Alex Hammond Blog: Royal Ascot reflections

Alex Hammond looks back on a week of top-quality racing at Royal Ascot and nominates her selection for Saturday's Northumberland Plate.

How was Royal Ascot for you?

Did you embrace the occasion and go full on dressed up with a picnic in your living room? Or were you too busy absorbing the superb racing and studying the form? I did a bit of both, well a lot of both actually, but of course I was lucky enough to be at the track for five fabulous days of top class racing.

It's a unique situation to be in, rattling around at Ascot, which is designed to hold tens of thousands of racegoers, but being one of just five hundred. It felt strange, but at the same time reassuringly normal. My first race meeting since Uttoxeter and the Midlands National back in March, what a place to re-start. I was also lucky to work with a top team and any time spent in the company of Jim McGrath is time well spent.

So, how did the action unfold on the track and did we go away winning? My first tip of the week in my last blog was Frankly Darling in the Ribblesdale. That went pretty well didn't it? She clearly has plenty of the Frankel about her. By that I mean she isn't the easiest to deal with, but my goodness she can run.

Frankly Darling under Frankie Dettori

Frankie gave her a beautiful ride and his silky hands helped her settle eventually. She will need to learn to do that more with the Oaks in her sights, but with each run she is learning and this Group 2 was just the third start in her life. She's now 11/4 second favourite for the Oaks with Sky Bet and deservedly so.

The Prince of Wales's Stakes didn't quite go to plan with my fancy Barney Roy only finishing third. It was a solid run though. The winner Lord North looks exceptional.

This was a race out of the top draw and he stamped his class all over Ascot on his first step onto the biggest stage. John Gosden ended the week as leading trainer and his handling of Lord North shows you one of the reasons why.

Lord North pulls clear in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes

This horse hasn't been easy to deal with and a gelding operation was carried out last summer. Since then he has progressed up the ranks, winning the Cambridgeshire on the way. Remind you of another Cambridgeshire winner that went onto better things for his trainer? Those of you with long enough memories will remember the great Halling. He wasn't gelded though and has made a huge impact at stud, but was taken up through the ranks, a bit like this fella.

Lord North is now 5/1 for the Coral-Eclipse, but he's got a considerable obstacle in his way there in the shape of stablemate Enable (even money favourite with Sky Bet).

I was a big fan of Technician before the Gold Cup, but sadly he ran no race and it transpires he suffered a career ending tendon injury in the race. That's desperately sad for Martyn Meade and his team as he looked to have huge potential as a stayer.

Stradivarius pulls 10 lengths clear in the Gold Cup

Turns out Stradivarius would probably have been hard to catch anyway, as this superstar six-year-old sauntered to victory on ground his trainer wasn't sure he'd enjoy. This won't help those of you that would have been at Ascot but for Covid19, but it was a privilege to be there. As you can tell, Gosden enjoyed a marvellous week.

Sceptical was my pick for the Diamond Jubilee and he ran a cracker to be a close-up third behind Hello Youmzain. The July Cup is on the agenda now for Sceptical, which incidentally is the only Group 1 in the UK that eludes Frankie Dettori, who rode him at Ascot.

The fairy-tale could be complete at Newmarket on 11 July then? Denis Hogan's bargain buy is 13/2 with Sky Bet for the Newmarket sprint behind Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde at 3/1 and Hello Youmzain at 11/2. Art Power who was so impressive in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap on the final day of Royal Ascot, is fourth in at 10/1.

Art Power storms ahead of his rivals at Ascot

The horse I had the highest hopes for last week was Palace Pier in the St James's Palace Stakes and he didn't let me down. Despite the mile Group 1 looking exceptional with the likes of Pinatubo and Wichita in the field, he won it like the horse I'd hoped he was.

The race was messy, but he avoided most of it to sweep past his rivals and take the smooth step up from a Newcastle handicap on his reappearance. Gosden (him again) isn't afraid to take the softly-softly approach and he is being handsomely rewarded for doing it.

As I said on Sky Sports Racing at the time, he's gone from winning in the shadow of St James' Park to winning the St. James's Palace (it works better when spoken than written!).

Palace Pier - rated 131 after St James's Palace Stakes win

So many memories from this unusual week, but hopefully you enjoyed it and found a few winners.

Now, speaking of St. James' Park, the Sky Sports Racing cameras are heading up to Newcastle for this weekend's Northumberland Plate meeting on Saturday (being held in its original slot).

It's part of a marathon nine-race card which also includes the consolation race for the biggie and two Group 3 races.

I'll be in the studio nice and early on Saturday to take you through all the action. I'm hoping to see a big run from Caravan Of Hope in the former 'Pitman's Derby', whom I've followed since he finished second to Trueshan at Ffos Las back in August.

He's won twice since that effort and ran a frustrating race on his reappearance at Wolverhampton in early June when going down narrowly after being held up off a slow pace over a mile and three quarters.

The further step up in trip should suit and I'm hoping for a big run from this 8/1 shot. The horse that beat him that day, Australis, is Sky Bet's 4/1 favourite to confirm those placings.

Back-to-back Super 6 winners?

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