Is this Royal Ascot or Cheltenham? It's Mullins v Elliott again in Ascot Stakes

Tuesday: 5.00 Royal Ascot
Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap) | 2m4f | 4yo+ | ITV/Sky

One way Royal Ascot differs from jump racing's flagship festival at Cheltenham in March is the dominance of trainers primarily from the other code in two races.

The Ascot Stakes is the first of those this week and Willie Mullins has saddled four winners and two seconds in the last decade. Bring On The Night is the chosen one from Closutton this season and the Supreme Novices' Hurdle fourth is favourite under Ryan Moore, who has ridden three of Mullins' four recent successes.

Bring On The Night is by top-class miler Gleneagles and out of a 1m4f winner. On pedigree he should be unsuited by this 2m4f trip, but the same was true of Mullins’ previous winners.

Lagostovegas's breeding suggested a mile at best, Thomas Hobson ten furlongs, Clondaw Warrior 12 furlongs and the same for Simenon. This is Bring On The Night’s first attempt at further than 1m4½f on the Flat and he could be thrown-in off a mark of 93 after three runs in this sphere. However, we have little means of knowing until seeing it.

The other top Irish jumps trainer with Ascot Stakes representation is Gordon Elliott, who saddles second favourite Pied Piper. He will doubtless have his admirers as a top-class juvenile hurdler switching codes, but the weight-for-age scale for four-year-olds facing their elders on the Flat is less beneficial than in jumps races. He receives only 1lb in weight for age rather than 5lb.

The feeling is this speedy type may have been better suited to the later Copper Horse Handicap over 1m6f as his best Flat form is over 1m2f.

On the evidence we have, Arcadian Sunrise must be the each-way bet. This low-mileage eight-year-old has bags of stamina and should step forward from his staying-on fourth in the Chester Cup last time off the same mark.

The final piece of the puzzle is Harry Davies's 5lb claim, a weapon any trainer would relish in their arsenal.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

Arcadian Sunrise 'has his chance'

It has been 12 years since John Queally last had a runner in the Ascot Stakes, but he has a lively player this time around in the ultra-consistent Arcadian Sunrise.

The son of Arcadio arrives here after a cracking Chester Cup run, and his trainer believes the step up to 2m4f will pose no problems.

Queally said: "He has his chance and I suppose that's all you can say. He's in good form and I was pleased with him at Chester. He ran a bit fresh, maybe as it was his first run of the season, but I was happy with him. I don't think the extra distance will pose any problems."

Elliott looking forward to Piper

Pied Piper's connections will be hoping the gelding can make amends on his first run in the UK since his dramatic dead-heat Grade 1 juvenile success at Aintree was overturned in the stewards' room.

The four-year-old can race off a mark of 96 after winning twice from 11 starts on the Flat when trained by John and Thady Gosden, and bids to give Gordon Elliott a third Royal Ascot success.

Pied Piper: top-class hurdler returns to the FlatCredit: Edward Whitaker

Elliott said: "He didn't do much wrong over hurdles last season and this will be his first run on the Flat since joining us. He seems in good form."

Mullins eyes fabulous five

Willie Mullins and Ryan Moore have been a formidable team in this race, winning it three times, and will attempt to make it number four with Bring On The Night.

The son of Gleneagles looked set for a promising hurdling campaign after making a telling impression on debut, but returns to the Flat for the first time since his days in France as his trainer attempts to win the race for a fifth time.

Mullins said: "I think he's in good form and I'm very happy with him. He'll handle the ground and I do think he'll get the trip as well, so I'd be hopeful of a very good run from him."

What they say

Hughie Morrison, trainer of Surrey Gold
It was a good start back this season and if he'd gone up the inside he might have won. He's progressed since then and stays well. Ideally, he'd want good to soft ground but on balance we feel we should take our chance. He's a four-year-old and it's a tough race, often won by older, hardened horses, but you only find out if they stay when you run, so we'll discover if he can handle the trip.

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Marshall Plan
He ran a huge race at Newcastle and was staying on well at the line that day. He's been performing well and is a straightforward horse. The distance is always a bit of a worry, but he's in good shape.
Reporting by Brian Dowling

Tuesday at Royal Ascot:

2.30 Ascot: 'He's improving all the time' - find out who reckons they can beat Baaeed

3.05 Ascot: 'I really do believe he's the real deal' - Hannon excited about Coventry chance

3.40 Ascot: Golden Pal v Nature Strip: Wesley Ward and Chris Waller on their sprint stars

4.20 Ascot: Charlie Appleby bullish over 2,000 Guineas hero Coroebus in St James's Palace

5.35 Ascot: 'Hopefully he has a big chance' - Juan Elcano bids for a second Wolferton win

6.10 Ascot: is Aidan O'Brien's runner a handicap blot in the Copper Horse?

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