66/1 | 50/1 |
3033 | 26th | Whip Cracker | 50/1 | |
2615 | 15th | Toimy Son | 50/1 | |
| 44 | 8th | Jeff Koons | 66/1 | |
324 | 22nd | Wahdan | 66/1 | |
| 79 | 17th | Soldier's Empire | 80/1 | |
2427 | 21st | Whitcombe Rockstar | 100/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 168% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 7 1/5 | |||
Rogue Legend - Ascot 6.10
There are few shrewder operators in Ireland than Paddy Twomey and he runs the very promising colt Rogue Legend in the Windsor Castle Stakes. On his debut at Cork in May, he took a huge step forward to win impressively over the same course and distance after that.
Twomey’s colt then gave plenty of weight away when winning even more impressively at Tipperary next time and should be ready for the step up in grade.
Plenty of shrewd judges like his chances so the son of Havana Grey could be worth keeping an eye on.
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