By Ed Culham
A FULL field of 20 are set to go to post for the Kensington Palace Fillies’ Handicap (3.05pm) and it looks a wide-open contest.
Tamarama, ridden by Frankie Dettori, is bound to be popular after her good win at Kempton last time, though this looks a deeper race and she’s gone up five pounds in the handicap.
She has to be feared, but I’m keen on two against her starting with YERWANTHERE.
I’m a big fan of Joseph O’Brien as a trainer and I think he could have a very well-handicapped horse on his hands here.
His filly won both her starts as a two-year-old and while she finished seventh of 11 in Listed company at Naas last time, she was a lot better than the bare result as she was denied a clear run.
She remains on the same mark following that unlucky run, meaning she’s only four pounds higher than when she won a Dundalk handicap last season, and that looked a very good run in itself given it’s produced four subsequent winners.
Aussie-based superstar rider James McDonald has been booked and I expect a big run at odds of 9/2 with Star Sports.
This is a deep race and I want to have two irons in the fire, so I’ll throw a few quid each-way at TARRABB for Owen Burrows.
She didn’t run at two but enjoyed a good campaign last year, winning three times, with her victory at Haydock in August the one that really caught the eye.
She beat Queen Aminatu there, and she is now rated 107 having been victorious at Listed level since, so if Tarrabb can repeat that form here, she’s a big player at 10/1.
POINTERS
Yerwanthere e/w 3.05pm Royal Ascot
Tarrabb e/w 3.05pm Royal Ascot
