Cookie Camp to make late decision on Gold Cup participation
Events at Royal Ascot this summer are likely to attract much of the attention in the world of horse racing, with record prize money at this year’s event helping to entice one of the most competitive fields in recent history. However, one horse who is yet to make a decision on its involvement at the iconic meeting is Ascot Gold Cup outsider Cookie Camp. The 20/1 shot with bookmakers Coral is likely to leave it until the final minutes before making a decision, with the ground at Ascot ultimately determining his fate. Having registered the biggest win of his career at the recent Yorkshire Gold Cup, seeing off the threat of the likes of Curbyourenthusiasm along the way, the Peter Nevin trained horse now faces an anxious wait before the big race.
Elsewhere, this year’s meeting at Royal Ascot looks set for more of an international feel to it, as a record number of overseas entries assemble on the Berkshire based course. With one hundred and sixty-four overseas entries beating the previous record by eight, with Aiden O’Brien perhaps unsurprisingly responsible for over half of the eighty-one Irish entries. With time still available for further additions, the US currently field eighteen runners, with a further twenty-one runners coming from Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.
Last year’s Breeders Cup Mile winner Tepin will undoubtedly be one of the stars of the show, as the horse who is unbeaten so far in 2016 go’s for glory in the much anticipated Queen Anne Stakes. With race odds of 3/1 from Coral, the US sprinter certainly has a lot of pressure going into the race. However, with a total of forty-one horses entered into the race, the favourite is unlikely to have things all her own way. Last year’s winner Solow will not be among those standing in her way however, with the horse taking a period of recuperation following recent exertions. Coral now back Irish horse Belardo as second favourite with odds of 6/1.
The withdrawal of Chautauqua from the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot is one piece of disappointing news for race organisers. However, the quality still on display should more than make up for such an absence. Having claimed back to back wins recently, including Duke of York stakes, Magical Memory has emerged as the favourite in the Australian sprinter’s absence. The Irish horse is now the 6/1 favourite in the horse racing odds from Coral.
