Five US runners to watch out for at Royal Ascot

Yoshida (William I. Mott)

A strong American challenge at Royal Ascot will kick off in the very first race of the meeting, the Queen Anne Stakes, with Bill Mott’s Japanese-bred Yoshida. A winner of the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic over 9f at Keeneland last time (beating three-time G1 winner Beach Patrol by three quarters of a length), Yoshida seemed to relish the soft ground that day so won’t be inconvenienced if any rain hits the Berkshire venue, though he is equally at home on quicker ground.

That was Yoshida’s first win at the top level on just his second attempt, and he looks a better model now than the one that was beaten several times in lesser company last year. A big horse who had always promised to go right to the pinnacle of US turf racing, he seemed to suffer a little from immaturity in 2017, but seems to be putting it all together now. In a race that may not have the depth of some recent renewals, he is well worth an each-way look at around 16/1.

Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward)

Lady Aurelia is no stranger to the Royal meeting having won there for the past two years. As a juvenile, she scorched home in a rapid time to win the Queen Mary, and last year followed up with a sensational win in the King’s Stand. This year’s running of that race will take more winning as she must deal with the challenge of Battaash, who was jointly rated Timeform’s top performer of 2018 along with Cracksman. In her favour, however, is her love of the Ascot turf, something that seems to be a trait in the offspring of the late Scat Daddy, and her trainer Wesley Ward, who is no stranger to Royal Ascot success having saddled nine previous winners there.

Beaten into second on her comeback run in listed company at Keeneland in April, Lady Aurelia is sure to come on for that, and has been pleasing her trainer in her work since. With last year’s winning pilot John Velazquez taking the ride, she won’t give up her crown without a fight in what looks to be one of the highlights of the entire meeting.

🏆 2016 Queen Mary Stakes
🏆 2017 King's Stand Stakes
🏆 2018?
Lady Aurelia has #RoyalAscot hat-trick on her agenda - can she do it for Wesley Ward and 🇺🇸? pic.twitter.com/40SwuPUVfZ

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 12, 2018

Chelsea Cloisters (Wesley Ward)

As has become the norm at Royal Ascot, Wesley Ward has a very strong hand in the two-year-old races, with Chelsea Cloisters arguably his best chance of the week in that division. Set to take her place in the Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday, she could hardly have been more impressive in winning her maiden by eight lengths on the Keeneland dirt in April. Having won the race three times in the past, Ward knows exactly what type of filly it takes to get the job done, and says Chelsea Cloisters home work has been every bit as good as two of his previous winners of the race, Jealous Again and Acapulco. With a proper US dirt pedigree, Chelsea Cloisters is likely to need fast ground on turf to be seen to best effect, and should those conditions prevail on Wednesday, she will be the one they all have to catch.

Moonlight Romance (Wesley Ward)

Beaten by Shang Shang Shang (another of Ward’s Royal Ascot two-year-olds) on her dirt debut, Moonlight Romance left that performance a long way behind when switched to turf at Belmont on her next start. With her rider sitting motionless, she cruised home by five and a half lengths in a very fast time. At the time of writing, it had yet to be decided which juvenile race she was to aim at, and it’s entirely possible she may end up in a contest with one of her stablemates. Whichever race she is aimed at, however, she will command plenty of respect, such was the authority she won with on her most recent outing.

Bound For Nowhere (Wesley Ward)

Many punters will have Harry Angel marked down as their banker of the of the week in Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes, but it would be unwise to dismiss the challenge of one of Wesley Ward’s older brigade, Bound For Nowhere. A year ago, he was just over three lengths behind Harry Angel when they finished second and fourth to Caravggio in the Commonwealth Cup. It’s worth pointing out that that was only Bound For Nowhere’s third career start, whereas Harry Angel had a bit more experience under his belt and was a little more streetwise on the day.

A winner on his seasonal return at Turfway in March (polytrack), Bound For Nowhere then put up a mightily impressive performance on the Keeneland turf in April, winning a Grade 2 contest convincingly by four lengths from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint fourth Bucchero (set to run in Tuesday’s King’s Stand). At around 12/1, Bound For Nowhere represents solid each-way value, and has the potential to cause an upset in the final Group 1 event of the meeting.