Runners on day two of Royal Ascot will have to wade through testing turf after the threatened storms delivered abundant rain on Tuesday and that puts a different slant on the feature G1 Prince of Wales's S. Now firmly established as the meeting's mecca for the middle-distance firmament, this year's edition is yet another testament to the mighty influence of Urban Sea (Miswaki) which was felt so keenly in the Derby earlier this month. Her two outstanding sons Galileo (Ire) and Sea the Stars (Ire) are double-handed in a stand-off of suitable gravity for this once second-level contest which has been reinvented in recent times and now carries greatly enhanced status. The Derby-winning standard-bearers are armed with one entire 5-year-old horse and 4-year-old filly apiece and before the showers on Tuesday it was impossible to drive a significant wedge between any of the quartet. Galileo's Magical (Ire) and Waldgeist (GB) enter on winning terms with arguably a personal best on their latest outings, while the Sea the Stars' brace consists of two of his finest in Sea of Class (Ire) and Crystal Ocean (GB).
Tuesday's change in going means that the axis has shifted away from Sunderland Holdings' Sea of Class, who is the sole member of the quality foursome to have a distinct fast-ground preference. Her suave displays in the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks last summer were set against a backdrop of a sun-blessed Curragh and York's Knavesmire and the surface was slicker than usual as she just failed to reel in Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the Arc when last seen. Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) managed to take this on his seasonal debut in 2015, but that was a weaker renewal and takes little away from the basic truth that attempting to win a group 1 here on a comeback run is an onerous task.
Even before the rain, trainer William Haggas was reserved. “Lots of horses don't go on from three to four,” he said. “A few fillies do, but there are lots that don't and you never know until you run them. You don't normally see it at home, especially if they are not really flash, as you never ask them. At York, she did it on the bridle but she was in great form. Her work has gone well. I'd love to have had a run beforehand, but it was not to be. She's got to start somewhere and we always wanted to run in this race.”
Haggas later admitted to fears that Sea of Class may be withdrawn. “I'm really not sure about the ground, I really want to run her, but I don't want to bottom her in this ground. I want to make the right decision by her and I'm keen to run, but I'll speak to Mrs Tsui and walk the track in the morning.”
TDN Rising Star Waldgeist is the biggest-priced of the four, but the way Gestut Ammerland and Newsells Park Stud's steadily-maturing chestnut cut a swathe through the G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp on his seasonal bow Apr. 28 suggests he could be about to deliver on the biggest stage. There is a doubt he is a poor overseas traveller, with four efforts outside of France failing to yield a positive result and doubts remain largely due to his showing in the latest renewal of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, where he trailed Magical by 12 1/2 lengths in fifth.
At the start of the afternoon, the G2 Queen Mary S. sees Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Final Song (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) look to fill the void left by the operation's sure-fire favourite Chasing Dreams (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Saeed bin Suroor has endured a near-drought at the meeting since his
G1 Gold Cup victory in 2012 with just one interim winner, but the bay looked out of the top drawer when scoring by five lengths in a smart time on her sole start over this course and distance May 10. “She came out of that race in good order and any rain will help her chances,” her trainer said of the daughter of the 2007 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Rahiyah (Rahy) who is yet another classy representative of her prodigious sire this week. “She has been going well at home and I am very happy with her.”
Also in the royal blue are the Charlie Appleby-trained duo of Theory of Time (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and TDN Rising Star Divine Spirit (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and the Willie McCreery-trained May 6 Listed First Flier S. winner Ickworth (Ire) (Shamardal). All three have bright futures with differing distance requirements long-term and it is noteworthy that James Doyle has plumped for the stoutest-bred of all in the six-furlong May 20 Windsor winner Theory of Time. “Theory of Time is dropping back in trip, but we don't see it being a problem and she has sharpened up for her first run,” Appleby said. “She is a strong individual and we are looking forward to seeing how she gets on. We wouldn't have had many two-year-olds by Dubawi running over this trip, but she has strength and speed so the stiff five furlongs at Ascot should suit. James Doyle, who had the choice of which filly to ride, picked Theory of Time and I would tend to agree with him.”
Wesley Ward has his first representatives of the week in the 15-length Apr. 25 Keeneland maiden special weight winner Kimari (Munnings) and Breeze Easy's Anna's Fast (Fast Anna), who had covered the same strip also in authoritative style the day before. Drawn 18 and 22 respectively, they could be bringing the high-drawn Bin Suroor and Appleby runners along in their slipstream which could be bad news for those coming from single-figure stalls like Ickworth and Ballydoyle's June 8 Navan maiden scorer Tango (Ire) (No Nay Never). One drawn close by is Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's electric May 25 Chester maiden winner Raffle Prize (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}), who is a daughter of the 2009 G3 Oak Tree S. winner Summer Fete (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) so will appreciate the easing in the ground.
The G2 Queen's Vase has a light feel this year, with Ryan Moore opting to ride the G1 Epsom Derby eighth Norway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) over Ballydoyle's May 18 Listed Yeats S. scorer Western Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Again Godolphin provide a fascinating multiple entry, with the May 4 Listed Prix de l'Avre winner Jalmoud (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) leading the way. “Jalmoud brings a nice progressive profile into the race, having battled well to win his listed race at Longchamp,” Charlie Appleby commented. “It was a very slowly-run race on soft ground that day and we are hoping that the step up in trip might produce further improvement.”
The G2 Duke of Cambridge S. is the kind of race Sir Michael Stoute has the secret combination for and it is no surprise to see Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah's Rawdaa (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) occupying favouritism after her latest second in the G2 Middleton S. over an extended 10 furlongs at York May 16. Also responsible for last year's G1 Coronation S. third Veracious (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the all-time leading trainer at the meeting can be content he has ample firepower but neither have rock-solid claims in an open race. Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Pretty Baby (Ire) (Orpen) has a fighting countenance which will take her a long way. Still unexposed, particularly over a mile trip that she attempts for the first time, the May 11 G3 Chartwell Fillies' S. scorer could have further progression in her. “She just keeps on winning,” trainer William Haggas said. “I've been keen to get her up to a mile and we will ride her a bit differently to help her get it.”
Closing the second card is the Listed Windsor Castle S. in which the Ward duo Foolish Humor (Distorted Humor) and Karak (Karakontie {Jpn}) provide the usual focus. Ten years on Strike the Tiger (Tiger Ridge) delivering the meeting's most recent headline-maker a 33-1 success as he headed up the trailblazing raid, a win for either Andrew Farm's May 2 Belmont scorer or Breeze Easy's winner at the same venue May 25 would bookend a special decade for their handler. “Foolish Humor probably has the fitness advantage, but I think Karak is probably the better horse,” Ward said. The Royal Hunt Cup features Saeed Manana's New Graduate (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) who has been heavily gambled in recent days after his five-length success at Ripon Apr. 27.
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