Royal Ascot tips

From Royal runners, to formidable teams and top-notch stallions bidding to break their Royal Ascot hoodoo, here are five things to watch out for on the opening day of the eagerly-anticipated meeting. It promises to be a week to savour.  Things Are Looking Rosy For Shapoor Mistry Bidding to continue a glorious summer for Oaks-winning owner-breeder Shapoor Mistry is Rosy Affair (Havana Grey), who lines up for the G1 King Charles III Stakes. The five-year-old mare, who won the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes over six furlongs at Haydock on her...

Staton Flurry has not let a disastrous first foray into purchasing a Royal Ascot runner stand in his way of ticking off what he describes as 'a bucket list experience' with the leading American-based owner having worked out a deal for Albany Stakes contender Oh Cecelia (Starspangledbanner) on the eve of the meeting.  Flurry may have left it late to guarantee his participation as an owner at this year's meeting but it's nothing compared to last year. After securing the Jack Davison-trained Take Me To Church at the Goffs London...

Star Bloodstock, the consignment that unearthed talents like Malavath (Ire), A'Ali (Ire) and more, is set to wind down its breeze-up operation and concentrate entirely on producing future top-notchers on the racetrack instead.  The shift in focus has reaped immediate rewards with the aptly-named Make Haste (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), a leading Royal Ascot contender after posting a stunning debut success at Naas for trainer and breeze-up consignor Diego Dias, being snapped up by Gainesway and LNJ Foxwoods.  Bought by Byron Rogers, Star Bloodstock and Dias at the Tattersalls Book...

Danny O'Donovan described first-season sire King Of Change as his 'hero of the year' after the young consignor topped the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale at 180,000gns with a filly by the Starfield Stud-based stallion.  King Of Change may have emerged as something of the surprise package from the breeze-up circuit so far but O'Donovan has never been afraid to push his chest out when it comes to the capabilities of the Group 1-winning miler and was duly rewarded when Oliver St Lawrence signed for the filly who posted one of...

It never ceases to amaze how much debate the two-year-old races at Royal Ascot generate each year. A quick scan on racing Twitter over the past few days confirmed as much.  For all the fascinating puzzles that the royal meeting will serve up this week, including whether Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) can cope with Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the St James's Palace, what will reign supreme in the Prince Of Wales's or if any of the Australian sprinters can land a blow in the King's Stand S., it's the...

He didn't crack the code to the Irish Lottery, have his colours carried by the record-breaking Grabel (GB) (Bold Owl {GB}), invest eye-watering sums in the stock market and battle with the bookmakers on an almost daily basis by being short of an opinion or two.  Now, Paddy Kehoe is preparing to back his latest theory that his pride and joy Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) can land the G1 Ascot Gold Cup on Thursday and, if correct, the 75-year-old businessman and renowned racehorse owner will net himself a...