Eyecatching O'Brien handicappers and the juvenile race of the week - Royal Ascot day three talking points

Confirmations and entries were made on Friday for the seven races on day three of Royal Ascot next Thursday. Here are three talking points to arise from those . . .

Three O'Brien handicappers to note

Aidan O'Brien doesn't usually bother with the handicaps at Royal Ascot as most of his work is done in the Group races, but he has a few eyecatching entries on the supporting card and three, in particular, catch the eye.

The most interesting of those is undoubtedly Canute, who won a 1m2f premier handicap at Navan last Sunday, and the way he travelled through that event suggests the return to a mile will be fine. He has been given a Britannia entry and looks sure to get in now his Irish mark has soared from 82 to 93.

While only winning off 82 on Sunday, he was given an RPR of 100 for the performance, which means there might still be some juice in his revised mark.

London Gold Cup winner Bertinelli steps up in trip for the King George V Stakes and the presence of Age Of Kings, sent off 3-1 for last year's Coventry, in the Buckingham Palace Stakes is worth a mention too.

It goes without saying he has not lived up to early expectations and he beat only one home in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, but he was beaten less than eight lengths and will be paddling in the shallower waters of a handicap for the first time off a mark of 99. He is Interesting.
David Jennings, Irish deputy editor

Rare double bid by Accidental Agent

It would be like Pimm's being poured back into the jug, the communal singing taking place before racing or the royal procession heading away from the grandstand to the Hunt Cup start.

Success for Accidental Agent would go against the natural order of things at Royal Ascot.

Time and again, a horse has gone on from success in a hugely competitive handicap at the meeting and proved themselves top class by scoring at the highest level.

Coltrane, Highfield Princess and Hukum have each landed handicaps here and return with Group races in their sights next week.

But Accidental Agent could complete that rare double the wrong way round.

Accidental Agent won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2018Credit: Mark Cranham

He was a gutsy winner of the Queen Anne Stakes in 2018 – so long ago that ninth-placed Rhododendron has had time to deliver this year's Derby winner Auguste Rodin.

Breeding was never an option for him as he was already a gelding and he has had three dozen races since, his longevity reflecting great credit on trainer Eve Johnson Houghton.  

Although not as good as he was, he has won a handicap in each of the last two seasons and another success in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, racing off his lowest mark since 2017, is not out of the question.
David Carr, reporter

Norfolk looks set to be a cracker 

The Norfolk Stakes was steeped in controversy last year as shock 50-1 winner The Ridler kept the race despite causing interference to the placed horses, but this year's running promises to make the headlines for a very different reason.

A mixture of exciting British, Irish and international challengers were among the entries, most notably ante-post favourite Elite Status, who rocketed to the head of the market after maintaining his unbeaten record with a stunning five-length success in the National Stakes last month.

He is one of the many talented juveniles heading to Royal Ascot from the Karl Burke stable, but he could face a pair of American speedsters trained by Wesley Ward, who has landed this contest with No Nay Never (2013) and Shang Shang Shang (2018).

Eyes will be drawn to the impressive American Rascal, the first progeny of Queen Mary and King's Stand winner Lady Aurelia, who won his debut by ten and a half lengths and is one Ward believes stacks right up there with his 2013 Norfolk winner, while stablemate Fandom and the George Weaver-trained debut winner No Nay Mets complete the US challenge.

Add to the mix Marble Hill second and third, Noche Magica and His Majesty, debut scorer Devious, the Francis Graffard-trained The Fixer and a host of Amo Racing-owned colts, and this could be a race that serves up many more winners during the year.
Harry Wilson, reporter

Read more:

'Let's roll the dice' - supplemented Al Asifah odds-on for Ribblesdale Stakes 

'She can gatecrash the party and 25-1 looks too big' - our experts provide their best bets for Royal Ascot 

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