SET TO REIGN SUPREME IN PAVILION STAKES

15:20 Ascot

All of the action will be focused on the second day of the Punchestown Festival, as it should be, but there is a nice card at Ascot with some trial races for the Royal Ascot meeting. Most notably, in my opinion, the Pavilion Stakes, which features some of the leading two year olds from last year.

Archie Watson’s Mighty Gurkha has been behind some nice horses including Method, Tactical and Golden Pal and had fitness against him on his seasonal debut. Hollie Doyle sticking with him is an obvious positive and he returns to the scene of his 5th to Tactical. However, there’s a chance he could find this tough.

I am a big fan of Saint Lawrence. He’s been placed behind Master Of The Seas, Naval Crown and Chindit, the latter at Ascot on King George day. That race was a very good time and he probably started to feel the effects of ahead season towards the end of last year. He was unlucky not to win when conceding weight to Mithras, who has form behind One Ruler, on his seasonal debut and could be the one to pose a threat to the favourite.

And the aforementioned favourite is Richmond Stakes and Middle Park Stakes conqueror Supremacy, trained by Clive Cox. His winning time in the Richmond was fractionally shy of that of Group 1 placed Ivawood, who bumped into Gleneagles in the British and Irish 2000 Guineas, and just half a second off the time of the legendary miler Bachir. Additionally, his win in the Middle Park was one of the fastest on record, beating the Phoenix winner Lucky Vega and a horde of high class horses. I think it would take a lot to beat him today.

SUPREMACY (WIN)

written by Kieran McHugh