Royal Ascot Ratings Update: The Group 1s

There was a large field for the 2017 Queen Anne Stakes but it wasn't absolutely full of quality, Ribchester (unchanged on 131) the only European Group 1 winner amongst them, and although Deauville, American Patriot and Miss Temple City had all won Grade 1s in the US they had all been relatively weak races for the top level. However, it was a fair race all round, no doubting the result, whilst a course-record time adds substance for all that the very firm ground was obviously a big contributing factor. The biggest improver was Deauville (up 2 lb to 124) who was dropped back to 1m and refitted with headgear, both for the first time since his two-year-old season. This effort increases his options for the rest of the season.

The King's Stand wasn't such a cosmopolitan renewal as we've sometimes had in recent years, with no southern hemisphere challenge and only two of the 17-strong field trained outside of Britain and Ireland, but it looked a deep race. There was no bias in the draw, whilst it was a trouble-free race too ,and very much a case of the cream rising to the top, with Lady Aurelia (up 8 lb to 135) producing a quite brilliant and dominant display of speed, amongst the best ever performances in this race and one of the best ever from a filly in Timeform's 69-year history; the time was very fast, only just outside of Miss Andretti's course record. Last year’s winner Profitable (125) was a gallant second, matching the pick of his form shown when winning the Temple Stakes at Haydock last term.

The focus was on Churchill (remains on 126p) in Tuesday’s final Group 1, as he was bidding to complete the rare treble of Guineas, Irish Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, and his chance was an obvious one on form, facing a trio of rivals that he had beaten in the first two races, as well as the Poulains third and three make-weights. That he failed to give his running was an obvious let-down, detracting somewhat from the performance of the winner, though Barney Roy (up 3 lb to 128p) was having just his fourth run and hadn't been seen to advantage at Newmarket. A conclusive rematch between the pair is hopefully on the cards for later in the summer, though the winner is set to go up in trip.

In the words of David Cleary, this was a superb horserace won by a superb racehorse (the 129-rated Highland Reel) who, while he might not be outstanding in form terms, is impossible to knock with regard to attitude and durability, qualities every bit as desirable as raw ability. The field contained four last-time-out winners at Group 1 level and the form has a very solid look to it even though the pace was on the steady side, the one disappointment of the race Jack Hobbs (now 129). Decorated Knight (up 2lb to 124) ran well but was just found out in a better race at this level than those he'd won at Meydan and the Curragh, while Ulysses (125) ran up to his best after eight weeks off, just not quite good enough against a real scrapper after looking to come with a winning run. The fourth – Queen’s Trust (122) was an eye-catcher - shaping well in a race in which it was difficult to get involved from off the pace. She's going to remain a major contender at the top level, both against the colts but particularly so back against her own sex.

The last of the Gold Cup’s 20 furlongs will go down in Royal Ascot folklore for the thrill of the chase, with the defender attacking the pretender for the Gold Cup, Big Orange (122) calling on all the qualities that got him here to fight off the higher-powered but weaker-minded Order of St George (down 4 lb to 124), their contrast in tactics also adding to the drama. They were out on their own in the end, six lengths clear of the St Leger winner Harbour Law (119). The form at the top end was only on par for Gold Cup-winning standard rather than anything above, but the fact there was two of them showing it made it the race it was. Unfortunately, Harbour Law will miss the rest of the season due to sustaining a tendon injury.

The third edition of the Commonwealth Cup looked the best one yet, both Caravaggio (129p) and Harry Angel (127) already in the high-class bracket and Blue Point (up 7 lb to 125) not far behind them, and in finishing three lengths clear that trio did plenty to suggest they'll be leading contenders in all the top sprints for the rest of the season. Harry Angel forced a sound pace into a headwind, with Blue Point never far away and Caravaggio coming from mid-field, the three of them having the race between them from 1f out. Caravaggio put up another high-class effort to maintain his perfect record, doing well to catch a couple of high-class rivals that briefly looked like they might have got away from him. He'll continue to take all the beating in the top races at this trip for the rest of the season, especially as there's a good chance he's got an even bigger effort in the locker. Harry Angel would be champion sprinter material in many a normal year and will be a big player in races at this trip or even down at 5f for the reason of 2017. Blue Point produced another personal best of his own, looking every inch a high-class sprinter who'll go well again in top company.

The Coronation Stakes is an historic Group 1, but all this edition amounted to was another tick on the checklist of divisional dominance by Winter (121p), despite the presence of the winners of the French Guineas and the Fred Darling, as well as a multiple Graded scorer from the US, none of them - nor the rest - any worry for Winter.

The Diamond Jubilee was a well-up-to-standard renewal, even though the foreign challenge wasn't nearly so strong as it can sometimes be, not a single runner from Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong. All the principals came from well off the pace, pacesetting Suedois (up 2 lb to 120) and Kachy (115) better than the result, while several found trouble in running as well, space at a premium as the field migrated to the far side rail, those also deserving extra credit. The finish was tight and might have gone one of three ways if the cards had fallen differently, the winner The Tin Man (unchanged on 126) hampering the third Limato (down 2 lb to 127) and, indirectly, the runner-up Tasleet (up 2lb to 125) late on, the stewards right under the rules to leave the result unaltered, for all that the runner-up might have won without a bump. A rematch between the principals in the July Cup is hopefully on the cards, when the best three-year-olds will present strong opposition too. Librisa Breeze (123) shaped as if retaining all his ability after eight months off, though even with a race run ideally for him he would probably have done better still back at 7f. There is a shortage of obvious races for him at 7f, so he may continue at this trip by default, though he isn't in the July Cup at present.

Click here for Royal Ascot Ratings Update: Two-year-old races