The Pep Talk – Royal Ascot

King Charles III Stakes

This market is made by the Australian horses at the moment, but which of those will end up running I don’t know. Asfoora will obviously have another go and she continually sets the bar and it’s a high one.

A trainer who can do no wrong at the moment is Francis-Henri Graffard. It’s likely he’ll saddle Rayevka in this. She ran a blinder in the Commonwealth Cup last year, finishing third.

In some respects, she disappointed a bit subsequently, running ok in a couple of open Grade 1s, but that was setting sights very high.

She went out to Dubai at the start of the year, where on her first start she was on the wrong side of the track, so ran well enough considering. Next time, she was drawn in the right place and travelled like a dream into the race, before not having a finishing kick.

She is certainly speedy and she looked far more at home dropping back to 5f on French soil in May. She came from what is traditionally a hard spot at Longchamp, rounding the field to win cosily.

I like the fact that she is a strong staying sprinter as you need to be on that straight course at Ascot. It looks as though she has got better over the winter and she holds really solid credentials for this. She still has to prove she’s up to this level, but she certainly could be.

Recommended Bet

Back Rayevka @ 12/1

Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

This could be a really hot race once again, with the Arc 1-2 from last season, Daryz and Minnie Hawk, likely taking on the defending champion, Ombudsman. The latter has to be the bet for me.

With 7/2 available, Ombudsman sticks out. He has proven himself on multiple occasions over this course and distance with some exceptional form. His win in this race last year was electric. He kept being blocked off, but when he got in the clear he powered away from some good horses. Then his victory in the Juddmonte International was just as impressive.

On top of those wins, his second to Calandagan in the Champions Stakes is probably the best form out there. That horse has proven himself around the world and it’s no disgrace being beaten by him. So, while Daryz and Minnie Hawk have both come out and won nicely already this season, I still think Ombudsman is the one to beat.

Recommended Bet

Back Ombudsman @ 7/2

Commonwealth Cup

Comparing this market to what we’ve seen on the track, I really don’t see how Charles Darwin isn’t a much shorter price than he is right now. Since his debut, he’s not looked back. When he won at Royal Ascot last season, beating Wise Approach in the Norfolk Stakes, he looked so good. It was so straightforward.

While we didn’t see him again last year, the fact he made a winning return to action in April was all that was needed to see his wellbeing. It was another easy victory and all roads lead to the Commonwealth Cup. There isn’t much doubt in my mind at this stage that he’s the leading three-year-old sprinter.

The main reason he’s not shorter in the betting is because of his stablemate, Albert Einstein. Aidan O’Brien hasn’t been shy of saying how much he likes that horse, but they have tried to step him up in trip, but it hasn’t worked out.

What they’ll do with him I don’t know, but he clearly hasn’t been trained as a sprinter so far this year and that brings two main thoughts to me. The first is, why? Is Charles Darwin a better sprinter? And the second is that they will have been consciously trying to get him to settle and race over further, which could be detrimental to his sprinting abilities.

Recommended Bet

Back Charles Darwin @ 5/1

Alex Peperell

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