Royal Ascot Day Three Preview

The middle afternoon at Royal Ascot comes along on Thursday and the Gold Cup is the star attraction as the cast of top stayers bid to land the crown vacated by the now-retired Kyprios.

A new name will go on the Gold Cup honours’ list, with Aidan O’Brien’s Illinois favourite to inherit the mantle from his stablemate. They go at Royal Ascot from 2.30pm-6.10pm and the feature contest goes off at 4.20pm. Our racing expert has picked out three horses to follow on day three of Royal Ascot.

Tip 1: Naval Light (Norfolk Stakes, Ascot 2.30) @ 7/2

The Karl Burke/James Doyle partnership won the Norfolk Stakes with Shareholder 12 months ago and NAVAL LIGHT looks set to land the pair that Group 2 sprint for juveniles again in the same Wathnan Racing silks.

Shareholder scooped this prize last year after a battling success on debut at Beverley over their five-furlongs. This Havana Grey colt also debuted at the Yorkshire venue last month, finishing second behind Old Is Gold in a conditions event, the winner benefitting from a previous run here over course and distance. 

Naval Light didn’t get a clear run on debut at Beverley so can be marked up for his effort and he really seemed to find stride late on, relishing the stiff finish, which bodes well for a visit to Ascot. There could be a significant first-to-second run improvement forthcoming and he’s a key player now.

Tip 2: Catalina Delcarpio (Ribblesdale Stakes, Ascot 3.40) @ 3/1

Thursday’s third race looks a wide-open contest but one in which CATALINA DEPCARPIO appeals for Irish trainer Paddy Twomey. The Lope De Vega filly was an easy debut winner at Leopardstown (1m2f, good) in April, a race that has worked out quite well, before finishing second in a Navan Group 3 over the same trip on soft ground later in the same month.

Ultimately, she was well held by Wemightakedlongway in that contest, but Billy Lee’s filly was nearly four-lengths clear of the remainder passing the post and the Joseph O’Brien-trained winner has since run a good race in the Oaks at Epsom to frank the form. This filly looks set to be suited by this longer trip and can make the required leap forward to land the Ribblesdale.

Tip 3: Trawlerman (Gold Cup, Ascot 4.20) @ 5/2

Illinois is a strong favourite to inherit the Gold Cup from stablemate Kyprios. He won the Queen’s Vase here last season, usually a fine pointer to this race, and took out the Ormonde Stakes at Chester last month on his seasonal return.

He’s got solid claims but so, too, does TRAWLERMAN for John & Thady Gosden. The gelded son of Golden Horn was a game runner-up behind Kyprios 12 months ago, beaten only a length. He also beat that rival in the Long Distance Cup at the same track in 2023 and his Ascot record in staying races reads 3123.

He won the Henry II Stakes at Sandown last month by five lengths and that silver medal behind Kyprios here last summer is quite possibly the best form on the table, meaning he makes great appeal under William Buick.