Gearing up for Ascot from the Greek Islands

By Rory King

For some unknown reason I have managed to commit to a holiday during Royal Ascot week. My racing fanaticism, which led me to missing a family holiday a couple of years ago, does not quite wash with my friends! So, this week, I will be pumping Euros into the nearest internet café I can find and following the Royal action vividly from Corfu.

The Queen Anne is a race I’d go a long way to see (in fact I’m going all the way to the other side of Europe to see it!). It features the three best milers in Europe, not just of the moment, but arguably three of the best of the last decade. Goldikova has won no less than eight group 1s, including back-to-back Breeder’s Cup Miles (only the fourth horse ever to achieve the feat). Rip Van Winkle was one of the only horses to really put it up to Sea The Stars last year and his Sussex Stakes performance absolutely screamed class, while he showed real guts too in holding off a big challenge from Zacinto in the QEII here in September. Paco Boy is a horse with a brilliant turn of foot and has showed himself to be a real top class miler this season. In his career he has only been beaten once in twelve starts in fields of ten or less.

The race is going to be an absolute cracker and in a way it is sad that it is the very first race of the meeting. All three could feasibly win the award for the best miler come the end of the season. Freddie Head is a master at preparing his horses to peak on the big day and being ready for the big Group 1s in the second half of the season, as he has proven with Goldikova. This is why, before Goldikova’s half-length win in the Prix D’Ispahan three weeks ago, Head had never won a Group 1 in June or earlier. Of course, if he so wished, he could train Goldikova for any group 1 mile race, however I can’t help but feel this is not Goldikova’s perfect step. For a start, Head thus far has aimed his filly at big targets in the second part of the season, ending up in the States for the last two years. It is a big ask for any horse, let alone a filly, to be running fast in Group 1s from June to October. In my opinion, this race has rather been thrust upon Freddie Head as the perfect race for Goldikova to fully showcase her talents this side of the Channel. Perhaps, with his sister winning the 1000 Guineas over here this season, Head has decided to let Goldikova take her chance so as to not be outdone. She had a hard race at Longchamp just over three weeks ago over further than ideal and this is going to require all horses to be at the top of their game.

For that reason, I am ready to pass over Rip Van Winkle too. I was one of his biggest fans last year, but struggle to see him winning such a deep race on his seasonal debut. Many are saying how O’Brien’s horses are needing their first run this year, and I think any horse will struggle to win this on their seasonal debut. The fact that he has been kept in training as a four-year-old, though, shows the intent of the Ballydoyle team and it is unlikely he will come to Ascot not ready to do himself justice. Still, I can’t have him at the likely prices.

To my eye, Paco Boy, despite two hugely impressive performances this season, remains underrated by most. His ability to travel so far into the race in the Lockinge on the bridle was matched only by his ability to then outpace a horse in Ouqba who had first run on him and who could turn out to be a very good sprinter. Paco Boy comes here as holder of the Queen Anne title and for me he is the one they all have to beat. As Paco Boy is a fairly small horse, he often struggles to get through gaps in larger fields, but as I mentioned above, his record in fields of ten or less is superb. There are ten entries for the Queen Anne which should be fine, and while Cat Junior should take them along again as he did in the Celebration Mile at Sandown, they are unlikely to go a break-neck gallop which was a minor worry for Paco Boy’s chance. As it is, I believe Richard Hannon’s charge has what it takes to regain his crown here.

Of the others, Zacinto comes here on the back of a very disappointing run in the Lockinge and has something to prove, although he did make Rip Van Winkle pull out all the stops in the QEII last year and could be dangerous if back to that sort of form, while I think the reason Ouqba was able to run so well at Newbury was due to the pedestrian early pace and he is much more of a seven furlong or sprinting type than a miler. The others all have it to do in such a tough race and I take Paco Boy to triumph again. Being the first race of the week I will know my fate early and may have to resort to the beach, or more likely the bar, if things don’t go to plan!

By Rory King