Artorius can turn Royal Ascot form around and bag another major sprint prize for Australia in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.
Nature Strip secured a sensational success for the Antipodean raiders in the King’s Stand Stakes at the summer highlight, but Artorius just fell short in his quest to make it a sprint double for the raiding team.
Lining up in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, Artorius took up his usual waiting role before launching a powerful challenge in the final 200m, but he did not enjoy a perfect passage in his run and Jamie Spencer was forced to switch for space.
Beaten just 0.75 lengths by the reopposing Godolphin pair of Naval Crown and Creative Force, it is impossible to say with certainty that Artorius would have won with a clear route, but he was definitely closing all the way to the line.
Compensation could await for Anthony and Sam Freedman’s charge.
Samburu ran with huge credit in the Jersey Stakes at the Royal meeting and moving back to handicap company can see him back on the winning trail in the bet365 Bunbury Cup.
He was unbeaten in his first three outings for John and Thady Gosden, winning a backend novice at Yarmouth last year before returning with a cosy Salisbury novice verdict in April.
Moved to handicap level at York’s May meeting, Samburu triumphed off a mark of 88, winning by 0.50 lengths in a cosy manner and prompting a try in Group 3 company, when Samburu ran well for a long way before fading in the finish.
Samburu is now rated 97, but the conditions of the race mean he has a handy pull which could prove decisive.
Lion Of War has made quite a splash in two starts to date and he can make it three on the bounce in the bet365 Superlative Stakes.
A son of the excellent Roaring Lion, he grabbed the headlines when becoming the sire’s first winner at Leicester last month and then followed up in some style with a 10-length demolition job at Newcastle.
Clearly this is a leap in class, but Lion Of War looks a horse of immense potential.
His stablemate, Thunderous, can make it a double for the Charlie and Mark Johnston team in the John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes at York.
Winner of the Dante in 2020, Thunderous has slightly struggled to find his niche since, but a recent move to more staying trips has yielded some decent results, most notably second to Stradivarius in the Yorkshire Cup.
His latest spin saw him fall short on his first try over 3200m and moving back 400m is a plus.
First View is worth a chance at a decent price in the John Smith’s Cup Handicap.
The five-year-old posted a decent effort on his return from 811 days off the track when beaten a head at Kempton in May and he showed plenty of progression when improving on that to score at Leicester.
The 2000m trip is an unknown, but there is stamina on his dam’s side and Stefano Cherchi takes off a useful 1.5kg.
Royal Acclaim can land a first Listed title in the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes.
So impressive on her return at Bath last month, James Tate obviously has high hopes given he has made a clutch of Group-race entries for her later in the year.
My Oberon can strike Group 2 gold in Ascot’s Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes, while the admirable Oscula makes a swift return from defeat at Sandown last week to tackle the Raymond & Kathleen Corbett Memorial City Plate Stakes at Chester. - Press Association
TOP TIPS FOR SATURDAY'S UK MEETINGS
NEWMARKET: Race 1: 14.30 Running Lion, Race 2: 15.05 Kidwah, Race 3: 15.40 Bay Of Honour, Race 4: 16.15 Lion Of War, Race 5: 16.50 Samburu, Race 6: 17.25 ARTORIUS (NAP), Race 7: 18.00 Commonsensical.
YORK: Race 1: 14.45 Tammani, Race 2: 15.20 Thunderous, Race 3: 15.55 Gift Of Raaj, Race 4: 16.30 Sanks A Million, Race 5: 17.05 First View, Race 6: 17.40 Royal Aclaim, Race 7: 18.15 Good Earth.
ASCOT: Race 1: 14.50 Kyeema, Race 2: 15.25 Bague D’or, Race 3: 16.00 Equality, Race 4: 16.35 My Oberon, Race 5: 17.10 Warren Point, Race 6: 17.45 Eponina, Race 7: 18.20 Out From Under.
CHESTER: Race 1: 14.58 Kitaab, Race 2: 15.33 Stunt Game, Race 3: 16.08 Crazy Luck, Race 4: 16.43 Oscula, Race 5: 17.18 Soul Stopper, Race 6: 17.53 Beauzon, Race 7: 18.30 Visibility.
SALISBURY: Race 1: 18.45 Rogue Rocket, Race 2: 19.15 Stand Strong, Race 3: 19.45 Field Of Honour, Race 4: 20.15 Sous Les Etoiles, Race 5: 20.45 Gilbert, Race 6: 21.15 Lady Reset, Race 7: 21.45 Songo.
HAMILTON: Race 1: 19.00 Mereside Diva, Race 2: 19.30 Astapor, Race 3: 20.00 Muhtashim, Race 4: 20.30 Nova Legend, Race 5: 21.00 Clan Jock, Race 6: 21.30 Time To Rumble.
ALL TO COME: Lion Of War and Artorius(Newmarket, Races 4 and 6).
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