There was a surreal atmosphere when the 2020 Royal Ascot race meeting got under way on Tuesday without any spectators due to the raging pandemic. Rather like food without salt, it felt as if something essential was lacking. Even so, the standard of the sport continued to be world class. A great deal of the fun of horse racing is shouting your choice home and obviously that aspect was missing. Such are the times we live in.

Thursday, June 18th, would traditionally have been Ladies Day, an afternoon when the masterpiece creations of fashion designers are normally given a public airing, accompanied by an endless array of hats and fascinators. As the only ladies permitted to be on site are trainers, jockeys, grooms and the press, they will be accoutered in their work outfits and the glamour portion of Royal Ascot will have to wait at least another year.

Glamour amongst racehorses is normally found in Group 1 company, and Thursday’s top event is the fulcrum around which the meeting revolves, namely the Gr.1 Ascot Gold Cup (2-1/2 miles), worth £250,000. A compact field of eight four-year-olds and up will stand abreast at 3:35 p.m. local (8:05 p.m. IST), waiting for the starter to drop his flag. Now a six-year-old, Stradivarius (by Sea The Stars) is the most accomplished stayer for many a year and has won the last two runnings of this race. He aims for the hat trick with Frankie Dettori up. Trainer John Gosden opted to give him a lung opener in the 1-1/2 miles Coronation Cup just a couple of weeks ago, and the powerful chestnut ran well in third, despite the trip being too sharp.

While most feel the run will have brought him on, Gosden has gone on record to state that he is slightly concerned about the possibility of the dreaded “bounce”, meaning a regression in form due to lack of time required to recover fully from previous exertions. The public does not seem to have any concerns and have piled on to him at 7 to 4 on. Certainly he is at least 4 points clear of his rivals on merit. Godolphin’s Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (by Teofilo), with James Doyle up, is the next best fancied at 9 to 2 even though he has yet to prove the equal of Stradivarius. There is quiet support at 11 to 2 for the improving Technician (by Mastercraftsman), who gets 2 miles but the stamina required for the additional half mile will have to be taken on trust. The leading American racing outfit, Team Valor, is increasingly focusing on European racing and champion rider Oisin Murphy will sport their silks on Technician, an inmate of Martyn Meade’s yard. 

Exactly 24 hours later, 17 runners of a completely different aptitude will contest the Gr.1 Commonwealth Cup (6 fur.), restricted to three-year-olds. The mix of runners not seen since last autumn and others reappearing in double quick time makes for an intriguing contest. Nominal favourite is Roger Varian’s Pierre Lapin (by Cappella Sansevero), a half-brother to Harry Angel (by Dark Angel), who ran second in this race to Caravaggio in 2017. The unbeaten (2-from-2) bay, last seen out in September 2019, is quoted around 4 to 1. 

Placed in the Irish 2000 Guineas last week, Coolmore’s Lope Y Fernandez (by Lope De Vega) makes a rapid return, while QIPCO 1000 Guineas flop, Millisle (by Starspangledbanner) resumes after 12 days. The last-named is clearly missing her regular pilot, Shane Foley, stuck in Ireland. Adding a dash of spice is the American raider, Kimari (by Munnings), one of a bunch of challengers sent across the Atlantic by Wesley Ward, who will no doubt be pleased he was able to secure the services of Frankie Dettori.

The meeting will wrap up on Saturday, June 20th, with no less than 3 consecutive Group 1 races. Declarations are not yet out so it’s possible that some of the runners won’t go. The Coronation Stakes (1 mile, for 3yo fillies) is set for 2:25 p.m. (6:55 p.m. IST) and has 11 left in, including Aidan O’Brien’s Peaceful (by Galileo), triumphant in the Irish 1000 Guineas last week who may or may not run. Juddmonte came close to educating Battaash through Equilateral on Tuesday and the outfit isnow poised to give racegoers another geometry lesson through Quadrilateral (by Frankel), swiftly returning to action after losing her unbeaten record in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas earlier this month. Winner of both her starts, Sheikh Ahmed’s Fooraat (by Dubawi) will need to progress further to match Run Wild (by Amaron), an impressive last outing winner, who now gets the services of James Doyle as Oisin Murphy switches to a very lively contender, Sharing (by Speightstown). Trained in Maryland, USA, by English expat. Graham Motion, Sharinghas won her last four including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita and should go close, having been targeted for this feature for several months. The high-class Niarchos home-bred Alpine Star (by Sea The Moon) might need the run.

Thirty five minutes later, at 3:00 p.m. local (7:30 p.m. IST) comes the equivalent event for males, the St. James’s Palace Stakes (1 mile), with 10 acceptors, some of which will probably defect. The quality of the principal participants is high. It will be exciting if Guineas failure Pinatubo (by Shamardal) takes up his engagement here – he has only about a length to make up against Wichita (by No Nay Never), who will now have Ryan Moore back in the saddle. Certainly Pinatubo should strip fitter. Meanwhile Frankie Dettori, who steered Wichita last time for Aidan O’Brien, rejoins John Gosden aboard Palace Pier (by Kingman). Unbeaten at his three starts, including a visually impressive effort on a synthetic surface at Newcastle a fortnight ago, the Highclere Stud/Floors Farming-bred colt looked so good that he could well turn out to be the leading miler of his age group before the year is out.  

Rounding off the Group 1s is the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 fur.) which lacks a standout in the Battaash mould. Due off at 3:35 p.m. local (8:05 p.m. IST), the race sees Sceptical (by Exceed And Excel) at the head of the market at 2 to 1. The Godolphin-bred made waves when running up a skein of 4 consecutive victories in Ireland, worth about 40,000 pounds, a grand achievement for one acquired by his connections as a cast-off for a mere 2,800 pounds! Denis Hogan’s ward is unproven at this level and rivals like Hello Youmzain (by Kodiac), Sands Of Mali (by Panis), The Tin Man (by Equiano) and the six-year-old racemare One Master (by Fastnet Rock) all have superior credentials.