Ryan Moore previews his day two rides at Royal Ascot

Ryan Moore previews his day two rides at Royal Ascot – including a big chance in a “top-notch” Prince of Wales’s Stakes

• Ryan Moore has another full book of rides on day two of the Royal Ascot meeting
• Moore rides Luxembourg in the sole Group One on the card – the Prince of Wales’s Stakes
• Moore enjoyed a strong start to the meeting by securing a treble on the card on day one – including the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes on board Paddington

As Royal Ascot Day Two begins to gather momentum, so does Betfair Ambassador Ryan Moore’s thoughts on the day.

Moore had a superb day one at Ascot, picking up a treble of wins. He won the Coventry Stakes on River Tiber, the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes aboard Paddington and the Copper Horse Handicap with Vauban.

2.30 – Balsam

I obviously haven’t ridden her [Balsam] before, but it looks like she is progressing with her racing, and she won her Listed race in Vichy last time. 

That will probably need improving on a fair amount – the runner-up was well beaten in Group 3 company next time – but this race is all about potential in the absence of a stand-out, so, of course, she has her chance. 

The stable had the runner-up to Lady Aurelia in this race back in 2016.

3.05 – Crystal Caprice

She [Crystal Caprice] had a golden spell last summer, which included a course win over this trip, albeit on the straight track, and she looked on the way back when fourth over 1m2f at Ayr last time.

The handicapper has refused to budge from a mark of 101 for her, despite her having been beaten in her last four starts, which is disappointing, but I do think the step down to a mile that will suit this filly. Hopefully, she is primed for a career – best and any more rain will help her chances. Her draw in 20 could have been better.

3.40 – Jumbly

Jumbly has something to find with the likes of Prosperous Voyage, but I’d be surprised if she isn’t pretty competitive here. It certainly looks like the betting thinks she will be. 

This beautifully bred filly changed hands for a lot of money after winning here last July and everyone was delighted with her comeback run at the Curragh, a race in which she shaped very well in second against a mare that got on the lead and never came back. 

She will be all the better for the run, and I’d expect a fair amount of improvement here.

That said, I do like Grande Dame, a filly who I won on at Sandown last season, and I can see her going well, too, though it’s a big ask to be winning this first time up. It’s a tight-knit race, with several in with a chance, not least Prosperous Voyage who isn’t penalised for her Group 1 win.

4.20 – Luxembourg

Even in the absence of Desert Crown, this is clearly a top-notch Group 1. You have to massively respect the claims of Adayar and My Prospero, and I would expect Bay Bridge to be ready to run his best race of the campaign here. Any ease in the ground by Wednesday afternoon would be very much in his favour.

However, I beat him fair and square in Ireland last time and although many said I got the run of the race from the front there, I would counter and say that my colt saw Bay Bridge off when challenged and was well on top at the line. When my horse is on his A-game, it will take a very good one to beat him.

You could argue that Mostahdaf is the overpriced one in here on his best form, but he has to go and do it at the highest level.

5.00 – Sonny Liston

Again, I have never ridden him before but he was a good horse in the first part of 2022, when he finished placed in Listed and Group 3 company and even took his chance in the Derby. 

He looks fairly handicapped off 100 and hopefully he will have been primed to have come on significantly for his return at Newbury, though I did think he shaped okay there on his first start for the stable and the first-time blinkers will hopefully sharpen him up.

5.35 – Peking Oscar

We had four in here at the five-day stage, but this looks a good fit for Peking Opera. He had the pace to beat Bertinelli over a mile last season and the stamina to win over 1m5f in soft ground on his reappearance and I’d say that was a decent Listed race.

He takes after Galileo than the speedier distaff side of his pedigree, and he is quite obviously an unexposed colt after three starts. This will be the first time I have ridden him in a race, though.

6.10 – Johannes Brahms

Ideally, you like to come to Ascot with a juvenile with at least a couple of runs under their belt but this Siyouni colt deserves his shot after his debut win at Naas last month. I am not sure just how strong that Naas form is, though the runner-up came out and finished second to River Tiber, but the fact he is here tells you he is reckoned worthy of his place.

This 5f Ascot race may be a bit sharp for him but he is a horse I like, even though I wasn’t on him at Naas and this will obviously be the first time I have ridden him in a race. We also run Alabama in here, who I have ridden on both his starts, and we believe he is better than he has shown so far. The first-time blinkers could help him.