'He goes there with a cracking chance' - trainer quotes and analysis for a competitive 30-runner handicap

The competitive nature of Royal Ascot handicaps means there is often a Group horse or two lurking among the field, and two of the past three Buckingham Palaces have been won by Tuesday's Queen Anne fourth Witch Hunter and future champion sprinter Highfield Princess.

Crucially those unexposed winners were four-year-olds and many of those rated in the 100s this season are older than that. We have a better gauge as to where we stand with Awaal (aged five), Baradar, Northern Express, Rhoscolyn (six), Carrytheone and Ropey Guest (seven) than four-year-olds Make Me King and Mostabshir.

Make Me King is owned by Wathnan, and Tuesday’s Coventry Stakes demonstrated the perils of underestimating this emerging superpower’s second and third strings. However, there is little doubt English Oak, who is on the cusp of a three-figure BHA rating, arrives with stronger claims for the Emir of Qatar's operation.

Ed Walker has English Oak entered in the Group 1 July Cup. He has raced in only four handicaps and looked a potential star at Haydock last time, while Ascot holds no fears as he came close to beating the chucked-in Rohaan here in October.

Ascot's big-field, straight-track handicaps often feature a host of past attendees, so it was surprising to see just three course winners declared.

Sterling Knight bagged a 6f handicap here in May 2022, but has more on his plate off 9lb higher in this deeper contest.

Track-and-trip scorers Fresh and Baradar are the others, although the latter is renowned for appreciating ease underfoot. Three-time Ascot winner Fresh is more ground-versatile and deserves to be popular from the widest stands' side draw under Hayley Turner, who rides the straight course excellently.

Fresh produced his best performance since last August when a staying-on sixth at Haydock this month and appears to be coming to the boil. From a handicapping perspective, he is difficult to criticise off 92.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

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What they say

Richard Brown, racing manager to Wathnan Racing, owners of Make Me King
He's a long-striding horse who is trained by Hamad Al Jehani, who's team have run well this week. He has a live chance.

Michael Dods, trainer of Northern Express
He's in good form and was third in this last year, but he went up another 3lb for finishing second at York last month.

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Mostabshir
He's run some good races in defeat this year and should enjoy the quick ground.

George Boughey, trainer of Baradar and Koy Koy
Baradar really went through the grades last year but is now quite highly rated. At some point he's going to come back to a mark he's going to win a big handicap off. I'm sure he'll give a good account of himself. Koy Koy wears a tongue-tie for the first time and is one of my favourites in the yard. He's one of those top-end handicappers who's going to hit the mark at some point, but he needs everything to fall his way.

David O'Meara, trainer of Rhoscolyn, Alzahir, Bopedro and Summerghand
Summerghand ran well over seven furlongs at Newmarket. He's in good form and will like the drying ground. The ground and the stiff seven should suit Alzahir. It was a toss-up between seven and a mile for Bopedro. He got blocked a couple of times at Epsom and runs well at Ascot. Rhoscolyn would ideally like a drop of rain, but he's in very good form.

Daniel Kubler, joint-trainer of Percy's Lad
He ran really well in this last year and won well last time. We're happy with him, but there are 30 runners so he needs luck.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Dark Thirty and Tacarib Bay
Nothing went right for Dark Thirty at Epsom last time and I’m not convinced he really handled the track. A fast-run seven furlongs is right up his street and he represents solid each-way value. We thought Tacarib Bay was our Guineas horse a couple of years ago and, while that didn’t work out, he has always shown plenty of ability. He’s come down to quite an attractive handicap mark and I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts up a decent show.

Ed Walker, trainer of English Oak
He's a progressive four-year-old who was a really impressive winner at Haydock. He showed he can cope with a cavalry charge up the straight course when beaten narrowly into second over six furlongs at Ascot last autumn, and he's at least as good at seven furlongs. He's improved again this season and goes there with a cracking chance.

James Fanshawe, trainer of Fresh
He ran really well at Haydock after a spell off, and two of his three wins at Ascot have been over seven furlongs. He likes it here and we just hope he's drawn on the right side.

William Muir, joint-trainer of Mustajaab
He was staying on well after being outpaced early over six furlongs last time and we're going to try to ride him with a bit of constraint to get the seven. We'll take our time and try to land on the leaders late on.
Reporting by David Carr

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