Ascot: The First Two Days

There haven't been too many shock results the first two days at Royal Ascot; in fact, the favorites have won three of the four Group 1 races run thus far. The meet opened on Tuesday with the G1 Queen Anne S., for 4-year-olds and up on the straight mile. It was a one-two for France as the Wertheimers' Solow, a 5-year-old gelding by Singspiel who came into the race off wins in the G1 Dubai Turf (formerly Duty Free) and G1 Prix d'Ispahan–at nine and 9 1/4 furlongs, respectively–pretty much always looked the winner. Longshot Esoterique (Danehill Dancer), who had won last year's G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville, ran on well for second, and another longshot, Cougar Mountain (Fastnet Rock), running probably his best race ever, claimed third. Hong Kong ace Able Friend (Shamardal) was never at the races and trailed in sixth. This has been a pretty good last few weeks for Fastnet Rock's Northern crops: he's also had G1 Epsom Oaks Classic winner Qualify and G1 Tattersalls' Gold Cup second Fascinating Rock recently, and he has two runners with live chances in today's G3 Tercentenary S. for 3-year-olds at 10 furlongs, Cape Clear Island and Disegno.

Only four ended up challenging G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles, by Galileo out of a full-sister to Giant's Causeway–and therefore about the best-bred stallion prospect of 2016–in the G1 St. James's Palace S. He went off at roughly 1-2 and won comfortably, with longshot Latharnach (Iffraaj) second and the Lope de Vega colt Consort a good third in his first big test. Long-range there is a possibility Solow and Gleneagles could meet in the G1 Sussex S. at the end of July, though at some point Aidan O'Brien and 'the Lads' will likely step him up to 10 furlongs. If they do, they might encounter Wednesday's Group 1 winner, Free Eagle (High Chapparal), who won a super-competitive edition of the G1 Prince of Wales's S. Making only his fifth lifetime start and given a peach of a ride by Ireland's reigning champion jockey, Pat Smullen, Free Eagle prevailed over dual 2014 Group 1 winner The Grey Gatsby (Mastercraftsman), running his best race of the year so far, with the improving Western Hymn (High Chaparral) third. Already booked for a berth at the Irish National Stud and now a Group 1 winner, Free Eagle's value skyrocketed yesterday. It was a good day for Coolmore's third-crop sire, Mastercraftsman, who not only had the Prince of Wales's second, but also the 25-1 winner of the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. (formerly the Windsor Forest), Amazing Maria.

Who has not fared so well so far are the shippers from the East: besides Able Friend, Australian sprint mare Shamal Wind (Dubawi) was down the field in Tuesday's G1 King's Stand S., and Australian Group 1 winner Criterion (Sebring) and Japanese Group 1 winner Spielberg (Deep Impact) only fifth and sixth, respectively, in Wednesday's Prince of Wales's S. Most unfortunate that last year's U.S. Horse Of The Year, California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), had to miss the race but maybe there is a possibility he could still run in Britain before shipping home.

Shippers from the West, on the other hand, have hit the scoreboard, as the Coolmore-owned $750,000 OBS March 2-year-old Acapulco became Scat Daddy's second 2-year-old Royal Ascot winner (No Nay Never, 2013 G2 Norfolk S.) for U.S. trainer Wesley Ward with a dominating performance in yesterday's G2 Queen Mary S., for 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs, with English-trained Easton Angel (Dark Angel) and Besharah (Kodiac) filling the places. This continued a couple of themes in the three 2-year-old races so far. On Tuesday the six-furlong G2 Coventry S., the top 2-year-old race of the year so far, was won by Godolphin's Buratino (Exceed And Excel), with Coolmore's Air Force Blue (War Front) second, and Al Shaqab's Eltezam (Kodiac) third; first three all Danzig-line sires. Coolmore won the five-furlong Listed Windsor Castle S., also on Tuesday, with the Aidan O'Brien-trained Washington DC, the second black-type winner by current leading European freshman sire Zoffany, with Areen (Kodiac) second and Steady Pace (Dark Angel) third. So Coolmore has two wins and a second from the three 2-year-old races thus far.

Tally-Ho Stud's Kodiac, who through yesterday had 13 winners from an incredible 62 2-year-old starters already this year, had placegetters in all three 2-year-old races; and leading 2015 2-year-old sire on progeny earnings, Morristown Lattin Stud's Dark Angel, had placegetters in two of the races. From nine horses to fill the first three places in the three 2-year-old races so far, six are by Danzig-line sires, one is by Scat Daddy (Storm Cat line), and two are by Acclamation's son Dark Angel.

Acclamation himself is the sire of the hot favorite for today's opening race, the G2 Norfolk S. at five furlongs, King of Rooks, while the second favorite is Log Out Island, by Dark Angel. Both were bought as yearlings by the father-son team of Peter and Ross Doyle, both are trained by Richard Hannon, and both were sold after impressive early-season form, King of Rooks to Al Shaqab and Log Out Island to Godolphin. Both have been ridden by Hannon stable jockey Richard Hughes so far, but he has no ride in the race now as Frankie Dettori (who notched up his 50th Royal Ascot winner in yesterday's last race) is the retained jockey for Al Shaqab, while William Buick rides Log Out Island for Godolphin. No wonder Richard Hughes is going to start training next year; it's great for the Hannon stable to have those horses remain in the yard, but it's bad luck for a guy who's been Britain's champion jockey for the last three years.