Royal Ascot horses to follow

A DAZZLING international challenge will light up five days of the best flat racing in the world at Royal Ascot this week. Equine machines from the USA, Japan and across Europe will mount one of the strongest cosmopolitan teams at the five-day thoroughbred festival. American mare Tepin is strongly fancied for today’s curtain raiser, the Queen Anne Stakes, while fellow US challenger Miss Temple City will take all the beating in tomorrow’s Duke of Cambridge Stakes.

Japanese superstar A Shin Hikari will contest a fascinating Prince Of Wales’s Stakes tomorrow. But the international contingent will have to cope with slow ground which has robbed the meeting of a few stars, notably Time Test.

Half a month’s rain fell at Ascot last Friday night and a severe storm saw 20mm of rain, prompting the going on the straight course to ease to good to soft, while it is good to soft, soft in places on the round course

Clerk of the course Chris Stickels believes conditions might improve slightly as the week goes on but horses who love fast summer ground may well be worth opposing this week.

Record prize money of £6.6million is on offer and none of the 30 races will be run for less than £80,000. Here are some horses to follow at the royal meeting.

Tuesday
MOKARRIS
(Coventry Stakes): Highly impressive on his debut and the dogs have been barking about his home work since. It was good to soft when he won at Haydock so hopefully the conditions will not prove an issue.

Wednesday
WESTERN HYMN
(each-way) (Prince of Wales’s Stakes): Is a value each-way alternative in the Royal Ascot betting at around 14-1 to A Shin Hikari and The Grey Gatsby as he will relish cut in the ground.

Thursday
GLOBAL APPLAUSE
(Norfolk Stakes): Two out of three and there were excuses for his Newbury defeat. Will be very hard to beat.

PALLASATOR (ew): Order of St George is most people’s banker of the meeting but the giant Pallasator is a sporting each-way alternative. If he stays he’ll be in the mix and he won’t mind cut in the ground.

Friday
QUIET REFLECTION
(Commonwealth Cup): Love this filly, the ground will not be an issue and she would be a popular winner for the north and Dougie Costello.

JET SETTING (Coronation Stakes): Irish 1,000 Guineas winner who will revel in the soft ground.

Saturday
GEORGE DRYDEN
(Wokingham): Very talented on his day and if everything drops right he could run into a place at double-digit odds. Would need the ground to dry out a little.

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