Royal Ascot day one: spotlight on the three Group One races

Royal Ascot 2023 opens with an intriguing clash of Group 1 winners in the Queen Anne Stakes with last year’s Coronation Stakes heroine Inspiral facing not one but two Godolphin stars in two-time Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games and last year’s Irish 2000 Guineas winner Native Trail.

The Queen Anne is one of three Group 1s to be run on a star-studded opening day of the Royal Meeting. It is the first of eight Group 1s next week which are part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

It also gives Frankie Dettori, who rides Inspiral, the chance to add a third Group 1 this month on fillies after his Epsom double of Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup and Soul Sister in the Betfred Oaks. Dettori has ridden seven Queen Anne winners, including the first of his current 77 royal total on Markofdistinction in 1990.

Inspiral is again making a belated start to her campaign with her first appearance again coming in mid-June. It has proved no handicap as she won on her juvenile debut and made it five unbeaten on last year’s return when trouncing her Coronation rivals, giving Dettori his only success at the meeting last year.

She lost her unbeaten record when beaten by Prosperous Voyage in the Falmouth Stakes but added her third Group 1 with the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville. The Cheveley Park Stud’s home-bred daughter of Frankel prevents the traditional curtain raiser from being a near rerun of the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, won in authoritative style by Modern Games last month. She would also be the first female winner since American challenger Tepin in 2016.

Chris Richardson, managing director of the stud, said: “Inspiral had a long break back at the stud over the winter. She has thrived physically and mentally. She has strengthened and matured.

“We know she is a character and loves to know what is going on around her. Mrs (Patricia) Thompson (stud owner) was adamant not to rush her for the Lockinge.

“She appears to be in good heart and, to have won three Group 1s, she has the talent there. She won well at the Royal Meeting last year but it is a tough task against the Godolphin team.”

Godolphin are clearly keen to enhance an already enviable Queen Anne record, having won the mile race eight times but not since 2017. The Group 1 duo of Modern Games and Native Trail are in the hands of Charlie Appleby, who has yet to win the race with Saeed bin Suroor (seven) and most recently Richard Fahey, with Ribchester, the successful trainers.

William Buick has guided Modern Games to his eight career wins, including five at Group 1 level.

Buick said: “His record is very good and he won the Lockinge well last time so I’m looking forward to riding him again. It would be nearly a rerun of the Lockinge without Inspiral, who is a good filly. As any Queen Anne should be it will be tough to win.”

Native Trail pleased Appleby in a gallop on Newmarket’s July Course last week after which he warned not to underestimate last year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, who was a beaten odds-on favourite by the reopposing Mutasaabeq in the rearranged bet365 Mile at Newmarket.

Charlie Hills is hoping Mutasaabeq can uphold the form of that all the way win despite disappointing in the Lockinge last time.

The Lambourn trainer said: “He ran a bit flat at Newbury after running what I thought was his best race two weeks earlier. I’m really happy with him after a break and he has good form at the track.”

Richard Hannon, double handed with Chindit and Lusail, is seeking to match his father’s two wins (Paco Boy and Canford Cliffs) in the race after Toronado gave him a dream start to his first royal meeting in 2014.

Chindit famously drew blood when biting Buick when finishing second in the Lockinge but Hannon defends his five-year-old, saying: “He is a gentleman and has never done anything like that before. He only did it because Buick was in close to him.

“I thought he would be shorter in the betting. He picked up better than Pat (Dobbs) thought he would and he is in the form of his life.

“We are going to ride Lusail a little handier as he seems to get flat-footed at a crucial part of the race.”

Berkshire Shadow, third in the Lockinge, and Light Infantry, who was seventh but subsequently only touched off in the Prix d’Ispahan, also reoppose in a field of 13.

The King’s Stand Stakes global clash between Highfield Princess, Britain’s rags to riches mare, and Australia’s flying filly Coolangatta, make for a mouthwatering start to the sprint division of the 2023 QIPCO British Champions Series.

Highfield Princess looks to level the scores against overseas runners who have enjoyed 12 successes this millennium, with Australia contributing five, in the £600,000 Group 1 feature.

Bragging rights are with Highfield Princess after an amazing five weeks last year when, as a five-year-old, she won three Group 1s in three different countries - the Maurice de Gheest in France, the Nunthorpe at York and Flying Five in Ireland - a far cry from being a lowly handicapper two years before.

That stunning treble came after royal meeting defeat for a second time in the Golden and then Platinum Jubilee, renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on Saturday this year.

Highfield Princess is returning for a fourth time, having given trainer John Quinn and jockey Jason Hart their first winner at the Royal Meeting with Buckingham Palace Stakes success in 2020.

Hart remembers that race well, as he said, “That was winning a handicap over seven furlongs before her massive step forward last year.”

Hart, looking for his second winner at Royal Ascot, added: “I don’t think she needs to improve again on that to win. She is the deserved favourite but no horse is unbeatable bar Frankel. She’s in good nick. I was really happy with her run at York where we couldn’t have done any more but win. She always improves for her first run.

“It was nice to see her back on track and she has taken a step forward for the run - she wouldn’t be a horse who would blow you away in her work at home.”

This year’s Australian challenge differs from the past in that both challengers Coolangatta and Cannonball are three-year-olds rather than established older world leaders in the sprint division, like last year’s dominant winner Nature Strip.

Coolangatta has two Group 1s on her CV, the most recent including having a lacklustre Nature Strip well behind in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington in February.

