Await The Dawn can light up Royal Ascot

IT HAS been a mixed week for the Ballydoyle team, but they can end Royal Ascot on a high with Await The Dawn the best bet of the day in the Hardwicke Stakes.

So You Think suffered a shock defeat in Wednesday's Prince of Wales's Stakes, but Fame And Glory confirmed he is a stayer of the highest order by claiming Gold Cup glory.

Await The Dawn has had very little racing for a four-year-old, running only five times, but he looks sure to make his mark at the highest level before the year is out. The son of Giant's Causeway won one of his two juvenile starts and was unbeaten in two starts in 2010, signing off with a superb group-three victory at Leopardstown.

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He looked even better when making a winning return in Chester's Huxley Stakes and given he won on soft as a juvenile, any cut in the ground at Ascot should not be a problem.

Bewitched can strike a blow for the fairer sex in the Golden Jubilee Stakes. The Dansili filly was a course-and-distance winner last term. Admittedly it was only a group-three event, but she beat the reopposing Genki and Jimmy Styles on that occasion.

She arrives here in top form after making a winning return over seven furlongs at Leopardstown last month, showing she can also handle quicker ground on that occasion. She beat Zoffany by nearly two lengths that day and the runner-up underlined that form when narrowly denied by superstar Frankel in Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes over a mile.

Bewitched will have to be at the top of her game to win but she is a value bet in a competitive contest.

The result of the Golden Jubilee could provide a massive boost for the form of Victoire De Lyphar, who contests the Wokingham Stakes.

Bated Breath, Society Rock and Royal Rock all finished in front of him in a conditions event at Haydock last time and all turn out in the group-one heat. Should any of them make the frame in the Golden Jubilee, Victoire De Lyphar is sure to prove a popular choice, particularly as connections admitted the four-year-old was not 100 per cent ready on Merseyside.

Sir Michael Stoute has had a quiet week by his standards, but Blissful Moment can see him make the winner's enclosure after the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes.

In contrast, Mahmood Al Zarooni has enjoyed a career highlight in the last few days as Rewilding landed the Prince of Wales's, and recent Doncaster winner Falls Of Lora is expected to fly the flag with honour in the Chesham Stakes.

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The Queen Alexandra Stakes brings the curtain down on the meeting and Degas Art can oblige for Perth-based Lucinda Russell.

Winner of his last two starts over hurdles, he was listed-class in his three-year-old days and finished fourth in the King Edward VII Stakes at this meeting back in 2006.

Plenty of water has passed under the bridge since then, but this two-mile, five-furlong affair invariably throws up a well-priced winner.

Ed Dunlop's Red Cadeaux impressed at Hamilton on his latest start and is capable of defying top weight in the totepool Pontefract Castle Stakes tomorrow.

The five-year-old has been campaigned over all sorts of different trips during the last 12 months, but has run plenty of good races both in success and in defeat.

Although he ran well below expectations when favourite for the Chester Cup, he was back to a mile and a half in Lanarkshire and it seemed to suit him well. All types of ground appear to come alike and he should take plenty of beating.

At Royal Ascot yesterday, Immortal Verse came from last to first to land the Coronation Stakes for France. Storming into the lead inside the final furlong under a confident ride from Gerald Mosse, the Robert Collet-trained 8-1 shot quickly settled the issue.

Nova Hawk (9-2), also trained in France by Collet's son, Rod, was two-and-a-quarter lengths away in second. Richard Fahey's Barefoot Lady (16-1) was another half a length away in third.

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Nathaniel advertised his St Leger claims with an authoritative display in the King Edward VII Stakes. John Gosden elected to skip the Derby with the colt on account of fast ground, and his decision was vindicated.

William Buick had him in the perfect position throughout and kicked clear turning into the straight. The 11-4 favourite powered clear to beat the staying-on Fiorente by five lengths.

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