Kingman gets vote in St James’s Palace Stakes on day one of Royal Ascot

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/16/kingman-st-james-palace-royal-ascot

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Few races have ever worked out so well as last month’s 2,000 Guineas, from which the beaten horses have since gone on to win the Irish 2,000, the Dante Stakes, the Derby and the French Derby. Now, we get to see the winner again as Night Of Thunder lines up for the St James’s Palace Stakes, highlight of Tuesday’sRoyal Ascot card.

Can we expect a repeat performance? He was plausibly the best horse that day, finishing powerfully despite hanging across the track. A bit more give in the ground here should actually suit him better.

But you could worry about the reason for his hanging at Newmarket. If he was running away from the whip, then the question becomes whether he feels like getting involved in another battle. The Guineas looked like a hard race and we cannot know whether it has left a mark. Moreover, Night Of Thunder runs around a bend for the first time on Tuesday.

These imponderables do not apply to Kingman (4.25), who came out three weeks ago and hacked up in the Irish Guineas. He was probably not unlucky when mugged by Night Of Thunder at Newmarket but he was sent for home a fair way out and this race may pan out better for him than his rival.

2.30 The ex-American Verazzano is a fascinating prospect for this summer but his chance here has been undermined by 10mm of watering last week followed by 18mm of rain on Saturday. This straight course dries quickly but probably not quickly enough to suit this magnificent-looking beast. He must be vulnerable to Toronado, narrowly beaten in the St James’s Palace last year and a Group One winner the following month. This has been his aim all year and his trainer, Richard Hannon, rates him as his best chance of the week.

3.05 War Envoy has clearly been pleasing in his home work but his recent defeat at Naas was disappointing. Adaay looks a better proposition but, at 25-1, Jungle Cat is still more attractive. The form of his Goodwood win has already been boosted.

3.45 The ground may not be quite quick enough for Sole Power, so Shea Shea has a chance to take revenge for his narrow defeat by that rival last year. He was narrowly ahead of Sole Power when the pair were second and third at York in August.

5.00 A change of stable and the fitting of a hood appear to have helped Villa Royale achieve new heights. She beat a big field at York last month in a contest that produced the winner of this race last year.

5.35 Hootenanny is the first of the usual juvenile band brought from America by Wesley Ward, who achieved his first Royal Ascot success in this race five years ago. The colt did not cope with dirt last time but should do much better on turf.