Paul Kealy's Royal Ascot runners to follow - including the beaten handicapper who looks Group class

This is a free sample of Paul Kealy's Betting World, part of our Ultimate Daily newsletter service for Racing Post+ subscribers, who receive a different weekly email every evening at 6pm.

Subscribers can get fantastic insight from the likes of Kealy, Lee Mottershead, and Tom Segal every week – plus our regional correspondents provide the latest from their areas. Those who aren't yet signed up for The Ultimate Daily should click here to sign up and start receiving emails immediately!

Not a Racing Post+ subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive The Front Runner five mornings a week plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.

I don't know about you but I found Royal Ascot both brilliant and frustrating in equal measure.

The brilliant was obvious enough. Field Of Gold was just that when running away with the St James's Palace Stakes, Ombudsman wasn't far off when winning the Prince of Wales's, while it was great to see what really world-class sprinters could do on Saturday, Lazzat and Satono Reve destroying the best of Britain and Ireland in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee.

The frustrating was more from a punting point of view. I had three winners on the week and several places, some at big prices (one at 40-1 that I'd managed to back at 12-1 without best odds guaranteed!), so it wasn't an unmitigated disaster, but for most of the week I seemed to be on horses who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I try not to pay too much attention to the draw as history shows it tends to depend on where the jockeys want to go, but I just happened to back low-drawn on Thursday when they all wanted to be near the stands' rail and, I guess like a lot of other punters given the market moves, was on the high side on Friday when they changed their minds.

Now it might well be that after Thursday's results the jockeys were of the view that the clerk of the course had overdone the watering on the stands' side, but it would have been nice to know that before having your bets.

I don't think he did anyway. The only horse who ran right under the stands' rail after Thursday was Holkham Bay, who was beaten less than a length in the Wokingham, and unless he was simply the best horse in the race by a mile (doubtful after 22 previous career outings as a five-year-old that suggest otherwise) that means there was nothing in the draw.

Get It (white cap) wins the Wokingham under Seamie HeffernanCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Except, of course, in the minds of the jockeys, who ruined their own chances by covering extra ground by moving away from their original track position.

Still, this happens nearly every year, so I don't know why we should be surprised when it happens again. Annoyed, yes, but not surprised.

Anyway, it's all done and dusted now, so we may as well get over it and move on.

That's easier said than done sometimes, especially when you've spent the weekend poring over the replays, but I've dug up a few horses who could be worth following over the coming weeks, so here they are.

Get 60% off Racing Post+

Pricewise is red-hot after 22-1, 10-1, 10-1, 7-1 and 7-1 winners at Royal Ascot - make sure you never miss out by joining Racing Post+ Ultimate for £20 when you sign up via web using code JUNEJEWELS20 – that's a whopping 60% discount. Available only to new and returning customers. Subscription will auto-renew at £49.95 unless you call our cancellation line to cancel. Sign up now.

Endless Victory

Seventh, Copper Horse Stakes

John Gosden said after this race he thought the winner, French Master, might develop into a Cup horse, and that's not surprising given how well he won. He came from a long way off the pace down the outside and his finishing burst was impressive from a stayer, but at least he didn't run into any trouble in the straight.

I'm not saying Endless Victory would have beaten him or even come close, but he came from just as far back and ran into minor trouble a couple of times as William Buick tried to thread his way through, and he pretty much coasted home from over half a furlong out.

French Master (James Doyle) wins the Copper Horse StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

That was his first run at 1m6f and I'm pretty sure he stayed it well enough to have another crack.

A lot has been made about Charlie Appleby's recent record at Royal Ascot (off the cold list on Saturday with Rebel's Romance), but the opposite is true at Newmarket's July meeting and Endless Victory is in a 1m6f heritage handicap there.

French Master is also among the entries, but even if he turns up instead of heading into Group company, there will be a big turnaround at the weights, so I'd still be interested. 

Fallen Angel

Third, Duke of Cambridge Stakes

The ground was seriously fast from Wednesday onwards and there were plenty of horses who didn't run their races because of it, most notably Shadow Of Light in Friday's Commonwealth Cup.

You couldn't quite say that about Fallen Angel as she was only 4lb off her previous best RPR, but I don't think there's any doubt she was hating the ground throughout, particularly when asked to go for home.

Crimson Advocate wins the Duke of Cambridge Stakes with Fallen Angel (cheekpieces) back in thirdCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The fact she battled on so willingly suggests the cheekpieces were a good addition, but I'd imagine the ground is at least as important. 

