Saturday marks the final day of Royal Ascot 2023 and Keith Melrose from the Racing Post provides selections for a Lucky 15 to back up winners at 33/1 and 12/1 earlier in the week.
3.05 Ascot - Quar Shamar @ 14/1
3.40 Ascot - Highfield Princess @ 11/2
4.20 Ascot - West Wind Blows @ 16/1
5.00 Ascot - Orazio @ 6/1
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While there remain doubts over this crop of three-year-old milers, one race among them which is working out is the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Winner Paddington and fourth-placed Charyn enhanced their reputations in Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes and it is now the turn of Irish Guineas sixth QUAR SHAMAR.
This colt came into the Irish Guineas straight from maidens and was always up with the pace on the inside at the Curragh, but as a result, he found himself constantly tight for room as the race took shape.
Quar Shamar was hardly unlucky, but it would be fair to say that the race did not get to the bottom of him.
He is one of the highest achievers in the Jersey Stakes field, even allowing for his remaining potential, so his price feels an insult for this Group 3.
Quar Shamar @ 14/1
Punters have long memories and perhaps that is why HIGHFIELD PRINCESS is not more popular for the QEII Jubilee Stakes.
She was a beaten favourite here on Tuesday, when finishing a length second to Bradsell in the King's Stand Stakes over 5f. That performance was just 3lb off her best, a level which carried her to three Group 1s last year, so she is clearly a force to be reckoned with in these races.
Highfield Princess beat Artorius by nearly three lengths when the pair last met in August's Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
The latter has improved since, but not by that much and there is a danger he will struggle to keep up in the early stages, as happened in this race last year.
Highfield Princess will have no such trouble. She has won the Nunthorpe and is a real contender.
Highfield Princess @ 11/2
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The Hardwicke is a pretty open race and there are two horses with legitimate Group 1 class.
Pyledriver won last year's King George, but has not run since and tends to come on for his first run. Hukum is more solid, although there must be some doubt over whether his recent Sandown win is quite as good as it looked.
That leaves the door somewhat ajar for one at bigger odds and few of those will have the same potential as WEST WIND BLOWS, who has been steadily progressive for a year now.
He has done his winning in France and took a step forward last time in looking vastly superior to established Listed horses at Longchamp a fortnight ago.
With just a few pounds' improvement on that, he would be seen as Hukum's biggest threat and at a good price too.
West Wind Blows @ 16/1
ORAZIO has looked like the one to beat in the Wokingham for more than two months now.
This talented juvenile missed his three-year-old season but is making up for lost time now, dotting up at the Craven meeting in a race which has worked out outstandingly well and followed up here, with a virtually Group-class performance.
Although the handicapper has had his say, he has not priced Orazio out of handicaps and the feeling is that he will remain well treated so long as that is the case.
There are no good things in the Wokingham, due to the vagaries of the Ascot draw.
However, Orazio has plenty of pace around him from stall 28 so he would be unlucky not to get a fair shake and if he does, he ought to go very close.
Orazio @ 6/1
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3.05 Ascot - Quar Shamar @ 14/1
3.40 Ascot - Highfield Princess @ 11/2
4.20 Ascot - West Wind Blows @ 16/1
5.00 Ascot - Orazio @ 6/1
View the latest Horse Racing Odds
Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.
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