 Tim Carroll 's Bio | |
|---|---|
| Tim started off as a jockey in Australia before pursuing a media career. He is a highly experienced and respected racing presenter who has been based in England since 2005. Tim has travelled the world covering many of the major meetings, including Royal Ascot, The Epsom Derby, The International meeting from Sha Tin, The Dubai World Cup, The Everest, The Saudi Cup and The Breeders. He is currently a presenter for Sky Sports Racing, specialising in both the local and international scene. Tim is a regular contributor to the At The Races Website where his twice weekly tipping column on Hong Kong racing has gathered a strong following. | |
Ascot Racecourse – Track Analysis (Commonwealth Cup Day):
Ascot is a large right-handed galloping triangular shaped track, just over 2800m in circumference, with a straight run of 500m on the round course. There is a straight 1600m course, which all races below 1600m are held. There are two start points for races run over 1600m, one on the round course and the other on the straight course.
The track was redeveloped in 2005 and the ground in the straight drains quicker than the rest of the course, meaning ground descriptions can vary. Being a large track with an uphill finish dragging almost the entire straight (including the length of the straight course), Ascot suits hold-up horses, and front-runners need to be ridden conservatively to ensure they save energy.
Commonwealth Cup Day, day 4 of the Royal Ascot meeting see’s seven turf races for coverage.
For the races on the round course, the 1594m Coronation Stakes, they start from a chute at the top of the course on the right-hand side, and re-joins the course proper midway through the Swinley Bottom. In other words, from the lowest point of the entire Round Course, they will attack straight up a steady incline before hitting the home bend and entering the 500m straight, meanwhile racing continuously uphill, all the way to the finish. There is no draw bias, but horses ridden with restraint usually do well.
Both Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) and King Edward VII Stakes are over 2392m. The draw on the round course is of little consequence, although high drawn horses do have a good record in both of these races in recent years. Over 2392m they start at the top of the back straight and have a nice long downhill run before levelling out at Swindley Bottom and turning into a straight that gently rises down the side of the course onto a sweeping home turn entering the 500m uphill straight. Horses on the front will be afforded every opportunity in steadily run races, but races run at a decent gallop will suit back-markers as the uphill rise will take its toll on those ridden aggressively.
For the four races on the straight course, the 1000m Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap), the 1200m Albany Stakes and the Commonwealth Cup, as well as the 1600m Sandringham Stakes (Handicap), in smaller fields they tend to come down the centre of the track, but can split into two and sometimes even three groups in larger fields. With the straight course being uphill nearly all the way, speed horses do have a decent record over this trip, but if they go too quickly on the front, the closers will dominate for 1000m. However, the further they go the more it suits horses ridden patiently, and those ridden with restraint normally do well.
The feature race G1 Commonwealth Cup is a recent edition to the Royal meeting, with the first running held in 2015. In this particular race, they have come down the centre five renewals and from rail once in 2017, only once have they split into two groups in 2018 when they came centre and grandstand side. Given the uphill nature of the straight course, it’s no surprise that six of the winners have either sat mid division or been held-up, although last year’s winner, CAMPANELLE, made all, which is the only time the race has been run on heavy going. The average field size for the race is 14.6, whilst the average winning barrier is 7.
Last year’s Commonwealth Cup saw a field of 15 go to post. On jumping, the entire field elected to come down the centre of the track, with the American filly, CAMPANELLE, taking up the running, whilst MIGHTY GURKHA, A CASE OF YOU and JUMBY, all went forward, with DRAGON SYMBOL in a prominent position on the outside. At the race developed they drifted toward the grandstand side, but still well away from rail, and several of those on the front started to come under ride. However, CAMPANELLE and DRAGON SYMBOL were still travelling strongly, and at the 200m pole the pair came away to fight it out. They drifted across the track, and there was nothing between them on the line, with DRAGON SYMBOL given the verdict, with the pair over 5 lengths in front of the third, MEASURE OF MAGIC, in a time that was 4.37 slower than standard. However, DRAGON SYMBOL was deemed to have laid in on CAMPANELLE over the concluding stages and the result was reversed in the Stewards room with CAMPANELLE declared the winner.
The weather forecast suggests it will be mostly fine in the days leading up to Day 4 of the Royal meeting, and mostly sunny weather is being forecasted for the fourth day although there is a small chance of light showers. Over the last ten years there has been good in the going description every year except 2012, when the ground was soft, and 2021 when overnight rain saw the ground downgraded to heavy. If the forecast is correct, the going is likely to have good in the description this year.
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