She'll pick up another decent prize, perhaps even another Group 1, against her own sex when the surface is more to her liking.

Sing Us A Song

Ninth, King George V Stakes

Merchant's finishing split was pretty good given this was a steadily enough run race, and that he reportedly coughed the day before, but William Haggas put him in the Group 1 King George a week earlier, so perhaps we should have expected it. He was my saver in the race, but the main bet was Sing Us A Song, with the money lost as the stalls opened.

Sing Us A Song was impressive in making all and pulling clear in the closing stages at Sandown, but any thoughts of a repeat were blown out of the water when he got upset in the stalls and broke last.

He did well to make up the ground he did and is definitely worth keeping on side. 

Glittering Legend

Third, Hampton Court Stakes

Another horse I backed on Thursday, but not a real hard-luck story. This was one of those races in which all the jockeys decided to let the best one in the world, Ryan Moore, make his own pace and, surprise surprise, he got the fractions perfect.

In fairness, he was probably on the best horse by miles given by how easily Trinity College won from a second who raced in that position throughout, but I thought Glittering Legend was eyecatching enough.

Trinity College (Ryan Moore) wins the Hampton Court StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

He was too free on his first run at 1m2f and clearly wanted to go faster, and efforts to settle him weren't helped when he ran into the backside of one early on. He still travelled well, though, and found plenty to work his way into third, despite sustaining a small injury to his left leg.

James Fanshawe put him in the Eclipse, so he's always been well regarded, and while that will be a step too far too soon, something like the 1m1f Strensall Stakes at York could be perfect for him. 

Hammer The Hammer

Second, Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes

I have a feeling the big 5f sprint handicap is going to work out well this year and time may tell Hammer The Hammer has done really well to get within a length of giving 11lb to Adrestia.

Kevin Ryan's sprinter has come a long way since getting beaten as an even-money favourite on his third run in novice company in February.

He looked very well suited to the step up to 6f when winning his first two handicaps easily at Southwell and Chester, the latter despite stall ten, but the drop back to a stiff 5f was no hindrance and it was a good effort to be up with the pace throughout.

Hammer The Hammer (pink silks) finishes third in the Palace of Holyroodhouse StakesCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

I was a little surprised to see he hasn't been entered in the big 6f heritage handicap at Newmarket's July meeting, but perhaps his improvement caught connections off guard.

I would expect a Stewards' Cup entry now, though, and there's a chance he'd squeeze in off his current mark.

There is every chance he's a Group sprinter in the making. 

Miss Nightfall

Sixth, Sandringham Stakes

This is the one that got away as I'd backed her at 16-1 on Thursday morning and she was 16-5 favourite at the off, although I don't know why considering nobody wanted to be on the stands' side and she was drawn 28.

Had everyone wanted to be on the near side she could have got herself a position in midfield from the off and then worked her way through, but the sharp move from that draw to the middle of the track meant she was stone-last after a furlong.

There was a doubt about her staying beforehand, but she got the trip well enough and was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Whether over 7f or a mile, she's very well handicapped - the only problem is that everyone knows that now. 

Yah Mo Be There

Fifth, Jersey Stakes

Trainer Richard Spencer said pre-race he couldn't understand why his Yah Mo Be There was being so unconsidered in the market and the horse almost justified his belief, finishing a creditable fifth.

It's true he was beaten a long way by runaway winner Noble Champion, but he raced in a group which, for whatever reason, decided to race way off the pace set on the far side, and none of them ever had any chance.

Yah Mo Be There (black cap, left): finishes fifth behind Noble Champion in the Jersey StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

That he was able to come from stone-last to first on his side was a good effort, especially given he was officially the lowest-rated horse on that side.

I don't know what the plan is with him, but he's not going to go up the ratings from his mark of 99, so big-field handicaps could be an option, as this run is an indication that he's better than that.

Not a Racing Post+ subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.

Read these next:

How are the markets shaping up for the rest of this summer's big Group 1 races? 

Which Royal Ascot runner are you intent on backing next time? 

Why not make it a big sprint Saturday? Racing Post reporters raise their big talking points from Royal Ascot 

Get 60% off Racing Post+

Pricewise is red-hot after 22-1, 10-1, 10-1, 7-1 and 7-1 winners at Royal Ascot - make sure you never miss out by joining Racing Post+ Ultimate for £20 when you sign up via web using code JUNEJEWELS20 – that's a whopping 60% discount. Available only to new and returning customers. Subscription will auto-renew at £49.95 unless you call our cancellation line to cancel. Sign up now.