Mark Howard nominates fives horses to follow at Royal Ascot this week

Aidan O’Brien has won the Coventry Stakes on no less than nine occasions and I will be surprised if we have seen a better two year old than ADMIRAL NELSON who looked something special at the Curragh on Friday evening. A son of Kingman out of Shamandar, who was a useful sprinter for William Haggas, he was acquired for 440,000gns and couldn’t have made a better start to his career.

Confidently ridden by Wayne Lordan, he readily swept aside stablemate Merchants Quay to win by a length. That victory was gained over the minimum trip but an extra furlong won’t be an issue. Obviously, it is a quick turnaround, but provided he arrives in the same form, it will take a very smart juvenile to beat him on Saturday.

Tim Easterby’s string may not have reached fever pitch yet but the Great Habton handler has a leading contender for the newly formed five furlongs handicap for three year olds on Friday in ART POWER. A grey colt by Dark Angel, he has won two of his three career starts producing explosives performances at both York as a juvenile and Newcastle on his reappearance this month.

A five and a half lengths scorer at Gosforth Park over six furlongs, he won’t have any trouble dropping back in distance at the Berkshire track. Rain is forecast this week, which will also play to his strengths and he must have an outstanding chance of providing his shrewd stable with their sixth Royal Ascot winner. He looks a Group horse running in a handicap and it looks significant that he is expected to line up here rather than contest the Commonwealth later the same afternoon.

FOX TAL looks one of the best bets of the week in the Listed Wolferton Stakes on Thursday following his connections’ decision to run here rather than the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes twenty four hours earlier. Andrew Balding’s four year old was placed at the highest level as a juvenile but was restricted to a couple of outings last term.

It didn’t stop him winning at Doncaster on his belated reappearance though before finishing a highly respectable fourth behind Magical over C&D in the Champion Stakes in October. Effective on any ground, he boasts a good record when fresh and it will be disappointing if he doesn’t provide his in-form handler with his sixth Royal winner.

John Gosden is blessed with an enviable team of three year old fillies and they include the well bred FRANKLY DARLING. A daughter of Frankel, she is out of a Cheshire Oaks winner and a half-sister to stablemate First In Line. Given her pedigree, the step up to a mile and a half in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes on Tuesday ought to be to her liking and a win there ought to book her place in next month’s Epsom Oaks.

Runner-up on her sole start last year in bottomless ground at Yarmouth, she ran out an emphatic five lengths winner at Newcastle on ‘resumption day’ earlier this month. The further she went, the better she looked and owner Anthony Oppenheimer has another smart prospect on his hands. The champion trainer is seeking his fourth win in the fillies’ event.

The Newmarket handler has indicated that the unbeaten PALACE PIER is set to test his mettle against the likes of Pinatubo in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes on the final day. Another son of Kingman, he was an easy winner of his two starts at Sandown last year before a tibia injury ruled him out of the major Autumn prizes.

Following the decision to swerve the 2000 Guineas due to his lack of experience, Gosden’s charge also headed to the North East and won a 0-100 three year old handicap by nearly four lengths. Having taken a few strides to engage top gear, he was soon on top and pulled clear of the well regarded Acquitted.

Much more will be required to conquer last year’s outstanding juvenile and co but former stablemate Without Parole was a similar type and he won the St James’s Palace Stakes a couple of years ago.

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