10:33 AM
Good morning
And welcome to our live coverage of the fourth day of Royal Ascot 2021 (hopefully we see some racing!)
Unfortunately the predicted deluge over the course overnight arrived as forecast so the ground – which was good to firm on Thursday – is now officially soft, heavy in places. Clerk of the course Chris Stickels has called a 12.45pm inspection to assess the chances of racing going ahead.
A going update on the British Horseracing Authority administration site says: “Due to a few false patches of ground on which the ability to race may be marginal an inspection has been called for 12.45. We are also looking at options to realign the rail to avoid these areas.”
If racing gets the green light, there are seven races on today’s card, including two feature races – the Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes:
2.30pm Albany Stakes
3.05pm King Edward VII Stakes
3.40pm Commonwealth Cup
4.20pm Coronation Stakes
5pm Sandringham Stakes
5.35pm Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes
6.10pm Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes
And here’s a preview of day four from our racing correspondent Marcus Armytage…
German trainer Peter Schiergen does not bring his horses to Ascot for the bratwurst so it is, perhaps, time to expect Novemba in June in a fascinating Coronation Stakes.
Schiergen has not had a winner at Royal Ascot but he brought Danedream to win the King George in 2012 while Sumitas chased home Dubai Millenium in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes albeit at a respectful eight lengths.
Last time out Novemba won the German 1,000 Guineas doing handstands and beat a French trained Godolphin runner by seven-and-a-half lengths. That is only a Group Two but she clearly looks ready for the next step and unlike some rivals she appears to be blossoming at the right time.
“She was a very easy winner of her last race,” said Schiergen on Thursday. “She’s in top form. She is ready for the next test but this is an international Group One not a domestic Group Two. She has won on all grounds so I am not worried about the going.”
Sir Michael Stoute also fields an interesting runner in Potapova who has won both her starts, the last a novice race at Redcar by eight lengths. She appears long on class but possibly a bit short on experience. She is the other big unknown quantity. Of the known quantities Empress Josephine loved the heavy ground at The Curragh in the Irish 1,000 and the rain brings her into play.
Friday’s card was enlivened when the Commonwealth Cup, the Group One sprint restricted to three-year-olds, was added in 2015.
It has yet to be won by a French-trained runner but, despite there being more obstacles in the way of cross-Channel travel for horses than the Stayers Hurdle due to both Covid restrictions and Brexit, Suesa can make the journey from Francois Rohaut’s base in Pau pay off.
Neither Rohaut nor her regular rider Olivier Peslier can make the journey today but although the trainer has yet taste success at this meeting like Schiergen, the majority of his previous runners have been the in the money. However, Suesa looks top class and can break his duck – particularly as it looks like the weather for a few of them.
Soft ground holds no fears for Night of Thunder filly as she picked up her rivals and carried them in a Group Three at Chantilly last time, winning by three lengths without Peslier raising a sweat.
“All is well,” said Rohaut of the George Strawbridge-owned filly. “She is on her way, her preparation has been perfect and she is easy to prepare. She has won three times on the soft and once on good to firm so she doesn’t mind what the ground is.”
Last year’s Queen Mary winner Campanelle looks likely to be sent off favourite but Wesley Ward’s horses have not had their usual productive week and any rain is usually enough to blunt the Americans’ speed.