Nick Luck’s Royal Ascot blog: I’m in love with Indie Angel

Day 2 of Royal Ascot is here and what another cracking day we have in store. Seven more thrilling races have been previewed by Nick Luck.

Royal Ascot

DESERT DREAMER looks the value play in the Queen Mary (2.30pm) at 14/1. A very decisive winner on her debut at Newmarket, she beat a stack of subsequent winners in an unbelievably smart time. I was a little disappointed with her win back there next time, but this drop back to a stiff, well-run five furlongs should really suit and Oisin Murphy takes over. Twilight Gleaming is clearly greatly respected, while Eve Lodge and Mas Poder are bigger priced fillies that could run well.

KEMARI can win the Queen’s Vase (3.05pm) at 7/1. Although he is by Dubawi, he gets bags of help stamina-wise from the dam’s pedigree, as he is out of a half-sister to the very smart St Leger winner Milan. His victory at Yarmouth was quite taking, notable for William Buick taking it up some way from home and ploughing on remorselessly. The stable is so loaded with quality middle distance three-year-olds this season, and it is significant that this is the representative here.

INDIE ANGEL is a big priced each-way fancy at 11/1 in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40pm). She is far from straightforward, but has some very high class form at her best, most of it shown on a fast surface. The real key to her chance, however, may be Frankie Dettori, who has ridden her only twice. The first occasion saw a comprehensive defeat of Lavender’s Blue (who is half her price) and the second was a perfectly respectable effort behind the hot favourite here, Lady Bowthorpe. She raced alone for much of that race, but rallied when joining the others, suggesting she might have been a whole lot closer but for a more conventional trip. She could hit the frame here at a decent prize.

ARMORY (3/1) is a confident pick in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (4.20pm). Favourite Lord North was good in this last year, but it was a messy old race that slightly fell in his lap, while the form of his win in Dubai is really nothing special. As for Love, she was brilliant last year and Ryan Moore is rather compelled to ride her, but this is her seasonal debut against colts and she beat some pretty sketchy rivals in 2020. As for the selection, he looked sharp on his comeback, and has a smart turn of foot.

MAYDANNY is a horse with plenty of pace and can win the Hunt Cup (5.00pm) at 18/1. Very impressive with the run of the race at Goodwood last year, he hasn’t quite matched that since, but I loved his comeback effort at Newmarket behind Bell Rock and appreciate that he has been kept back for this. Conditions should suit perfectly and the drop back to a mile looks right. I’ll also not be able to resist another throw at our hero from Saturday, TRAIS FLUORS. We know how good he used to be and he looked in fantastic heart off a strong pace under this rider. He should still have a bit in hand at 33/1.

RUTHIN (5/2) might be Wesley Ward’s most compelling chance of the week in the Windsor Castle (5.35pm). I was massively taken with her effort at Keeneland, demolishing Queen Mary fancy Artos by six lengths in a decent time. She is bred to be better still, by Queen Anne winner Ribchester out of the very smart Selinka. This looks the right spot for her, and she is no one-dimensional speedball. Tipperary Sunset put up a really good effort on the clock at Beverley and might give her most to think about. 

STUNNING BEAUTY could be the way forward in the Kensington Palace Stakes (6.10pm). An interesting resumption of the Saeed bin Suroor/Silvestre de Sousa partnership, she is perfectly made for this rider in this race, as a big field on the round mile will demand a decent draw and a positive ride. Add to that she is unbeaten in this country and appears to have half-escaped the handicapper, and you have a compelling bet at 9/1.

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