Commonwealth Cup

Little Big Bear 

  • Trainer: Aidan O’Brien 
  • Form: 111101
  • Race: Commonwealth Cup

 

It is no surprise seeing last season’s champion juvenile Little Big Bear proving so popular amongst oddschecker punters for the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup. He is currently 15/8 favourite on the back of a successful return to the sprinting ranks, which came over six furlongs in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock. 

Trained by the Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien, he cast aside a below-par reappearance in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, where he clearly failed to stay, by comfortably making amends last-time-out when ridden by Frankie Dettori at Haydock and now heads to the Royal meeting with a fantastic chance of more adding more top-level success at the fixture. 

With only eight previous runnings of the race, Aidan O’Brien trained the winner of the race in 2017 with Caravaggio and supporters clearly think this talented youngster can provide connections with another win in the race. Rated 124, he will be one of the highest-rated horses to have contested this Group 1 event and that ratings reflects chances. 

He will face stern opposition though, most notably Roger Varian’s Sakheer, who has long been touted as a Commonwealth Cup horse and fared better or the two market leaders in the 2000 Guineas when a creditable seventh. Ralph Beckett’s smart sprinter Lezoo and the progressive Shaquille, who has won five of his six starts, add further intrigue. That said, course form counts for plenty and last year’s Windsor Castle Stakes, Little Big Bear, remains the one to beat. 

Coventry Stakes

Asadna 

  • Trainer: George Boughey
  • Form: 1
  • Race: Coventry Stakes 

 

George Boughey is a trainer rising through the ranks and is no doubt a future champion trainer. He has an excellent crop of youngsters that have the potential to be a force to be reckoned with going forward, none more so than the highly-regarded one-time raced winner Asadna, who was an impressive winner on debut at Ripon. 

He launched an irresistible change of gear to put his rivals to the sword in winning by 12 lengths and his winning display saw him enter the equation as a leading candidate for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, in which he attracted the attention of supporters on the oddschecker grid as he makes up the second part of the most backed treble. 

He is right towards the top end of the market in the Coventry and connections are adamant that Ascot will be tailor-made for him. The form of his debut success does look suspicious though, as the second has been heavily beaten since but even so, he was visually impressive and I get the impression he’s the sort of horse who will keep advancing his form with more experience.

He has the potential to be high-class and his trainer has been very complimentary about his chances for this assignment as well, which bodes well. It will require another personal best but if he does succeed, £125,000 Tattersalls Craven Royal Ascot Breeze Up Bonus will await him. Improvement is sure to come but does he represent any value? I’m not so sure. 

Norfolk Stakes

Elite Status 

  • Trainer: Karl Burke 
  • Form: 11
  • Race: Norfolk Stakes 

 

The third and final most backed horse for the treble is the Karl Burke-trained Elite Status, who is a red-hot favourite for the Norfolk Stakes, the opener for the third day of the Royal Meeting, as he puts his unbeaten record of two wins from two to the test. 

An expensive 325,000 guineas purchase, he has so far lived up to his price tag, winning easily on debut at Doncaster before routing a good field on the Listed National Stakes at Sandown by five lengths without being asked for maximum efforts. 

This son of Havana Grey has looked so good to date and who knows where the ceiling of his ability lies with plenty more to come. Karl Burke saddled two winners at the Royal meeting last year and looks set to send another strong squad of two-year-olds, including this potential superstar. 

His connections are very bullish about his chances, describing him as the one to beat and it is going to take a well-above average rival to see his unbeaten record come to an end. He is a worthy favourite based on the form-book and is in my opinion, the strongest favourite of the three most backed.