Trainer, jockey and owner standings

For the latest standings, please follow the links.

.

The post Leading Jockey, Trainer & Owner Standings at Royal Ascot appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

“It has been a quieter start to proceedings than the previous two days, with the forecast weather muddying the punting waters. However, with less rain falling than forecast, punters have found their confidence and it’s the closing handicaps that have caught the most attention.”

2.30pm Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
Go Bears Go                                  7/1 from 11/1
Project Dante                                7/1 from 12/1
Khunan                                         16/1 from 25/1
Korker                                           16/1 from 20/1

3.05pm Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
Movin Time                                   10/3 from 11/2

3.40pm Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
Noon Star                                       15/8 from 11/4
Twisted Reality                                9/1 from 14/1

4.15pm Gold Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series)
Trueshan                                        4/1 from 6/1

5.00pm Britannia Handicap
Air To Air                                       11/2 from 8/1
Raadobarg                                     15/2 from 12/1
Aerion Power                                  12/1 from 25/1

5.35pm King George V Handicap
Sir Lamorak                                  10/3 from 11/2
Surefire                                         5/1 from 9/1
Siskany                                          6/1 from 10/1
Tashkhan                                       12/1 from 25/1

6.10pm Buckingham Palace Handicap
Boardman                                      13/2 from 10/1
Danyah                                          10/1 from 20/1

Royal Ascot Top Jockey Betting:

Frankie Dettori                            EVS
Ryan Moore                                 11/4
William Buick                               7/2
Oisín Murphy                               16/1
Andrea Atzeni                              20/1
Jim Crowley                                 25/1
Hollie Doyle                                 33/1
Tom Marquand                             33/1
Silvestre De Sousa                        50/1
James Doyle                                 50/1

“After fourteen races there is still lots to play for in terms of Top Jockey” says Betfred’s Matt Hulmes.

“William Buick and Frankie Dettori lead the with a pair of wins apiece but, just like the weather and the ground, it is likely to change over the next three days.”

The post Market Movers on Day 3 of Royal Ascot appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Chris Stickels, Clerk of the Course at Ascot, said at 9.30am:

“We had 2.4 millimetres of rain overnight and it is just starting to rain lightly now. We may see an occasional shower this morning before racing and a possible sharp shower this afternoon.”

Going Stick Readings at 8am:

Stands’ side: 8.6
Centre: 8.1
Far side: 8.4
Round 8.4

Stalls:
Straight Course: Centre
Round Course: Inside

The running rail on the Round Course that was positioned approximately three yards out from approximately nine furlongs out to the Home Straight on Tuesday and Wednesday has been removed, providing fresh ground.

Weather

2.4 millimetres rain overnight to 6.30am Thursday. Occasional showers are possible this morning, then possible sharp afternoon showers. Thunderstorms are expected on Friday (8 to 12 millimetres forecast). Possible occasional showers for Saturday.

Non-Runners 

5.35pm King George V Handicap
17 Surrey Gold (Self Cert – Bruised Foot)

6.10pm Buckingham Palace Handicap
22 Teston (Declared in error)

There will be live TV coverage of all races on today’s Royal Ascot card on Virgin Media, UTV/ITV and Sky Sports Racing.

The post Royal Ascot Day 3 Going and Non-Runners appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

“The most eye-catching move though is for Kaboo in the Windsor Castle Stakes, who has been backed from 33/1 into 8/1 having never stepped foot on a racecourse.”

2.30pm Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
Twilight Gleaming                 9/4 from 7/2
Quick Suzy                          9/1 from 12/1
Illustrating                          10/1 from 12/1

3.05pm Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
Dancing King                        13/2 from 14/1
Kyprios                                8/1 from 16/1
Law Of The Sea                    16/1 from 25/1

3.40pm Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
Double Or Bubble                      11/2 from 14/1
Champers Elysees                      8/1 from 14/1
Parent’s Prayer                         10/1 from 16/1

5.00pm Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap)
Astro King                                 13/2 from 12/1
Haqeeqy                                   15/2 from 10/1
Matthew Flinders                       15/2 from 16/1
Brunch                                     10/1 from 16/1

5.35pm Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
Dig Two                                   8/1 from 10/1
Kaboo                                     8/1 from 33/1
Amazonian Dream                    28/1 from 50/1

6.10pm Kensington Palace Handicap
Dreamloper                                  4/1 from 7/1
Ffion                                            8/1 from 16/1

The post Market Movers on Day 2 of Royal Ascot appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Chris Stickels, Ascot’s Clerk of the Course, said: “We put four millimetres of irrigation on the track last night.

