Goldikova can be regal in Queen Anne Stakes
Trying to decide which of the Group One races on the first-day card of Royal Ascot is the most interesting is akin to being invited to select the best bottle of wine from a vintage cellar.
A truly pleasurable experience but one that is unlikely to provide a definitive selection, suffice to say that anyone who has tired of this menu is probably, to pinch the words from Samuel Johnson, tired of life. This year’s Queen Anne Stakes performs the dual roles of curtain raiser and highlight of the meeting, bringing together Goldikova, Paco Boy and Rip Van Winkle.
Freddie Head’s record at Ascot may not give much encouragement, with six runners and as many losers in the past five seasons. However, Goldikova’s record more than balances the books with a remarkable tally of 11 wins and four places from just 16 starts.
Of those victories eight have come in Group One races, including the Prix D'Ispahan at Longchamp last month. Goldikova had needed her first run in the previous two seasons but she looked very impressive as she beat Byword by a half-length, with the useful Wiener Walzer 10 lengths back in third, and as Head said: “Everything has gone to plan since her last run and I expect her to run a great race. It’s hard to say if she is better than ever as she has been so good, but I would think she is in the best shape I’ve ever had her.”
Paco Boy won the Queen Anne last year but beating Cesare by one-and-a-half lengths is really not up to this class even if his victory in last month’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury suggests that he has improved. Aidan O’Brien will be trying to improve on his record in the race – two wins in the last four years – with Rip Van Winkle. However, Rip Van Winkle will be trying to win this race first time out, which is a tough ask and O’Brien is already sending up the warning signals in terms of race-fitness.
The warning signal for the home sprinters in the King’s Stand Stakes is that the Australians are back for another crack at the prize that they have won four times - Choisir (2003) Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007) and Scenic Blast (2009) – in the last seven years.
There are two runners from Down Under and while Gold Trail, trained by Gary Portelli, is likely to be first out of the stalls it is David Hayes’ Nicconi who should be in front at the business end. Nicconi, like the four previous Australian winners, prepped for this by winning the Lightning Stakes at Flemington in January. He is undefeated over this distance of five furlongs, goes best fresh (has not run since March), is expected to be sharpened up with the application of a first-time visor and will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, whose 41 winners at the meeting makes him the most successful current jockey at Royal Ascot.
The markets favour Canford Cliffs for the St James’s Palace Stakes and he has already proved that he can handle Ascot, when he won the Coventry Stakes by six lengths. He also finally lived up to the comments made by his trainer, Richard Hannon, when he won last month’s Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh by three lengths.
However, there is a suspicion over whether this colt can back up one good run with another. More pointedly Makfi beat him fair and square – by one-and-three-quarter lengths – the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last month and can confirm that form. Steinbeck is likely to be closer than he was in the Irish Guineas, which was his first run of the season, and the American runner, Noble’s Promise, is no forlorn hope on his best form stateside.
The state of this year’s two-year-olds will become a little clearer by the end of this week, starting with the Group Two Coventry Stakes. O’Brien runs unbeaten colts Samuel Morse and Zoffany and stable jockey Johnny Murtagh has opted for the latter but both may struggle against Hannon’s Strong Suit.
Hannon’s juveniles have a 27% strike-rate for this season and Strong Suit made a strong impression when he won his maiden at Newbury last month. He beat Neebras by one-and-a-quarter lengths, who promptly franked the form with a four-length win at Goodwood.
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