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Royal Ascot 2013 marks 10 years since the smart and reliable Choisir travelled halfway around the world for Paul Perry and Australia and changed the Royal meeting forever.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Royal Ascot 2013 marks 10 years since the smart and reliable Choisir travelled halfway around the world for Paul Perry and Australia and changed the Royal meeting forever.
Choisir’s Royal brace in 2003 opened the floodgates for sprinters from Australia who have since targeted the meeting with good success.
Australian-trained horses have provided 3 of the 9 winners of the King’s Stand since that 2003 win, making the frame at 50%, and this year’s entrant, Newmarket Handicap winner Shamexpress, looks to have a solid chance of further building on that record.
Shamexpress will be a third runner at the Royal meeting for trainer Danny O’Brien having saddled Glamour Puss in 2006 and Star Witness in 2011.
Despite not having tasted success O’Brien’s two runners to date have been a credit to him as a trainer with both running right up to their form and O’Brien’s experience must be seen as a big plus for the colt.
Shamexpress heads across the pond rated 120p, 4lbs below Star Witness, but with the promise of more to come.
The task for O’Brien this time around is that he will need to find that “more to come” with Shamexpress if he is to take the prize with the likes of South African Shea Shea (rated 127), Swiss Spirit (123+), Reckless Abandon (121+) and Pearl Secret (119p) all making for stiff opposition.
In 2007 Magnus went to Ascot for trainer Peter Moody rated 120 and managed to run third but, aside from that year’s dominant winner Miss Andretti (127), the 2013 renewal is shaping as a stronger contest.
Miss Andretti, coincidently, also went to Royal Ascot as a last start winner of the Newmarket, almost certainly the best sprinting handicap in the world and so far at least, an infallible guide to Royal success.
Four Newmarket winners have gone to Ascot and all four have come away with the prize.
Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast and last year Black Caviar who, despite failing to run anywhere near her best form, went on to win the Diamond Jubilee.
Both Choisir and his son Starspangledbanner came up short in the Newmarket but were able to make amends at Ascot.
While Shamexpress goes to Ascot rated lower than any of those he has had the ideal preparation, runs for a trainer and jockey that know what they are doing, and has the profile of a horse set to do better.
Shea Shea sets the clear standard on form to this point but it is worth noting that the form out of Dubai has not always translated into the UK season and he is opposable at his current short quote.
Shamexpress isn’t one to be dismissed lightly and does make a bit of appeal trading around the $12 mark.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Sea Siren showed something like her best form, running to 116, behind Epaulette in the Doomben 10,000 last time and if she is to find her best in the UK she can certainly be competitive.
We haven’t seen Sea Siren at the top of her game in 2013 but at her best she is rated 121, a figure that, with her mares allowance factored in, can have her right in the finish in a Jubilee that looks light on for chances.
Society Rock (rated 126) and Gordon Lord Byron (123) are the chief opposition aside from what may back up from the King’s Stand earlier in the week.
Lethal Force (121) split that pair in the main lead up at York and is another key rival for the daughter of Fastnet Rock.
As is the case with Shamexpress, Sea Siren trades around the $12 mark for her Ascot assignment and at that price it may well prove worth a ticket, chancing her returning to peak form.