State Occasion

State Occasion did well to finish fourth in the concluding race at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, the Kensington Palace Handicap. Ralph Beckett’s filly was nicely away from stall five and had a nice position early on, travelling well for Rossa Ryan on the inside and not far off the leaders. She was squeezed out of it early in the home straight, however, when Farhh To Shy moved to her right, just when her rider wanted to go forward, and she had to be checked and switched outside that rival. She couldn’t get into the clear after that as the ultimate winner Rising Star moved up on her outside, and, no better than eighth or ninth as they raced deep inside the final furlong, she did well to stay on as well as she did to take fourth place.

Awarded a seven-furlong handicap at Chelmsford on her seasonal debut, she stepped forward from that here. She stays a mile well, a strongly-run mile is probably optimal for her, but she did run well at Newmarket last season on her sole attempt at 10 furlongs, so she does have the option to go up in trip too now this season. She goes well on fast ground, and she goes well on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile and at Ascot.
Ascot, 15^th June 2022