ROYAL ASCOT TIPS – DAY FOUR: Art power is a sprinter going places

Art Power has won two of his three career starts including an impressive win on his comeback at Newcastle  

He also bolted up in the mud at York last year, so there will be no concerns about the soft conditions for the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap on Friday.

Our team of experts dish out their selections below…

1.15 PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE H’CAP   

It will be interesting to see if the stands’ side draw bias still plays out with ART POWER in stall 19 likely to go off favourite.

The Dark Angel colt created an extremely favourable impression at York on soft ground as a juvenile and did little to dissuade the view he is a sprinter going places with a rout on his Newcastle comeback. He is no great price but looks a class act with conditions likely to suit.

Keep Busy should also appreciate easy ground and stays further than Friday’s trip, which should be an asset.

Best bet: ART POWER Danger: KEEP BUSY

1.50 ALBANY STAKES 

This is a crop of lightly raced juveniles and it is guesswork which one will be best suited by the ground. MOTHER EARTH is by the sire Zoffany, so she may cope better than most and she stuck to her task gamely at Navan on debut last week when runner-up.

She finished strongly that day so Friday’s step up in trip should be ideal and her chance is narrowly preferred to that of Flying Aletha and Golden Melody.

The former is likely to try to make all from stall three, which might help Golden Melody and Mother Earth gain a tow into the race.

Best bet: MOTHER EARTH

Danger: GOLDEN MELODY

2.25 NORFOLK STAKES 

Another juvenile event in which form and an ability to operate on soft ground are at a premium. 

Eye Of Heaven impressed at Newmarket on debut and deserves his place at the head of the market if he can reproduce that level with very different underfoot conditions. In contrast, LIPIZZANER is proven with cut in the ground, will enjoy a strongly run five furlongs and boasts more experience than most courtesy of two Naas runs. 

The Lir Jet bounced off fast ground at Yarmouth when the well-backed Nelson Gay was third, while Jojo Rabbit boasts soft-ground-loving relatives in his pedigree.

Best bet: LIPIZZANER  Danger: JOJO RABBIT

3.00 HARDWICKE STAKES 

Anthony Van Dyck is likely to enjoy this test more than Elarqam given the latter looks happier over 10 furlongs these days, especially when conditions are testing. It will be interesting to see how Anthony Van Dyck has come out of the Newmarket race behind Ghaiyyath. That was run at a ferocious gallop and it would be no surprise if he was still feeling the effects. Defoe is another better suited by a sound surface, so MORANDO may enter calculations, with his form figures after an absence of 98 days or more reading 1131. He is a danger to all on genuine soft ground.

Best bet: MORANDO Danger: ANTHONY VAN DYCK

3.35 COMMONWEALTH CUP  

PIERRE LAP IN, a half-brother to crack sprinter Harry Angel, has two emphatic fast-ground victories to his name but connections are adamant he will prove just as effective with cut in the surface. 

He will have the opportunity to test that theory here and is well positioned to lay the hoodoo of his sibling, who tried six times to win at this venue without any luck.

Golden Horde, trained by Harry Angel’s trainer, is a classy sprinter in waiting. He went through heavy ground when a fine third in Group One company in France last August and was runner-up to Earthlight in the Middle Park, which looks strong form. Fifth in last season’s Coventry Stakes when a 33-1 chance, Golden Horde has valuable track experience. Kimari should also go well, given she was runner-up in the Queen Mary Stakes a year ago when coping with easy ground.

Best bet: PIERRE LAPIN Danger: GOLDEN HORDE

4.10 QUEEN’S VASE 

This should prove a real test for these three-year-olds, who are all trying this trip for the first time. Although Ryan Moore prefers Santiago of the Aidan O’Brien pair, NOBEL PRIZE should relish conditions having won on heavy ground at Naas (1m) on his final start as a juvenile. As a brother to Highland Reel and Idaho, this trip should be well within his grasp. Born With Pride, a winner on heavy ground on her Newmarket debut last autumn, was a non-runner earlier this week and connections appear to have done the right thing with the ground sure to suit.

Best bet: NOBEL PRIZE Danger: BORN WITH PRIDE

4.40 DUKE OF EDINBURGH 

A tough finale for punters and in the hope that INDIANAPOLIS steps forward from his Newmarket comeback, he is offered as a decent-priced choice. Trainer James Given has sent out 25-1 and 15-2 winners from a handful of runners since racing resumed and his five-year-old has a favourable wide draw and a number of excellent efforts on soft ground to suggest he is capable of running a big race. West End Charmer enjoyed the run of his comeback at HQ but may not dominate quite so easily here, so Durston and Deja could prove bigger threats.

Best bet: INDIANAPOLIS Danger: DURSTON