That win over a similarly straight sprint track to Ascot encouraged her trainers Ciaron Maher and Englishman David Eustace, son of retired Newmarket trainer James, to aim for the Royal Meeting.

Coolangatta showed she approved with a boisterous workout over the course and distance under new jockey James McDonald last week.

Maher said: “She has done everything I wanted and as smooth as it could be. James said it took him quite a while to pull her up and he was beaming about the work.

“She has really thrived since being here in the quiet surrounds of Lambourn.

She is good fresh, a filly still developing and I was keen to give her nice spacing into the race.”

Cannonball also tested Ascot in less flamboyant style last week and trainer Peter Snowden admitted his colt is coming in under the radar with no Group 1 success.

Snowden said: “He is inexperienced with a handful of starts but on potential alone in two starts for me he is above average, narrowly beaten in a Group 1 and probably should have won that after backing up quickly from his win.

“He has spades in speed and toughness and handled the 24-hour trip over like nothing. He is that laid back.”

John Ryan, with just 20 horses in his Newmarket stables, is living the dream with Manaccan as he looks for not only a first winner at the royal meeting but also a first Group 1.

When Manaccan’s winning rider Stevie Donohoe moved to Mauritius this year, Ryan offered the ride to both Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore who had ridden Manaccan before.

“Frankie was quickest on the phone so got the ride!” said Ryan.

“It’s a big ask taking on the best. As long as the ground stays as it is, he has every chance of mixing it with them. He’s still going up the ladder, has a high cruising speed, quickens, has run three of his best races at Ascot and, touch wood, we’ve got the right man on board.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have a couple of Group 2 and 3 wins but haven’t troubled the judge in a Group 1 yet.”

Dettori is looking to bridge a 29-year gap in the race with his only other success in the Group 1 provided by Lochsong in 1994.

Vadream, who beat Manaccan when they raced on opposite sides of the track in the Palace House at Newmarket, is among other contenders along with last year’s runner-up Twilight Calls. Desert Cop, representing Lochsong’s owner breeder Jeff Smith and Chipstead, an improving handicapper bidding to emulate his brother Oxted, the 2021 winner when also a five-year-old, are also declared.

There is an unusually big turnout of three-year-olds this year, with six of the 19 runners, including two juvenile winners last year in Dramatised (Queen Mary) and Bradsell (Coventry).

QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean has the chance to add his name to an illustrious list of horses to have completed the Group 1 double of following up in the St James’s Palace Stakes, one of the 35 races in the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Before he can stand in the record books alongside the legends that are Brigadier Gerard and Frankel, Chaldean must see off eight rivals, including another Coolmore challenger in Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington as well as unbeaten but Group-race unknown Cicero’s Gift.

Isaac Shelby, narrowly beaten in the French 2,000 Guineas and Mostabshir, who would be a fourth winner in ten years in the race for his trainer John Gosden, make this year’s St James’s Palace a race to savour.

Chaldean’s trainer Andrew Balding has been happy with his Classic winner after his Newmarket preparation was anything but traditional. Frankie Dettori was unseated out of the stalls to leave the riderless Chaldean to chase home Issac Shelby in the Greenham at Newbury.

Balding said: “He took the Guineas race well and his work has been stepped up in the last fortnight.”

Asked about the relative merits of the three Guineas, Balding added: “The English Guineas is usually the strongest and Chaldean won it impressively this year.”

Chaldean would also make it a hat-trick of 2,000 Guineas/St James’s Palace doubles with Coroebus last year and Poetic Flare in 2021 achieving the same feat. Last year’s top-rated juvenile Little Big Bear and Doncaster Futurity Trophy winner and subsequent Derby winner Auguste Rodin ran lacklustre races behind Chaldean at Newmarket and Coolmore puts up Classic winner Paddington this time.

Aidan O’Brien, who has won this race eight times, would be making it six with Irish Guineas winners - Black Minaloushe, Rock of Gibraltar, Henrythenavigator, Mastercratfsman and Gleneagles.

O’Brien said: “We have been happy with him since The Curragh. His three runs this year have been good and he is progressive.”

Ryan Moore, who was praised by O’Brien for his ride in a tactical race at The Curragh, said: “I’m looking forward to riding him. He has been improving through the year but he needs to improve again.”

Brian Meehan, who won this Group 1 with Most Improved in 2012, had made entries in the six-furlong Commonwealth Cup and July Cup for Isaac Shelby but feels a mile is his metier.

“I really think he has a huge future and I really think it is at a mile even though we gave him the sprint entries,” said the Manton-based trainer.

“He is much more relaxed in his work since Paris and you can see him maturing. He’s an exciting horse to have but there is nowhere to hide at this level.”

Cicero’s Gift is the unknown quantity, untested even at lower Group-race level but that has been by design with a late developer, who only made his racecourse debut last autumn.

He made an immediate impression in beating an odds-on favourite of the Gosdens in October and started this year with an all-weather win at Wolverhampton before a runaway success at Goodwood.

Trainer Charlie Hills, who also runs QIPCO 2000 Guineas fourth Galeron, said: “We did toy with the idea of running Cicero’s Gift in the Guineas as well but wanted to keep a low profile with this race in mind.

“He took a bit of time to come to hand last year and is going to get better with age and experience - he might get further in time as well.

“He’s a good-looking chap, improving with each race but he is going into a Group 1 which will be a different experience.”

Royal Scotsman, third in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Charyn and Indestructible, who were further behind at Newmarket, and impressive York novice race winner Mostabshir complete the field.