Forgotten Voice to break Stoute’s stranglehold on Hardwicke Stakes
SIR MICHAEL Stoute saddles both Telescope and Hillstar in a bid to extend his own record of seven wins in the Hardwicke Stakes (3.45pm) tomorrow.
Ryan Moore, who has partnered two of the last four winners, has opted to ride one-time Investec Derby favourite Telescope in the 12 furlong contest and the son of Galileo looks likely to head the betting.
The ultra-consistent four-year-old has yet to finish out of the first two in all seven career starts to date, yet has disappointed on three of his last four starts. Admittedly, the ground and trip may have been against him on the last two occasions, but I’m prepared to take him on at the likely prohibitive price.
Stablemate Hillstar was a winner over course and distance in last year’s King Edward VII Stakes, but is another who has become just a little disappointing.
I’m prepared to take a chance on FORGOTTEN VOICE, who incidentally was also a winner at last year’s royal meeting.
Nicky Henderson, a man more associated with Cheltenham winners, has always maintained that Forgotten Voice is hugely talented on lightning fast ground and we will get those conditions if the weather stays fair.
He was given too much to do when narrowly failing to reel in Mount Athos at Newbury last time and looks the value alternative against the market leaders under Kieren Fallon.
Willie Mullins and Moore teamed up to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes (5.35pm) back in 2012 with Simenon and the pair can strike again with PIQUE SOUS.
Simenon recorded an historic Ascot Stakes/Queen Alexandra Stakes double that year and the plan was to try and repeat the trick with Pique Sous two years on.
Sadly, the seven-year-old was rated 1lb too high to line-up in Tuesday’s contest, but that’s a positive as he’ll be fresher for tomorrow’s marathon contest.
Pointers…
FORGOTTEN VOICE e/w 3.45pm Ascot (tomorrow)
PIQUE SOUS e/w 5.35pm Ascot (tomorrow)