By Ed Culham
EVERY year there are always a few horses that punters latch onto in the ante-post markets in the build-up to Royal Ascot and this season one of those is most definitely Vauban in the Copper Horse Handicap (6.10pm).
Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner and this season’s Champion Hurdle fourth was originally recruited from the flat in France with a career as a hurdler the plan.
Trainer Willie Mullins has made no secret about the speed the five-year-old son of Galiway has shown at home and has often quipped in the build-up to the last two Cheltenham Festivals that the horse could win a Group race on the flat.
Well, here we are at Royal Ascot and he’s in a handicap off what looks a very lenient mark.
He could prove in a totally different class to these, but at just 7/4 with Star Sports I’m prepared to give him a miss.
If the rain doesn’t materialise, this will be the fastest ground he has ever encountered and that’s simply too short a price.
POINT KING was a good second on his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown over this trip last time and looks a rock solid each-way bet at 10/1 with William Hill.
Ridden by superstar James McDonald, the lightly-raced four-year-old shouldn’t be far away on his favoured sound surface, with a strong pace assured.
At an even bigger price, I’m prepared to take an each-way chance on Ed Bethell’s CHILLINGHAM at 10/1.
He’s won his last two and appears to be improving at a rate of knots.
Both his Thirsk wins came on soft ground, but he handled a fast surface when winning second time out at Pontefract last season.
POINTERS
Point King ew 6.10pm Royal Ascot
Chillingham ew 6.10pm Royal Ascot
