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Royal Ascot 2015: Timeform's view on the Queen Anne Stakes
Posted in: Royal Ascot News
Royal Ascot 2015 has attracted a truly International representation and gets underway on Tuesday with a heavyweight clash between Hong Kong raider Able Friend and the French-trained Solow in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Able Friend has won his last six races, most recently landing the Champions Mile at Sha Tin in good style, and tops the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings for the Queen Anne. Timeform Chief Correspondent Jamie Lynch commented: “Able Friend not only looks a monster on the track but off it as well, weighing in at 90st for his races this year. Some will say he’s out of his comfort zone, away from Sha Tin, where he’s had his last 16 starts, largely against the same pool of horses, but the style of his wins suggest he’s the real deal.”
Freddie Head’s Solow, winner of the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March, made it nine victories from his last 10 starts when taking the Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp last time, but Lynch feels he may have his work cut out on Tuesday: “Solow is currently Timeform’s highest-rated horse in Europe, but he hasn’t yet contested a top race at a mile and he’s certainly never taken on anything like Hong Kong’s King Kong, Able Friend.
“Last year’s 2000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder looked as good as ever when successful in the Lockinge last time and should put up a strong home defence, but at the current prices, taking everything into account, I would have to side with Able Friend.”
In the feature race on the card, the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Gleneagles, who won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, will attempt to make it three Group 1s in a row, while in the King’s Stand Stakes, Sole Power will be aiming for a hat-trick of his own, having won the last two runnings of the race.
Lynch commented: “Gleneagles is a standout in the St James’s Palace, six pounds clear of his nearest rival on Timeform ratings and seemingly with few chinks in his armour, but it would be some achievement if Sole Power could land a third straight King’s Stand and that could be one of the highlights of what’s sure to be a memorable Royal Ascot.”
Queen Anne Stakes (all ratings weight-adjusted)
145 ABLE FRIEND
144 SOLOW
141 NIGHT OF THUNDER
139 TOORMORE
137 ESOTERIQUE
135 HERE COMES WHEN
131 COUGAR MOUNTAIN
127$ GLORY AWAITS
St James’s Palace Stakes
140 GLENEAGLES
134p MAKE BELIEVE
132 BELARDO
131p CONSORT
126p LATHARNACH
120 AKTABANTAY
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