SO YOU THINK you know about Australian success at Royal Ascot?
Well think again. It is not all about sprinters and So You Think can prove it in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (3.45pm).
The five-year-old was a big star Down Under before he made the switch to Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable this summer.
Two Cox Plate successes and a third in the Melbourne Cup where the highlights of a 10-race career in Australia when trained by Bart Cummings. He has been a talking horse since his move to Ireland and has won two from two including the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last time.
This, though, will be the acid test of just how good he is as the opposition is a step up on what he has faced in the two starts so far.
He does, though, look up to it.
Although he is not a betting proposition he can make it three from three.
He will have to be as good as he seems to beat Planteur, who will look to make it a fourth French-trained winner in the past five years.
And Henry Cecil’s Twice Over will bid to go one better than 12 months ago when second to Andre Fabre’s Byword.
START RIGHT must be rated an unlucky loser in the Investec Mile at Epsom last week. But he can gain compensation in the Royal Hunt Cup (4.25pm).
Under Kieren Fallon, Luca Cumani’s four-year-old came from an impossible wide draw and met trouble in running before being a fast-finishing third last week.
He looks just the right type for this competitive contest, having won a similar event at Glorious Goodwood last year.
Cumani and Fallon could be celebrating at second-day double at the Royal meeting with SETA holding a big chance of success in the Windsor Forest Stakes (3.05pm).
The progressive four-year-old has only been beaten when pitched into Group One company but she should be up to that grade in future.
After a pleasing return when comfortably beating Anna Salai in a Listed event at Goodwood last time she can land this Group Two contest.
Henry Candy’s CODEMASTER should be able to land a first Group race success in the seven-furlong Jersey Stakes (2.30pm).
Merseyside jockey Martin Dywer can get back in the Royal winner’s enclosure with SHUMOOS in the Queen Mary Stakes (5pm). While Cheshire-based handler Tom Dascombe can break his Royal Ascot duck RHYTHM OF LIGHT in the Sandringham Handicap.
ROYAL ASCOT DAY TWO PREDICTIONS: 2.30pm Codemaster 3.05pm (Windsor Forest Stakes) Seta 3.45pm (Prince Of Wales‘s Stakes) 1 SO YOU THINK 2 Planteur 3 Twice Over 4.25pm (Royal Hunt Cup) Start Right (NAP) 5pm Shumoos 5.35pm Rhythm Of Light.