“The forecast for today is a hot, dry day through racing and then we are expecting some thunderstorms building up later tonight and through tomorrow.”

Going Stick Readings at 8am:
Stands’ side: 8.3
Centre: 8.0
Far side: 8.2
Round: 7.8

Stalls:

Straight Course: Centre

Round Course: Inside

The running rail on the Round Course will be positioned approximately three yards out from approximately nine furlongs out to the Home Straight. This rail will remain in place until after racing on Wednesday.

Weather

Dry warm conditions forecast today then thunderstorms are forecast during the night and through Thursday and Friday. A little more settled with occasional showers for Saturday.

Non-Runners

2.30pm Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
8 Eve Lodge (Going)

3.05pm Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
15 Zinc White (Going)

3.40pm Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
5 Bounce The Blues (Going)

4.20pm Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
3 Lord North (Self Cert – Going)

5.35pm Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
24 Tipperary Sunset (Going)

All races will be live on Virgin Media, UTV/ITV and Sky Sports Racing.

Day One Highlights

The post Royal Ascot Day 2 Going and Non-Runners appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Last year, the event was held behind closed doors with Queen Elizabeth II as a special guest due to Covid19 restrictions in England.

Now the country has begun reopening its doors and sporting venue, the Royal Ascot racing event will also have supporters.

The venue will host 12,000 spectators each day until Saturday as they watch the horse racing.

The gates are open at #RoyalAscot! pic.twitter.com/zmGe9VzRPS

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 15, 2021

Director of racing Nick Smith told AFP that they expected great losses from the event that would trouble future plans.

The racing venue can normally hold a comfortable attendance of 70,000 spectators. Also, the staff has been reduced from 6,000 to 1,800.

Many people are very happy that the event has partially reopened to bring back some of its passionate atmospheres.

The five-day event is one of the British government’s pilot schemes to test the return of spectators to events.

Battaash is back today at #RoyalAscot on Sky Sports Racing! pic.twitter.com/8A6gmQQk9G

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 15, 2021

Punters expect Rachel Blackmore to light up the track again as she rides Cape gentleman.

The Irish jockey was the first female rider to win the Grand National this year and will be commanding a five-year-old chestnut in the two-and-a-half-mile contest.

The Irish-bred horse Battaash is also a major star to look out for this week.

The seven-year-old is hoping to win to make it six-in-six for first-time out races. Along with his 100% record in 2020 and his trainers being happy with his preparations, he will be the one to watch.

With firm ground and good weather, this looks like it will be a fun week for racing fans.

Betting News – Tuesday’s market movers at Royal Ascot

The post Fans return to the Royal Ascot appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The post Betting News – Tuesday’s market movers at Royal Ascot appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Chris Stickels, Ascot’s Clerk of the Course, said: “The going this morning is Good to Firm, Good in places following a dry night.

“The track was watered yesterday, the Straight Course with 10mm and the Round Course with 4mm.

“We are expecting a fine, dry day today and a fine, warm, dry day again tomorrow.”

Going Stick Readings at 8.00am:
Stands side: 8.6
Centre: 8.3
Far side: 8.2
Round 7.9

Stalls:
Straight Course: Centre
Round Course: Inside

The running rail on the Round Course will be positioned approximately three yards out from approximately nine furlongs out to the Home Straight. This rail will remain in place until after racing on Wednesday.

Weather

Dry, warm conditions forecast, through to Wednesday when thunderstorms are forecast during the night and through Thursday. Showers possible for Friday, a little more settled with occasional showers for Saturday.

Non-runners so far 

5.35pm Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
5 Stormy Antarctic (Self Cert – Going)

Non-runners tomorrow

3.05pm Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
15 Zinc White (Going)

The first race, the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, is off at 2.30pm. Tuesday’s highlight is the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at 4.20pm.

The final race of the opening day 7-race card is the Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) at 6.10pm.

There will be TV coverage throughout the week on Virgin Media, UTV/ITV and Sky Sports Racing.

The post Good to Firm, Good in places on Day 1 of Royal Ascot appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

So, with the 2021 edition of Royal Ascot just a matter of weeks away, let’s take a look at the Gosden/Dettori horses that you need to keep an eye out for this year. Read on to find out more!  

Palace Pier – Queen Anne Stakes

Where better to start than with Palace Pier, who is heavy favourite in day one’s feature race, the Queen Anne Stakes. The four-year-old is odds-on to win the one-mile outing at 4/7 and there’s no doubt that he will be a popular bet in punters’ opening day accumulators. Palace Pier won three times last season, including the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at last year’s meeting, and has started this campaign in fine form — winning the Group 2 Mile at Sandown before landing the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury earlier this month, beating Lady Bowthrope over the line by a length and a half. Alpine Star and Order Of Australia are his nearest competition at 7/1. However, given their inconsistent form, it would be a real surprise to see one of them pip Palace Pier in this race.

