Roger Varian’s incredible Royal Ascot looks set to continue in Friday’s big race, the Commonwealth Cup, in which he fields Pierre Lapin (3.35). While he is the least experienced in the field after just two runs, he could also be called the most promising on the strength of his Mill Reef success at Newbury in the autumn.
Both starts have come on a sound surface but he is a half-brother to Harry Angel, who won a Haydock Sprint Cup on heavy ground and was also beaten less than a length in this race three years ago. Pierre Lapin looks the right favourite but Southern Hills could be a source of each-way value, having won the Windsor Castle here last year.
1.15 Tim Easterby has made a steady start to the season but one horse he had cherry ripe for resumption is Art Power, who built on last year’s promise with a five-length success at Newcastle on racing’s first day back. The grey looks leniently weighted.
1.50 Softish ground is a new challenge for most of these juvenile fillies but Mahale is one of those more likely to cope. She was an eye-catcher at the finish when fourth on her debut and is highly rated at the Mick Channon yard, where they know what a good two-year-old looks like.
2.25 Bred to roll through the mud, Imperial Force ran well on his debut, beaten only by a Coventry contender who had things his own way in front. He should know a lot more this time.
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3.00 He was a beaten favourite on his reappearance but Elarqam’s run looks a lot better now that the winner, Lord North, has followed up in the Prince of Wales. The way he rallied that day suggests he is ready for this extra quarter-mile and he had plenty of use made of him when beating Addeybb in the mud at York last summer.
Ascot 1.15 Art Power 1.50 Mahale 2.25 Imperial Force 3.00 Elarqam 3.35 Pierre Lapin 4.10 Berkshire Rocco (nap) 4.40 Good Birthday (nb)
Newmarket 12.20 Sidi Mansour 12.50 Rose Hip 1.25 Haqeeqy 2.00 Top Class Angel 2.35 Nehaall 3.10 Sarvan 3.45 Alvaro 4.20 Marbella
Lingfield 4.25 Just Glamorous 5.00 Saunton 5.35 Intrepid Italian 6.05 Anjaaletta 6.35 Winter Halo 7.05 Pioneering 7.35 Lismore 8.05 Lauberhorn Rocket
4.10 Another who was beaten by a major talent last time is Berkshire Rocco, who chased home English King in the Lingfield Derby Trial. Time will show that to have been a really tough task and they pulled seven lengths clear of the rest. The chestnut can give Andrew Balding a second consecutive Queen’s Vase.
4.40 Balding has another big chance in the Duke Of Edinburgh with Good Birthday, who ran on well to be third in Lord North’s Cambridgeshire last autumn. He did best of the hold-up horses when again third on his reappearance and can improve this year, having been gelded.