Our Irish Eyes column foresees more glory for Aidan O'Brien on Saturday - and Tuesday's winner Thomas Hobson.
Recommended Bets: Irish Eyes
1pt win Thomas Hobson in 5.35 Royal Ascot at 11/4
2pts win September in 2.30 Royal Ascot at 5/4
1pt e.w. Idaho in 3.40 Royal Ascot at 6/1
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Aidan O’Brien dominated day four of Royal Ascot winning both Group 1 races in tremendous style and indeed when Winter passed the line, she was followed by her two stablesmates as the three replicated O’Brien’s Irish 1000 Guineas 1-2-3 once more.
O’Brien, as per usual, has a much smaller string on the final day with just three runners in total but he supplies the favourite, September, in the opening Chesham which he won last year with Churchill.
More importantly, O’Brien also has a good record with his fillies in the race having won it with Maybe whilst his filly Ballydoyle was only just touched off by Suits You two years ago.
It is a well-known fact by now that September was the only one of O’Brien’s 2yo debutants in 2017 to have won – from a sample of 25 – and boy did she win well.
She won on yielding ground (probably explains why such a good filly went off 9/2) but, given her pedigree, she should relish the good to firm ground at Ascot.
Her full-bother Wisconsin disappointed in the Queens Vase but that was because he was simply not good enough as opposed to the ground. The Chesham was immediately put forward as the race for her and the only off-putting element is her price. The 5/4 on offer does seem very short but it’s very hard to tip against what could be a proper filly.
Another O’Brien runner today, Idaho, had a full-bother run this week, namely the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner Highland Reel. Unfortunately, despite being full siblings, Idaho is to Highland Reel what Raúl was to his older brother Diego (Maradona) but, in fairness he’s a good performer in his own right.
As a 3yo, he was third in the Epsom Derby, second in the Irish equivalent before winning the Great Voltigeur. He started odds-on for the St Leger and was moving like a dream when losing his footing and unseating Seamie Heffernan.
He hasn’t been quite the same in two starts since, albeit there are valid reasons. He was only beaten two and a half lengths when fifth in the Canadian International, which came just over a month after his Doncaster stumble, and he needed the run when sixth behind his full-brother in the Coronation Cup.
The horse to beat today is Dartmouth – the mount of Ryan Moore as he runs in the Queens colours – and winner of last year’s Hardwicke. Seamie Heffernan is on board and he and Idaho will bid to avenge full-brother Highland Reel’s head defeat in this last year when Seamie unfortunately dropped his whip.
Dartmouth will take beating but Idaho gets the each-way vote at 6/1.
O’Brien’s third runner today is US Army Ranger, the clear top-rated horse in the Queen Alexandra, a conditions race.
Although he is bred for this extreme trip, he hasn’t come forward this year as would have been expected and preference is for the other Irish horses in the race.
Joseph O’Brien’s Motherland is an interesting contender who is in good form but unlike US Army Ranger he is not necessarily bred to stay this trip, with his dam being the top sprinter Pipalong.
That brings us to Thomas Hobson.
A very impressive winner here on Tuesday he bids for the double today under Martin Harley (Ryan Moore having to ride for O’Brien). As a NH trainer, Willie Mullins has no equals but he has quite a brilliant record with his flat horses too.
As well as winning an Ebor Handicap and the Group 2 Longsdale Cup at York, he has also trained horses to finish 2nd and 4th in both the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup and the Melbourne Cup in Australia.
Thomas Hobson’s win on Tuesday was a fifth Royal Ascot victory for Mullins who famously usurped Aidan O’Brien to win last year’s Irish St. Leger.
He is in tremendous form and although this race comes quite quickly, Mullins has proven he can do the double having won the same two races with Simenon in 2012.