Five Horses To Take Out Of Royal Ascot 2019

Japan looked every penny of his 1,300,000gns fee that John Magnier paid for him two years ago, recording his first victory of the season.

That tells half the story though, as after his returning fourth in the Dante at York to brush the cobwebs away, he finished a very narrow third in the Derby at Epsom, just over half-a-length down on winning stablemate Anthony Van Dyck.

Made up a magnificent amount of ground that day, and seemed to have fully matured into a top colt in the preliminaries of his Royal task in the King Edward VII Stakes.

Ridden in similar fashion by jockey Ryan Moore, he was kept wide and motored up the straight to win in the style of a very good horse.

Being a three-year-old the obvious targets would feature either the English or Irish St Leger, but he looks that good he could jump the gun and end up fighting out the King George back at Ascot in a month's time.

The St James's Palace Stakes is run on the old mile featuring a bend, and has an official distance of seven furlongs and 213 yards.

For John Gosden and jockey Adam Kirby, it is a shame that the race is not an 'exact mile' as a few extra yards may have seen the upcoming King Of Comedy reign supreme in the feature Group One contest for three-year-old's on the opening day.

Circus Maximus ran out a close winner, racing back over a mile after finishing sixth in the Derby at Epsom.

King Of Comedy got the better of high-profile stablemate Too Darn Hot, having only just come through one Listed victory at Sandown post-Novice company.

Son of Kingman, rose to the top level in great style and will be amongst the leading protagonists in future mile-contests down the season including the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Daahyeh provided young jockey David Egan with a first ever Royal Ascot success, and come the line in the Albany Stakes, it looked pretty easy for the young filly.

The two-year-old daughter of Bated Breath was making just her second career start after making her debut at Newmarket in May, where she beat Mark Johnston's Raffle Prize, who took the Queen Mary Stakes on the Wednesday.

Daahyeh looks certain to get a mile in the future breeding wise, and already appears a player in next season's 1,000 Guineas on the basis of her royal performance.

Slowly away, she made great progress to surge on through the middle of the track to win well getting the better of Ken Condon's Celtic Beauty, and in the end easily.

Nagano Gold was desperately unlucky to not take the Hardwicke Stakes on the Saturday, having been badly hampered by Masar's poor start from the stalls.

Trained in Czechia by Vaclav Luka Jr, he acquired the services of top jock Christophe Soumillon to do the steering, but there was not much he could do about last year's Derby winner stumbling on his return to the track in the opening few yards.

Soumillon sat tight, and delivered his challenge late inside the final furlong but it was not enough to reel in the Roger Varian-trained winner Defoe.

A case of what could have been for an overseas raider, but connections may look to target the King George in the month's time or the Arc later in the season at Longchamp combined with better luck.

They did hint post-race that he may be seen in Germany next.

The Coventry Stakes of 2019 really could be the race that begins to build the two-year-old colt division for next season, with a top class one-two-three coming home as the market suggested.

Arizona was the winner for Aidan O'Brien, but Threat may be the horse to take out for Richard Hannon having had less track inexperience than the winner.

Son of Footstepsinthesand, the juvenile made his first start for Cheveley Park Stud at Newmarket eight weeks ago and sauntered clear of the opposition, upsetting odds on favourite Electrical Storm.

At Ascot, he stayed onto snatch second in the final strides but can find himself a shade unlucky having been over a length clear of his respective group.

Fine acquisition, and do not be surprised to see him win a race or two between now and next season.