Looking Forward: Graham Cunningham Anticipates the Big Meeting”

Graham Cunningham is eagerly anticipating the upcoming important meeting

Graham Cunningham is back to tackle the pressing questions ahead of the highly anticipated Royal Ascot. The slogan that captured the attention of the public last year has been reused, encouraging racegoers to embrace their inner elegance via posters showcasing characters dressed to impress in various settings, such as a launderette or allotment. According to Steve Howell, the executive creative director behind the campaign, “We all have a side of us that wants to go full-on glitz and glam.”However, for those who don’t differ much from their Ascot persona, the focus might shift from elegance to the betting ring. To help offset the expenses of a silk topper, solving the following riddles might be a good starting point.

The Queen Anne Conundrum

The first riddle revolves around the complex Queen Anne. John Gosden’s preview audience was captivated by his banter on Nick Luck Daily, where he revealed that he is “leaning towards the Prince of Wales’s” for last year’s Queen Anne runner-up, Inspiral. This information significantly boosts the chances of Big Rock, the world’s highest rated turf miler. Despite being backed at 11/2 to open the show with a bang, there are reasons to be cautious.

The Case Against Big Rock

Moving Big Rock from Christopher Head to Maurizio Guarnieri over the winter seemed like an unusual decision, and the Italian handler hasn’t been performing exceptionally well in France lately. Furthermore, Big Rock won’t have the deep ground he relishes on Tuesday and his tame reappearance in the Lockinge was not the launchpad his supporters were hoping for.

Graham Cunningham’s Recommendations

In essence, backing horses to bounce back at G1 level when they’ve been beaten by double digits in their prep race isn’t a strategy that Graham Cunningham endorses. Instead, he recommends backing FACTEUR CHEVAL and CHARYN, in that order.

French Postie Poised to Deliver

The French postie poised to deliver at Royal Ascot is Facteur Cheval, a gelding named after Ferdinand Cheval, a renowned rural mailman who spent 33 years collecting stones to build a mini palace in his vegetable garden. Facteur Cheval is trained by Jerome Reynier and has been performing exceptionally well, particularly in the Dubai Turf at Meydan, where he beat a stellar field including subsequent G1 winners Measured Time and Luxembourg.

Charyn’s Potential

Charyn, another contender in the Queen Anne Stakes, has also shown significant improvement. His wins at Donny and Sandown hinted at his new level of performance, and his second-place finish in the Lockinge suggests that he can handle the stiff straight mile at Ascot. Charyn’s surge from the pack to come clear of the rest in the Lockinge indicates that he has the potential to excel in the Queen Anne.

Jerome Reynier’s Confidence

Jerome Reynier, Facteur Cheval’s trainer, is confident in his gelding’s abilities, stating that there is no doubt about Facteur Cheval giving his best when racing. This confidence is well-founded, given Facteur Cheval’s consistent performances and ability to handle various conditions.

Royal Ascot Potential

Facteur Cheval is poised to deliver a first-class performance at Royal Ascot, aiming to emulate his sire Ribchester in the Queen Anne Stakes. With his impressive record and ability to handle challenging conditions, Facteur Cheval is a strong contender for the race.

Region’s Sprinting Potential

Region, another contender in the St James’s Palace Stakes, heads south with a Time form rating of 120 and a record of striking progress over the last year. Ed Bethell’s gelding broke through on only his second attempt at G1 level in the Haydock Sprint Cup last September and looked as good as ever on his return under a penalty in the G2 Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh, tanking along on the pace in a fast-run race and only giving best to a Spencer swoop on Mitbaahy close home. Bethell has been scanning weather charts hoping the ground comes up good or faster. The omens look encouraging and, in a race that is light on genuine G1 sprinters, Regional might make his 3,500gns purchase price look one of the bargains of the decade.

The SJP Rematches

There’s only one thing better than having the Guineas winner in the St James’s Palace Stakes – and that’s having key New market foes on deck, too. And so here, in order of wholly unscientific personal preference, are the Top 5 SJP rematches since 2000:

1. Night Of Thunder and Kingman in 2014: Night of Thunder floored the rusty Gosden colt at 40-1 under an inspired Kieren Fallon at HQ but, having bolted up in the Irish Guineas, Kingman took his revenge in devastating style at Ascot with that man Doyle delivering a salty ‘shush’ signal to the crowd as the brilliant Gosden colt swept clear.
2. Henrythenavigator and Raven’s Pass in 2008: Raven’s Pass snagged the last legs of a compelling pentalogy in the QEII and BC Classic but Henry and Johnny (Murtagh) ruled the other three. The margin was clear as the pair finished first and fourth at HQ and narrow in the Sussex. There wasn’t much in it at Ascot either – three parts of a length – but Guineas form held up as Murtagh timed things perfectly.
3. Churchill and Barney Roy in 2017: Maybe beating Thunder Snow and Lancaster Bomber on yielding ground in the Irish Guineas had taken the edge off Churchill. Or maybe Barney Roy had benefitted from a break since stumbling as Churchill asserted at HQ. Either way, Lancaster Bomber and Thunder Snow reversed Curragh form with Churchill. And Barney proved too good for all three under a dynamic James Doyle.
4. Dawn Approach and Toronado in 2013: A comeback to make even City Of Troy’s revival pale. A champion two-year-old under Bolger tutelage, Dawn Approach bolted up in the Guineas (with Toronado fading into fourth) only to fold tamely after pulling like a mustang in Ruler of The World’s Derby. It was a much sharper Toronado at Royal Ascot but Dawn Approach beat him again in a thriller before repeating the dose at Goodwood.
5. Poetic Flare and Lucky Vega in 2021: Jim Bolger’s rugged colt got the best of a three-way go with Master of The Seas and Lucky Vega at HQ then left the latter trailing (after finishing sixth and second in the French and Irish Guineas in between) at Ascot. A tough hombre, even by Jolly Jim standards.