Lord North – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

At 9/4, Lord North offers a little more value for money in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, day two’s showpiece race. The five-year-old won the Group 1 race by almost four lengths clear of Addeybb last year, but was rather disappointing for the remainder of the season, failing to win in three outings including coming home in last in the Champion Stakes back at Ascot in October. However, he kicked off this season with a victory in the prestigious Dubai Turf, which boasts a purse of £1.75m for the winner, at Meydan in March and if he can carry that form into Ascot, you’d expect him to hold off the challenges of Love and the rest of the field. 

Stradivarius – Gold Cup

All eyes will be on Stradivarius in the Gold Cup, the flagship race of the week. The seven-year-old is gunning for a record-equalling fourth successive victory in the two-mile, four-furlong race and he’s currently available at around 6/4 to do so. Stradivarius’ Gold Cup triumph last year was perhaps his most impressive yet as he romped over the line 10 lengths clear of Nayef Road in second. He got the better of the Mark Johnston-trained horse again in the Goodwood Cup, this time by just a length. However, like Lord North it was a disappointing end to the season, as he went without a win in three races. He’s kicked off this campaign with a win at Ascot back in April, and there’s no doubt that his fans will be hoping that he’s back on top form for the Royal meeting. 

The post Three John Gosden and Frankie Dettori horses to watch at Royal Ascot 2021 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Congratulations to winning connections of MEASURE OF MAGIC who won the Listed Goffs @IrishEBF_ Polonia Stakes at @corkracecourse this evening for @JohnnyMurtagh pic.twitter.com/ciMkpgpXrq

— Goffs (@Goffs1866) May 7, 2021

Johnny Murtagh had more than 40 Royal Ascot winners during his illustrious career in the saddle, but one race he never got the opportunity to ride in before retiring as a jockey in 2014 was the Commonwealth Cup. 

He has a live contender in training at his Coolaghknock yard for this year’s running of the six-furlong Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds, however, in Measure Of Magic. A daughter of the up-and-coming sire Kodi Bear, this filly has back-to-back wins at Listed level on her side of the Irish Sea this season.

Measure Of Magic, a fine third in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes during the St Leger Festival at Doncaster last autumn on her only previous British start, delighted her trainer when following-up on her successful return to action at Navan. Success in the Polonia Stakes punched her ticket to Royal Ascot.

Measure Of Magic a stylish winner at @corkracecourse in Listed company this evening

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 7, 2021

“I think we’ll give [it] a go in the Commonwealth Cup,” said Murtagh after her second win of the campaign at Cork. “Ben [Coen, her jockey] said she has really learned how to sprint now, and she deserves a shot at a big one.”

With 2000 Guineas third Lucky Vega set to stay over a mile in his next assignment, Measure Of Magic is actually the leading Irish contender for Commonwealth Cup glory from the early closing entries, according to the ante-post betting. The jump from Listed level to a Group 1, even in an age-restricted race, is big but that doesn’t seem to faze Murtagh.

Measure Of Magic could run again before Royal Ascot too. She holds an entry in the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes, a six-furlong sprint also open to older fillies and mares at the Curragh on 2 June. That is just over a fortnight before the royal meeting, but Murtagh wasn’t afraid of turning her out quickly with a mere dozen days between her first and second runs this term.

Wesley Ward’s American raider Campanelle, a half-sister to Measure Of Magic and winner of the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at the meeting last year, is already among Royal Ascot day 4 tips and predictions given by experts for the Commonwealth Cup. She is also the favourite with her trainer always targeting transatlantic runners at Britain’s major Flat festival.

Irish runners haven’t fared that well in the Commonwealth Cup since its introduction in 2015, however. Just one winner of the race to date has been trained in the Emerald Isle, and that was Caravaggio for Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien back in 2017 after a couple placed third in the first two runnings.

Forever In Dreams took second spot behind Advertise in the Commonwealth Cup of 2019 for the much smaller stable of Kilfeacle handler Aidan Fogarty. As a filly, Measure Of Magic will receive a 3lb sex allowance and that makes a difference. Three fillies have placed in this race before.

For the JP Murtagh Racing Club syndicate who own Measure Of Magic, this is about more than just a day at the races. They will be looking for a bold show from a filly trained in the same stables that produced Champers Elysees to Group 1 glory last season.

The post Could There be a Measure Of Magic from Johnny Murtagh at Royal Ascot? appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.