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Our ambassador shares insights about her trio of rides during the Royal Ascot Trials Day Presented by Eventmasters, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing.
Highly Anticipated Debut for ‘Straightforward’ Tadej
The Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Trial EBF Conditions Stakes (1.10) on Wednesday promises to be exceptionally competitive, featuring 14 talented two-year-olds. This year’s field is packed with enthusiasm and potential, including my ride, Tadej, a promising son of Ardad, who previously won the Windsor Castle and Flying Childers.
Tadej, acquired by Archie Watson and Blandford Bloodstock for £65,000 at the Goffs Premier yearling sales, is a substantial horse still maturing. His journey thus far has been uncomplicated, and regardless of the outcome, this experience will benefit him immensely.
Challenging him will be outstanding debut winners such as Dickensian (trained by Kevin Ryan), Inca Heights (Clive Cox), and Super Soldier (Karl Burke), all representing major yards renowned for their prowess in two-year-old events at the Royal Meeting.
This trial runs over a demanding five furlongs, offering trainers valuable insights into how their youngsters may perform if they advance to the major races in June. Here’s hoping Tadej emerges as one of them.
Chinkara Aiming for Improvement After Strong Debut
My boss Imad Alsagar’s delightful filly, Chinkara, is poised to shine in her first appearance of the year in the Darley British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (3.55) at Ascot. Her prior outing occurred during the winter at Kempton Park, where Kieran Shoemark rode her. Though she didn’t quite live up to expectations that day, she showed promise.
This upcoming race will be a robust test, but John and Thady Gosden are confident in her progress, and facing two prior winners—William Haggas’s Purple Rainbow and Victory Queen from Godolphin and Charlie Appleby—will provide a solid benchmark.
Stiff Five Furlongs Favor Zoulu
I am optimistic about a better performance from Heather Main’s Zoulu Chief in the 5f eventmasters.co.uk 40th Anniversary Handicap (3.23) at Ascot. He is a large horse who made his seasonal debut over six furlongs at Newbury, where he appeared to require the run both physically and mentally.
Now returning to a shorter distance on this challenging trip, I believe that with that initial run behind him, he will demonstrate more of his quality. Additionally, having gained a few pounds back from the handicapper may aid him in recapturing his impressive two-year-old form.
Electrolyte Prepares for Commonwealth Challenge
Electrolyte was an outstanding performer for Archie Watson and Wathnan Racing last season, and I hope he can set a strong precedent for Royal Ascot in the eventmasters.co.uk Commonwealth Cup Trial (2.50). I narrowly missed victory on him in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes before he concluded the season with a Group 3 victory in France. After a productive winter, expectations are high at Saxon Gate Stables in Lambourn for his performance this season. With a rating of 112 and Ryan Moore aboard, he clearly poses a significant challenge for his rivals.
Encouraging Performance from Elixir in Germany
Archie Watson’s Eternal Elixir certainly put forth a valiant effort in Germany on Sunday, aiming to replicate the stable’s past success in the Group 3 Grosser Preis der Wohnstatte at Krefeld. While Brave Emperor took glory last year, this three-year-old fell just short, finishing an admirable second to the German-trained Namaron.
Having already secured a listed placing last year, this performance marked a promising return for the son of Shaman, who will likely excel both domestically and internationally as the season unfolds.
Hollie Doyle shared her insights with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.
Catch all the action live from Royal Ascot Trials Day Presented by Eventmasters on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Wednesday, April 30.
Source
www.skysports.com