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1. Calandagan
The highest rated thoroughbred in Europe with a Timeform rating of 129p, the four-year-old gelding is trained in France by Francis Henri Graffard. A four-race winner from nine career starts so far – his finest moment was a six-length romp in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last year. Although he is yet to achieve Group 1 glory, he’s performed with huge credit at that level on his last three outings, despite being the bridesmaid each time. At the time of writing he heads the betting in two of the UK’s most prestigious middle distance races, the Group 1 Coronation Cup over 1m 4f at Epsom and the Group 1 Coral Eclipse Stakes over 1m 2f at Sandown. His first win at the top level cannot be far away.
2. Desert Flower
Desert Flower , the unbeaten three-year-old filly and this year’s English 1,000 Guineas heroine. Yet to taste defeat in five career starts, Desert Flower is right at the top of the pecking order of this Classic generation. A two-time Group 1 winner over a mile, she secured the Fillies Mile at Newmarket on her last start as a two-year-old, followed by the Fillies Classic on her first start this season at the same venue. We’re yet to see her tackle a trip further than a mile; however, connections are confident that she will have the class to get the extra four furlongs of the Epsom Oaks trip.
She will also be aided by the fact that arguably her main competitor, Lake Victoria, is likely to skip the Oaks and head to the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Desert Flower may well line up in that contest, although it would come only two weeks after the Oaks. Alternatively, she may wait until Sandown for the Coral Eclipse on July 5th.
3. Asfoora
Sticking with the ladies, Asfoora is a sprinting machine trained in Australia who made the 40-hour journey to Royal Ascot last year and was an impressive winner of the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes on the opening day. Trainer Henry Dwyer is hoping she can regain her crown and hopes to add further accolades, with plans to run in the Qatar Stakes at Goodwood and the Nunthorpe in York.
She returned to action in Australia with a scintillating win in a Group 2 contest in Morphettville, followed by a seventh place finish in a Group 1 contest at the same track. Asfoora then posted an eye-catching ‘jump-out’ down the famous Flemington straight since that run and chased home another talented Australian sprinter, Winnasedge, in the process. Her flight left the land down under bound for the UK on May 29th, and that final piece of work should leave her spot-on for the 5f contest on day one of Royal Ascot.
4. Field Of Gold
Field Of Gold was the favorite for the first British Classic of the year – the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket – but was narrowly beaten by Ruling Court. Field of Gold’s sire, Kingman, suffered a similar fate when he was also narrowly beaten in the same contest 11 years prior. He went on to become a champion miler for his owners, Juddmonte Farms, who coincidentally also own Field of Gold.
Back in 2014, Kingman went from the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas to the Irish equivalent at the Curragh, where he won by five lengths to kick-start that incredible campaign, and his son, Field of Gold, is following the same path. He won the Irish 2,000 Guineas in supreme fashion to set him up for a rematch with Ruling Court in the St. James’s Palace Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot. Both the racing traders and punters believe that Field of Gold can reverse the Newmarket form as he’s currently favorite for that mouth-watering in mid-June.
5. Inisherin
Last year’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup winer at Royal Ascot, will bid for another success at the Royal meeting, but this time he looks set to tackle the £1 million Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. A four-time winner from only eight career starts, this three-year-old colt returned to action with a gutsy win in the Group 2 Duke of York Clipper Stakes and that should stand him in good stead ahead of his tilt to add another Group 1 to his résumé. The way in which the UK Flat racing calendar is set up usually allows the top sprinters to contest the Jubilee Stakes in late June and follow up with a run in the July Cup at Newmarket. That may just be the path that Inisherin follows.
6. Albert Einstein
It doesn’t take a genius to know that this lad is a proper horse (I know, I know…). Heading the market for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes over 6f at Royal Ascot, the two-year-old colt, trained by master trainer Aidan O’Brien, has impressed when winning both starts over the same trip. A speedy type who’s bred to be a champion, Albert Einstein has been a ‘talking horse’ since before he debuted and he’s maintained that reputation so far. His win in the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh last weekend was a real learning experience and his jockey Ryan Moore reported afterwards he could have won by 10 lengths! He could be the next superstar for Coolmore.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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