'She's the main one to take from the race' - who were the eyecatchers in the six juvenile contests at Royal Ascot?

The two-year-old races are always a hot topic for debate going into Royal Ascot, and perhaps even more so in the aftermath. With only one successful favourite this year and the SPs for the other five winners ranging from 5-1 to 150-1, there are plenty of talking points about the results and which runners will go on from here. Here we dissect all six Royal Ascot juvenile races...

Coventry Stakes
Winner: River Tiber
Distance: 6f

The Coventry Stakes tends to be the hottest juvenile race to follow and that was backed up last week, with last year's winner Bradsell landing the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes. 

This year's winner River Tiber is now 3-3 and looks potentially top class for Aidan O'Brien, having recorded a Racing Post Rating of 110 (Bradsell's RPR last year was 111). While the 11-8 favourite scraped home by only a neck from Army Ethos, he won the race on his side by almost two lengths and may well have been compromised by the draw. The Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh looks a potential target.

Runner-up Army Ethos is worth keeping on side. This son of Shalaa is all power, sharing similarities with Bradsell, and is firmly on the upgrade, having gone to Ascot with only an Ayr maiden win under his belt. Given his early speed, the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood may well suit the Archie Watson-trained colt.

Bucanero Fuerte ran a creditable third for Adrian Murray, having been absent for three months since his debut success at the Curragh after a bout of coughing kept him out of an intended second run. He could improve plenty for this effort. Further back, the Richard Hannon-trained Haatem caught the eye, staying on strongly into fifth and looking likely to be suited by an extra furlong.

Crimson Advocate beats Relief Rally in the Queen Mary Stakes Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Queen Mary Stakes
Winner: Crimson Advocate
Distance: 5f

Victory went to a US-trained filly for the fifth time since 2009 but this time the winning trainer was George Weaver rather than perennial raider Wesley Ward. 

Weaver took full advantage of the inaugural 'win and you're in' juvenile races at Gulfstream Park, landing both events and sending the winners to Royal Ascot. While No Nay Mets was only ninth in the Norfolk, 9-1 shot Crimson Advocate led from pillar to post in the Queen Mary and hung on gamely by a nose from the fast-finishing Relief Rally, recording an RPR of 107. Plans for the daughter of Nyquist will seemingly be built around a tilt at the Breeders' Cup.

The William Haggas-trained Relief Rally was fastest through the final two furlongs by some way and undoubtedly went down as the main one to take from the race. There seemed to be a bias towards higher-drawn horses, so the two who came home in front on the far side, Andrew Balding's Flora Of Bermuda (sixth overall) and the Karl Burke-trained Lady Pink Rose (seventh), are well worth noting.

Just behind them was Balsam, who is trained in France by Henri-Francois Devin and was noted making late headway into eighth under Ryan Moore.

Big Evs and Jason Hart win the Windsor Castle StakesCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Windsor Castle Stakes
Winner: Big Evs
Distance: 5f

Big Evs showed blistering speed for an all-the-way victory in the Windsor Castle, clearly making significant progress from his runner-up effort on his Redcar debut three weeks earlier. Visually the 20-1 shot was the most impressive juvenile winner of the week and there seemed no fluke about his three-length success, which was given an RPR of 106. The powerful son of Blue Point looks to have a bright future for Mick Appleby.

Runner-up Johannes Brahms did best of those to race in the centre, but the other Aidan O'Brien runner Alabama appeals most as one to follow.

He won the race in the far-side group by four and a half lengths and his final-furlong time was bettered only by the winner. While Johannes Brahms was 100-30 favourite, Alabama was 25-1 and it is clear he ran way above market expectations. He has yet to win in three starts but has progressed with each run and his ceiling is yet to be reached.  

Valiant Force and Rossa Ryan after winning the Norfolk Stakes at 150-1 Credit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Norfolk Stakes
Winner: Valiant Force
Distance: 5f 

There were plenty of shock winners at this year's royal meeting and the biggest of all was delivered by 150-1 chance Valiant Force. 

The Adrian Murray-trained colt had been beaten on both starts, albeit in good company, but stepped up considerably to win by a length and a quarter with an RPR of 107. The outcome never looked in doubt once he kicked clear at the furlong pole and it is hard to knock his performance. He was professional and showed a good turn of foot to win with something in hand.

He was chased home by the Richard Fahey-trained Malc, who deserves great credit given he produced the fastest final furlong of the 14 runners. He looks destined to improve plenty throughout the season.

The hard-luck story belonged to fourth-placed His Majesty, another from Aidan O'Brien's strong squad of juveniles. The son of No Nay Never had finished ahead of Valiant Force on both previous starts and won the race on his side of the track by a good margin. He was undoubtedly unlucky to be racing in the wrong group.

Frankie Dettori celebrates his 80th Royal Ascot win on Porta Fortuna in the Albany Stakes Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Albany Stakes
Winner: Porta Fortuna
Distance: 6f

Porta Fortuna gave Frankie Dettori his 80th Royal Ascot winner as she powered clear inside the final furlong to win with a degree of comfort. The Donnacha O'Brien-trained daughter of Caravaggio had scraped home in her two previous starts but improved plenty here for a more patient ride, scoring by a length with an RPR of 105. The 5-1 winner is clearly a talented filly. 

Runner-up Matrika, Aidan O'Brien's representative, did plenty wrong in the preliminaries on this second outing and it's fair to assume she will improve considerably with experience. The George Boughey-trained Soprano raced in the wrong group and did extremely well to finish third.

Dominic Ffrench Davis's Komat caught the eye, producing the third-fastest final furlong as she made significant late headway into sixth. 

Snellen (far side) edges Pearls And Rubies by a head in the Chesham StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Chesham Stakes
Winner: Snellen
Distance: 7f

Snellen, a debut winner only ten days earlier at Limerick, made a quick step up to score gamely by a head at 12-1. The daughter of Expert Eye looks an intriguing prospect for Gavin Cromwell given she has plenty of speed and her dam won over 1m4f. She certainly has the potential to stay further and looks set to improve on her winning RPR of 97.

Runner-up Pearls And Rubies, the 7-4 favourite for Aidan O'Brien, improved for the step up to 7f and is another who should stay a mile in time, and the same can be said for the eyecatching Golden Mind for Richard Fahey in third.

The 40-1 debutant Warnie travelled well for a long way and was beaten only three lengths in ninth. Joseph O'Brien's colt should have no problem winning a novice next time.

Read these next:

'We knew in February' - Aidan O'Brien executes master plan with exciting Coventry winner River Tiber 

Crimson Advocate clings on for 'special' photo-finish success to put the US and Weaver on the board 

'He's an absolute machine' - Big Evs provides poignant victory as late friend of 40 years is remembered 

'This means the world to us' - Kia Joorabchian celebrates first Royal Ascot winner with 150-1 Valiant Force 

Snellen provides owner-breeder joy for Expert Eye in Chesham 

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