Royal Ascot day four – all to play for

PA Sport Reporters
June 19, 2020 6:15 am

Dettori still centre stage, but Crowley and Varian in brilliant form.

Royal Ascot enters day four with an all-star cast vying for the limelight.

Frankie Dettori remains a key player, of course, and has already completed his most celebrated mission of the week by helping Stradivarius make history with a brilliant, hat-trick sealing victory in Thursday’s Gold Cup.

The Italian showman is sure to be in thick of it again on Friday, with eye-catching chances on American challenger Kimari in the Group One Commonwealth Cup and Eye Of Heaven in the Norfolk Stakes – among others.

There are alternative names to conjure with too this year, though.

Jim Crowley is in pole position as the meeting’s leading jockey, having ridden six winners over the first three days – all as retained rider for owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum – and it will be no surprise to see Elarqam, trained like Eye Of Heaven by Mark Johnston, add to the blue-and-white tally in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes.

Newmarket trainer Roger Varian is another enjoying an outstanding meeting so far – often in partnership with Crowley.

Varian will be providing Hardwicke opposition to his ally, however, in the shape of title-holder Defoe – and will also be cheering on different colours in the Commonwealth Cup, as the inexperienced Pierre Lapin bids to confirm himself a rising star.

Commonwealth clash

Golden Horde is another Commonwealth Cup fancy (Mark Kerton/PA)

Pierre Lapin heads 17 contenders for the six-furlong Commonwealth Cup, with the Group One heat potentially providing one of the headline battles of the week. The Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al Maktoum-owned favourite, trained by Varian and ridden by Andrea Atzeni, will clash with Middle Park second Golden Horde and Wesley Ward’s American raider Kimari; then you throw in French challenger Wooded in what is an ultra-competitive international heat this year.

Defoe at the double?

Defoe is out to defend his Hardwicke crown (Mike Egerton/PA)

On what could be a huge day for the Varian-Atzeni-Obaid axis, Defoe goes for back-to-back victories in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes. The mile-and-a-half event has been moved from its usual Saturday slot in this coronavirus-ridden year, but Defoe is back for more after a hard-fought victory 12 months ago. However, he is set to face stern opposition from Anthony Van Dyck, who finished ahead of him in the Coronation Cup, and Elarqam.

Heaven sent

Eye Of Heaven made a splash on his Newmarket debut (David Davies/PA)

Eye Of Heaven has been one of the most talked-about juveniles en route to Royal Ascot and he gets chance to back up the chat on the track in the Norfolk Stakes. He had Wednesday’s Windsor Castle Stakes winner Tactical back in third when running out a cosy winner at the Guineas meeting – and representing the Johnston-Dettori combination, he is a hot favourite.

Vase victors

Al Dabaran was a winner on King George day last year (Julian Herbert/PA)

The Queen’s Vase has produced some proper staying stars in recent years -with Estimate (2012), Stradivarius (2017) and Kew Gardens (2018) all featuring on the roll of honour in the last decade. Al Dabaran is a fascinating contender for Charlie Appleby, having his first British run since winning at Ascot last July, but many eyes will be on Born With Pride. William Haggas’ runner was well touted over the winter – but after disappointing on her return at Kempton, she has plenty to prove stepping up in trip.

King Jim

Jim Crowley has been on fire this week (Edward Whitaker/PA)

Crowley has been in excellent form this week, for retained owner Sheikh Hamdan, and the pair have another leading fancy to look forward to in Elarqam. Bred to be a king as a son of Frankel out of another Classic victor in Attraction, Elarqam has yet to match the exploits of his Group One-winning superstar parents, but he gets his chance again stepping up to 12 furlongs in the Hardwicke.