Royal Ascot Tips Day 4: Defoe to score in Hardwicke
I have picked out two bets for the fourth day of Royal Ascot 2020. Good luck if you decide to follow.
15:00 – 1m4f Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
The beautifully bred Elarqam finished a very close second behind Wednesday’s hugely impressive winner Lord North in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes last time out. The 2019 Group 2 York Stakes winner stayed on well that day to suggest that this step up in trip will suit.
Anthony Van Dyck, last season’s Derby winner, should also go well after his good second to Ghaiyaath in the Coronation Cup last time out. Also on the shortlist is Fanny Logan, a progressive filly representing the in form John Gosden / Frankie Dettori team.
However, preference is for last year’s winner of this race: DEFOE (1 point win bet at 7/1). Roger Varian’s stable star also landed the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in 2019 and was second in a Meydan Group 2 earlier this year. He was well beaten on his return to European action earlier this month but appeared to be in need of the run. Ground conditions at Ascot should be ideal and regular jockey Andrea Atzeni takes the ride.
Defoe
15:35 – 6f Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
A high-quality field is set to go to post for what looks like being one of the races of the week.
Wesley Ward has been very bullish about his exciting sprinter Kimari. She was beaten by just a head in last season’s Queen Mary Stakes and went on to finish fourth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Aidan O’Brien’s Lope Y Fernandez was third to Siskin in the Irish 2000 Guineas last time out, whilst Golden Horde brings solid Group 1 and Group 2 two-year-old form into the race. The unbeaten Pierre Lapin has obvious claims as he won the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on just his second career start.
My selection is MILLISLE (NAP – 1 point win bet at 10/1), who was always going to have questions marks over her ability to handle the step up to a mile in the 1000 Guineas. Her five runs as a juvenile were all over 5-6 furlongs and produced three wins and two seconds. Having won a Listed race at the Curragh, she ended the season by landing the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. She finished that race in eye-catching style and beat the Queen Mary winner, Raffle Prize, comfortably. Jessica Harrington’s speedy filly is well in at the weights and has rising star Tom Marquand on board for the first time.
