And if you’re getting presented with a trophy by the King and Queen, you can’t replicate that experience and that means an awful lot to an awful lot of people.
“At the heart of it all, it’s the traditions that make it special. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters
The King and Queen are expected to attend all five days of this year’s meeting, they will have a sprinkling of runners through the week and there is a real buzz in particular around Willie Mullins’s Reaching High, who is expected to line up for the Ascot Stakes at 5pm on Tuesday’s opening day.
Reaching High became the first horse owned by a reigning British monarch to be stabled in Ireland when he was sent to Mullins’s yard following Sir Michael Stoute’s retirement. He has drawn stall 20 of 22, however, on a course where low numbers often enjoy a significant advantage, and makes no appeal at all at his latest odds of around 5-1.
skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to The Recap Free weekly newsletter The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s action Enter your email address Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. He has had more racing this year that many in this field but his latest outing was only his third on turf and he has obvious scope for further progress off a 7lb higher mark.
York 1.50: Dashing Darcey is in the early stages of his career with Geoff Harker after a six-figure switch over the winter and has little to find on his latest form at Haydock to get his first win for his new stable on the board.
Sandown 2.05: Richard Hannon’s Classic is without a win for nearly two years, but that success came over seven furlongs at this track off 89 and he is now back down to a career-low mark of 87. His hold-up style can make life tricky but Ryan Moore is an eye-catching booking to ride and he has travelled like a well-handicapped horse in both of his outings so far this season.
York 2.25: Adrian Keatley and Jody Townend took this valuable contest for female amateur riders with Kihavah two years ago and Maghlaak, the runner-up in the same race over track and trip at the Dante meeting that Kihavah used as a springboard to success, has a clear chance to follow suit.
Sandown 2.40: The lack of a run this season is a slight concern but Coto De Caza was all speed as a juvenile, the Simon & Ed Crisford stable remains in fine form and his winning form in last season’s Group Three Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket is the best on offer.
Quick Guide Greg Woods racing tips for Saturday Show Bath 1.23 Wannabeawallaby 1.58 Whisperwood 2.33 Flash Harry 3.08 Sisters In The Sky 3.43 Twilight Moon 4.15 Warm Glow 4.50 Union Island Sandown 1.30 Man Of La Mancha 2.05 Classic 2.40 Coto De Caza 3.15 Cosi Bello 3.50 Wave Rider 4.25 Soho Square 5.00 Star Of Dubai 5.35 Loving Look Chester 1.35 Perineighs 2.10 Moonstone Boy 2.45 Magico 3.20 Tattie Bogle nb 3.55 Brave Knight 4.30 Archduke Ferdinand 5.05 Oslo York 1.50 Dashing Darcey 2.25 Maghlaak 3.00 Absurde 3.35 Marchogion nap 4.10 Stellar Sunrise 4.45 Garden Oasis 5.20 Sir Les Patterson Hexham 4.20 Allbetsoff 4.55 Pescatorius 5.28 Halfway House Lad 5.58 Pergamon 6.28 Miss Maverick 6.58 My Friend Yeats 7.28 Matching Energy Uttoxeter 5.40 Hope Rising 6.10 Manowest 6.40 Laravie 7.10 Mr Le Philosophe 7.40 Willie Shake Hands 8.10 Another Lord 8.40 Stumps Or Slips Leicester 6.20 Sirius A 6.50 Hinitsa Bay 7.20 Kisskodi 7.50 Trojan Truth 8.20 Clipsham Noble 8.50 Beach Point Was this helpful?
