2023 Royal Ascot Friday Preview & Tips – DS
2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips
A tough day for us on Thursday with just one place, but at least it was our NAP (three left to run at the time of writing). Check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips below.
2.30 – Albany Stakes (Group 3)
Eighteen fillies will go to post for this 6f sprint and the one I like at a price is Do It With Style. He is one of two entries for Donnacha O’Brien and stable jockey Gavin Ryan, who surely had the pick, rides. Frankie is on his other runner, Porta Fortuna, and she arguably has stronger form claims after winning a G3 at Naas on her last start.
Do It With Style has raced once and she won impressively on soft at the Curragh. Now that was on heavy ground and it’ll be very different conditions here but she is bred to handle it quicker. Her sire Ten Sovreigns loved it rattling quick and she has a couple of good ground winners on the dam side of her page.
The horse she beat, Ocean Baroque, disappointed subsequently but the third and fourth have both scored since so it looks solid enough form. A low draw in stall 5 may not be an inconvenience on the evidence of the Norfolk yesterday so at 22/1, Do It With Style is the e/w selection.
2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Do It With Style e/w @ 22/1 (4 places)
3.05 – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
We backed Queen Me in the Lowther last season at huge odds and she just failed. Trained by Kevin Ryan, she followed that with a fine effort behind Barefoot Angel at Ayr (6f gd) and that was it for the season. Connections decided to roll the dice and stepped her up to 8f in the Guineas. The combination of the soft ground and trip conspired against her but even so, she wasn’t disgraced (9th of 20) behind Mawj and Tahiyra.
The drop down to 6f and faster ground should play to the strengths of this daughter of Dubawi. Her form figures at the distance last season read 123 and her Frankel dam, Queen Kindly, was a very fast filly. She won the Lowther at 2yo and a Listed contest at 3yo, both over 6f on fast ground.
Stall 11 shouldn’t prove too much of a hindrance and the booking of Jim Crowley catches the eye. He is 4/19 when riding for Ryan and he’s been on target already this week with Mostahdaf. At odds of 40/1, Queen Me is the each way selection.
2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Queen Me e/w @ 40/1 (4 places) NB
3.40 – Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Class 2)
There hasn’t been a single figure drawn winner of this race since Drill Sergeant back in 2009. A high draw is pivotal and at 28/1, Moracana can go well from stall 19 for Sheila Lavery and Robbie Colgan. This daughter of Elzaam was last sighted running a nice race in a 12f Listed contest at the Curragh. She won a Listed heat at Cork on her seasonal comeback and she comes into this race rated 97.
Although she managed to win a big Naas handicap on soft (13f last season), quicker ground suits her well. He first two wins at Leopardstown, a 10f maiden and a 10f handicap off 78, both came on good ground. Her career form figures on good ground read 24114 and she was only a neck behind the 107 rated Ottilien at the Curragh last time out.
This mare has experience in big field handicaps, a big positive, and she has won when racing prominently and also when held up in midfield. That versatility could be important but ideally, I’d like to see her break well and sit in just behind the leaders. Moracana could yet rate higher than her current mark and at odds of 28/1, she is worth chancing e/w.
2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Moracana e/w @ 28/1 (5 places)
4.20 – Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
With just two places on offer, this is a race I’ll leave alone. If there were three places available I’d be backing Comhra as I don’t think there was any fluke about her run in the Irish Guineas, despite her sp of 150/1. She was breathing right down the necks of both Tahiyra and Meditate and it would be no surprise to see a similar scenario unfold here. Whether she can beat those two, I’m not sure, so this is a race best watched.
2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: No bet
5.00 – Sandringham Stakes Fillies’ Handicap (Class 2)
It looks to me like the early pace might come from those drawn high in this 30 runner battle charge. The one I’ll take a punt on at massive odds is Candle Of Hope from stall 20. Trained by Richard Hughes for The King, the booking of crack claimer Harry Davies catches the eye. He steered Aerion Power into the places for us in the Hunt Cup and he finished second on his only previous ride for Hughes.
This daughter of Cable Bay won her first two starts, both on good ground. A 6f Newbury maiden win was followed up in a 7f Thirsk Novice before she ran with credit in Listed heats at Newbury (7f gd/fm) and Goodwood (7f gd/sft). She signed off for the season with a poor effort back at Newbury but the ground was heavy.
This season she ran a blinder on her comeback at Lingfield, beat 1.75L in a Listed race behind Iconic Moment. Heavy ground was no good to her next time at Goodwood and she found G3 company too hot last time. On that March effort at Lingfield an effective mark of 88 may not be beyond her in her first ever handicap so at 33/1, Candle Of Hope is the e/w selection.
2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Candle Of Hope e/w @ 33/1 (6 places)
5.35 – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)
It is too soon to write off Dubai Mile at this trip. Epsom is a tricky track and I can see him outrunning his odds. King of Steel ran a massive race in the Derby and he looks a hugely exciting prospect. I wasn’t sure he’d be suited by the undulations and camber at Epsom as he is such a big brute but he went ever so close to nicking it. A repeat of that should suffice here but he is too short for us at 6/5. With just two places for e/w players this is another race we’ll give a wide berth to. No bet.
2023 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: No Bet
6.10 – Palace of Holyrood Stakes Handicap (Class 2)
Rocket Rodney went agonisingly close to landing the Wolferton here last season. He went down by a neck to Little Big Bear, the current Commonwealth fav rated 125. On his next start he landed the 5f Dragon Stakes at Sandown then followed that with two creditable efforts in a G3 at Goodwood (2nd) and York in another Listed heat (2nd).
Good to soft ground was no good for the son of Dandy Man on his final 2yo start at Longchamp. He reappeared at York last month and shaped as though needing the run. The handicapper has now dropped him to 99 and that could be exceedingly generous on some of his 2yo form. A neck second to a 125 rated horse and a 1.25l defeat to a 111 rated horse.
George Scott has surely targeted this race. It is Rocket Rodney’s handicap debut and he’s back at the scene of arguably his career best effort. The draw gods have been kind (stall 31) and I can see this horse running a massive race at odds of 28/1.
