Five Irish-trained horses to follow at Royal Ascot

Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Race: St James’s Palace Stakes, Tuesday

Best odds: 3-1

The re-match between Bow Echo and Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes could be one of the clashes of the week.

It makes sense that Bow Echo is favourite. George Boughey’s horse was really impressive in winning the 2000 Guineas and, in so doing, in retaining his unblemished record.

Gstaad still ran a big race in the Guineas.  He came under a ride early, and he kept on willingly all the way to the line, pulling eight lengths clear of the third horse Distant Storm.

Aidan O’Brien’s colt has almost three lengths to make up on Bow Echo from their running at Newmarket, but you can make the case. He was a supplementary entry to the Guineas, and he probably improved on his Newmarket run in winning the Irish Guineas at The Curragh last time. The distance at The Curragh between him and runner-up Distant Storm was shorter than it had been at Newmarket, but Distant Storm improved from Newmarket to The Curragh for sure, and Gstaad beat him well again.

That run at The Curragh could bring Gstaad forward again, and his trainer reported during the week that everything had gone well with the Starspangledbanner colt since. Ascot’s stiff finish suits him well, he was impressive in winning the Coventry Stakes last year on his only run to date at Ascot, and the ground should be ideal.

Trainer: Johnny Murtagh 

Race: Queen’s Vase, Wednesday or King Edward VII Stakes, Friday

Best odds: 8-1

There wasn’t much between Limestone and Asakir when they met in the Listed Yeats Stakes at Navan last month, and there may not be much between them again if they both line up in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

Aasakir looked the likely winner that day when he hit the front on the run to the furlong marker, which is probably around about the point at which he traded at 1.51 in-running.  But Limestone was the beneficiary of a superb ride from Dylan Browne McMonagle, who conjured a renewed effort from the New Bay colt which took him back into the lead on the near side on the run up the hill to the line.

Unraced as a juvenile, that was just Asakir’s third ever run. Impressive in winning his maiden over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown in April – a race from which the runner-up Cannes was himself impressive in winning a 12-furlong maiden next time – Johnny Murtagh’s horse proved at Navan that he could operate over staying trips. By the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Zarak and out of a mare who won over 10 furlongs, from the family of Azamour, he has the potential to continue his progression.

He has the option of waiting for the King Edward VII Stakes on Friday, but the Queen’s Vase looks like the most likely option. Limestone should be a big player in Wednesday’s race too, but Asakir should probably be a little closer to Joseph O’Brien’s horse in the market than he is.

Trainer: Paddy Twomey 

Race: Queen Mary Stakes, Wednesday

Best odds: 33-1

Velozee could out-perform big odds in the Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday.

Paddy Twomey’s filly showed a really good attitude on her racecourse debut to get up on the near side after starting slowly and win a five-furlong fillies’ maiden run on soft ground at Cork in early April, and she showed the benefit of that experience when she ran out an impressive winner of the Listed First Flier Stakes at The Curragh next time.

She was much sharper out of the gate that day, travelled well into her race in a share of the lead, and she came away from her three rivals fairly easily, winning by three and a half lengths in the end. She proved that day too that she was able to operate on good ground.

She was well beaten next time in the Group 3 Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas, but there are reasons why you can forgive her that run. For starters, it came up less than two weeks after her listed race win, which may have been a quick enough turnaround for her. Also, it was over six furlongs. Her two previous runs were both over five.

You can be sure that her astute trainer will have freshened her up for her Royal Ascot engagement. She should appreciate the return to five furlongs, and it is obviously significant that it looks like Billy Lee is going to ride her in front of Friday’s York winner Big Negotiator.

Trainer: Paddy Twomey

Race: Gold Cup, Thursday

Best odds: 20-1

Carmers ran out a game winner of the Queen’s Vase at last year’s Royal meeting. Prominent from early that day, he moved to the front as they rounded the home turn, and he kept on strongly up Ascot’s demanding finish to get home by three parts of a length and a head from Furthur and Rahiebb, with Scandinavia another half a length back in fifth.

Rahiebb and Scandinavia have obviously improved since. Scandinavia won the Bahrain Trophy and the Goodwood Cup and the St Leger, when he exacted his revenge on Carmers, and he is two for two this season. Rahiebb finished second in the St Leger, just a neck behind Scandinavia, and he was impressive in winning the Yorkshire Cup on his debut this season.

Carmers could only finish fifth in the St Leger, on soft ground, and he was behind Scandinavia again in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes on his debut this season, but he improved from that to win His Majesty’s Plate at Down Royal last time, and there is every chance that he will improve again on that.

Winner of his maiden over a mile and five furlongs on his racecourse debut last season, he obviously stays well. He has never tackled two and a half miles before, but he was staying on well at the end of the two-mile trip at Down Royal last time, and he has every chance of getting the marathon trip of the Gold Cup.  He could even improve for it.

One for one at Ascot, he should appreciate the return to the Berkshire track and the return to fast ground, and he could out-run his odds by a fair way.

Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Race: Albany Stakes, Friday

Best odds: 2-1

Sun Goddess caught the eye on her racecourse debut when she kept on strongly from well back to finish a close-up third behind her much better-fancied stable companion Carry The Flag in a five-furlong maiden at Naas in early May.

Sent off as a short-priced favourite herself on the back of that run for a fillies’ maiden at The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend, Aidan O’Brien’s filly could hardly have been any more impressive than she was in winning.  She moved easily into the lead at the two-furlong marker, and she easily drew away from her rivals, winning by five lengths in the end.

That maiden was won last year by Donnacha O’Brien’s filly Balantina, who finished third in the Albany Stakes next time at 40/1 before going to Del Mar last October and winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Sun Goddess will be at the opposite end of the market in this year’s Albany Stakes, but she deserves her position high in the betting, in a race that her trainer has won twice in the last four years.