Angus McNae's Racing UK Blog
	Tuesday 16th June 2015

A day for favourites can be trumped by Ray Ward

It is the start of a magnificent week of action on Racing UK.

Royal Ascot has, and always will, be the most prestigious meeting of the year and this week they must be applauded for attracting so many high-profile international raiders.

This meeting has quite rightly become a truly international event and we must back one of the raiders in the opening event of the meeting.

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The Queen Anne Stakes is a top-class renewal and the clash between Able Friend, the raider from Hong Kong, and Solow the Dubai Turf winner, is a head-on collision that is a truly a fitting opening for the meeting.

For me Solow is the right favourite and I think he will win.

When I had the privilege of interviewing Freddy Head for Planet Turf a few months ago he likened this horse to Goldikova, In fact he felt this horse could be one of the best horses he has ever trained. His effortless win in the Dubai turf and Prix D'Ispahan were impressive visually, and on the clock.

He is up against the Hong Kong champion in the shape of Able Friend. This horse is a Far Eastern superstar, but a straight stiff mile is not his bag and he is up against a monster in the shape of Solow, who can get us off to a winning start at this year's meeting.

In the King's Stand Stakes we should be backing Sole Power to win this race for the third time in a row.

He loves this track and shaped with distinct promise in his prep run at the Curragh. In fact he is following a similar pattern to his win in the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai, where he was given an easy time in his prep race and then won the big one when it mattered. He had a similarly easy time last time out and now he will be ready to give of his best again. I take him to pounce late under Richard Hughes.

Finally I fancy Ray Ward to run well in the Ascot Stakes. I believe this has been his target ever since he was hampered in the race last year when he finished sixth. He has had a satisfactory prep run and he is not entirely straightforward, but he should be backed each-way.

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Angus McNae's Royal Ascot Tuesday tips:

2.30 Ascot: Solow at 6-4 generally available

3.40 Ascot: Sole Power at 4-1 with bet365 and Ladbrokes

5.00 Ascot: Ray Ward each-way at 7-1 with Ladbrokes and Paddy Power