The second day of the Summer Mile Racing Weekend offers over £375,000 in prize money on a seven-race card, including £140,000 for the feature race, the Anne Cowley Memorial Summer Mile which is a Group 2 contest run over the Old Mile on the Round Course.
We begin proceedings with the A1R Services Heritage Handicap at 1.45pm over the minimum trip of five furlongs, with the winner taking home £51,540. King’s Lynn went off favourite for this race last year, finishing sixth, and has slid considerably in the weights since then, now racing off a mark fully 13 pounds lower than in the 2023 renewal. He’s starting to find form now and this could be his day to get his head in front again. Existent is another to have bounced back recently following a poor run, having finished second last time out – he too ran in this race last year, finishing one place in front of King’s Lynn. Get It certainly doesn’t lack for confidence, having won the last twice albeit over six furlongs, though he has decent form at five too. Fair Wind finished second over the course and distance in May and has continued in fine fettle so is another to take seriously.
The Anne Cowley Memorial Summer Mile (2.20pm) features a number of promising types who could still be improving – none more obviously than Quddwah, who is unbeaten in his three career starts having most recently won the Listed Paradise Stakes here at the start of May. This will require more, but he’s certainly still got untapped potential. Sonny Liston is a battle-hardened warrior having shouldered top-weight in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and still managed to finish an honourable second – he’s well worth his place in Group company. Embesto runs in the same Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum colours as Quddwah and has proven himself a contender at this level albeit he has come up short the last twice in Group races. Royal Dubai made hay in Meydan handicaps earlier this year then finished second in a Group 3 at Epsom at the start of May so shouldn’t be overlooked.
The Juddmonte British EBF Restricted Novice Stakes over seven furlongs at 2.57pm features 12 two-year-olds, only four of whom have run previously. Tiger Mask has the most experience in the field having improved from first to second start when runner-up at York last month – the way he stayed on after being outpaced should mean this extra furlong will suit him. Big Sip, too, was runner-up last time out when beaten a neck on the all-weather at Kempton Park – he was well-backed that day and was a massive eyecatcher, only inexperience preventing him from winning, so he should be taken very seriously with that first run under his belt. Roger Varian trained the winner of last year’s race in debutant Al Musmak, this year he relies on Accentuate to perform a similar trick.
The Ascot Racecourse Supports Sport In Mind Handicap (3.32pm) is the longest race on the card over one mile and six furlongs with the competitors starting in front of the grandstand before one full loop of the track. Coco Royale is on a roll having won her last two starts, including a five-and-a-half length win over this distance at Sandown on her seasonal reappearance last month – the handicapper may not have caught up with her yet. Tactician also brings winning form into this race after victory at Goodwood last time out, he enters handicaps on a fair mark. Dancing In Paris was denied another win when favourite last time out and now steps up in trip to try and squeeze out a tad more improvement. Manxman is already a stalwart of these long-distance contests at the age of four and is a solid yardstick in the context of this race.
The Magnum Classic Ice Cream Handicap (4.07pm) features last year’s favourite, La Yakel, who was denied by a neck coming into the race on his seasonal reappearance. He’s eight pounds higher in the weights this year but clearly goes well fresh and could go one better on his first start this year. Sheradann is also having his first race of 2024 and for a new trainer, having moved from Francis-Henri Graffard in France to the Ian Williams yard – he’ll have to prove that this trip isn’t too sharp for him having run up a hat-trick largely over longer distances at the back end of 2023. Sheer Rocks won over the course and distance in May 2023 and could improve for his comeback run at Royal Ascot, whilst at the bottom of the weights Lord Melbourne got his first win for new trainer Ralph Beckett last time out and could still be improving.
The Village Hotels Fillies' Handicap (4.42pm) over the Straight Mile will see Mercury Day look to win her third race in a row – she was a comfortable winner on handicap debut last time out and a five-pound rise in the weights may not be enough to halt her streak. There are plenty of dangers though, notably Fair Point who is similarly unexposed as a three-year-old and won her maiden by a staggering 20 lengths, albeit the second-placed horse that day has since finished stone-last in two handicaps. Bellarchi cosily won a handicap over the course and distance in May and is just three pounds higher in the weights today, albeit she won’t have the benefit of Sean D Bowen’s five pound claim this time to alleviate some of that burden.
Drawing proceedings to a close is the Sportvision Handicap over seven furlongs at 5.17pm and the only horse to have won last time out is Pedro Valentino, who made all in first-time cheekpieces at Haydock last month – he could still improve from that run. Kodi Lion was ridden out the back last time out and endured a troubled passage, finishing with a wet sail and seeming to suggest that the extra furlong of this race would suit. Burdett failed to live up to market expectations last time at Thirsk but is well worth another chance to prove himself, whilst grand old servant Lord Rapscallion will be having the 74th run of his career and with a sliding mark, it’s perhaps only a matter of time until he’s back in the winners’ enclosure for the first time since May last year.