The Norfolk Stakes

Whistle jacket, named after the Stubbs painting once described in The Independent as “a paradigm of the flawless beauty of the Arabian thoroughbred,” doesn’t have the same flaxen mane and tail of his fiery 18th century namesake but his powerful chestnut frame is similar and he’s looked good on both starts, failing to get home behind Coward of the county on deep ground over six on his debut then bounding clear of subsequent G3 scorer Arizona Blaze in a Listed race back over five at the Curragh in early May. And, given that he’s by 2013 Norfolk winner No Nay Never out of the dam who produced 2022 Windsor Castle winner Little Big Bear, you could say Ascot is in the blood with this one.

The Commonwealth Cup

The great Frank Doberman – Google him, kids – would have one short sentence for cold hearted number crunchers on the European Pattern Committee who have warned that the CC needs a good year to avoid the risk of losing its G1 status. And that sentence would be: “Oi, EPC. NO!” True, the day four dash designed to cater for top three-year-olds who don’t stay the Guineas trip hasn’t always had elite depth in recent years but there are several reasons to think this year’s renewal will right the ship. Vandeek’s Prix Morny and Middle Park wins made him the best British juvenile of 2023 with a rating of 119, while Bucanero Fuerte’s runaway Phoenix Stakes success earned him a 120, second only to City Of Troy in the European Classification. Inisherin, Elite Status, and Jasour are on 113, 111, and 110 after dynamic spring victories, while the seemingly exposed Starlust (now 114) dropped a broad hint that this year’s three-year-old sprint crop could be special by giving grizzled older handicappers lumps of weight and a good hiding at York last month.

The QEII Jubilee

Kinross is near the top of the market despite failing to make the frame in the last two renewals while his old rival Art Power is another bidding to make it third time lucky in the Saturday showpiece. Mill Stream and Shouldvebeenaring meet again after being separated by a flared nostril in the Duke of York but the door is open for a new shooter here and SHARTASH fits the bill. This four-year-old ended his time with Johnny Murtagh on a low note but Archie Watson feels he has made huge progress since being gelded and two wins this spring lend weight to that view. True, those wins were in minor company at Thirsk and Haydock but a Time form mark of 118 puts Shartash close behind the best of these. Add in the prospect of further progress – and Watson’s impressive record in big sprints at the royal meeting – and it makes for a persuasive profile in a tough punting puzzle.

The Coronation Stakes

Fallen Angel’s absence has reduced the number of G1 winners on show here to four but, with unlucky New market Guineas third Ramatuelle and unbeaten Devoted Queen also on show, this still looks a belter. The market reflects that there isn’t much to choose between four or five fillies but Elmalka was seen to maximum advantage (aka flattered) when coming from well back in a fast-run race at HQ and if she wins again then I’ll lose. Opera Singer flashed genuine star quality when running clean away from her Boussac rivals at Longchamp last autumn and Aidan feels she can come on a bundle for her belated reappearance third in the Irish 1,000. But 6/4 looks very skinny for a filly who was beaten almost five lengths behind Fallen Angel at the Curragh and RAMATUELLE can give the jolly plenty to think about if ridden differently to last time.

Continuous Thrills

Finally, a few random shots before I start packing the car with a penguin suit and the rest of the week’s kit and caboodle. First, what’s happened to Ascot two-year-old races in recent years? History shows there will be a raft of smart youngsters on show but sorting the hawks from the pigeons is the devil’s own job when so many line up nowadays with just one run behind them. Second, I’m really looking forward to seeing CONTINUOUS reappear in Saturday’s Hardwicke Stakes as last year’s Leger winner (Time form rating of 125 with potential to progress again) could be the ace among Ballydoyle’s older horses this year. And thirdly, it wouldn’t be Ascot if we didn’t have a few boil-overs. Bookies were carrying it home in wheelbarrows last year with a third of the 35 winners sent off at 16/1 or bigger – including skinners like Valiant Force at 150/1 and Khaadem and Witch Hunter at 80s and 50s – and the nature of those big field races on the straight course can make winner finding very tricky. But Royal Ascot remains the jewel in British racing’s summer crown. It’s weird and wonderful – and if you’ve got this far then I hope the Ascot You (and the You You) enjoy a mighty week both on and off the track.