Golden Gates Handicap: Acquitted out to advertise Palace Pier form

Golden Gates Handicap | 1m2f | 3yo | SKY

Making a first appearance on the Royal Ascot card is this fascinating Golden Gates Handicap. It may be a new race but it has that same engrossing element of the meeting's three-year-old handicaps; horses with considerable potential.

It is often said you need Group horses to win handicaps at the meeting and you could make a case for all of the market leaders that they can reach the pinnacle level of Flat racing.

Hypothetical was fancied to strike in that grade last time, sent off favourite for Kempton's Classic Trial but finishing fourth with the race not panning out in his favour. With Frankie Dettori booked this time, there would be no better place to make amends.

Elsewhere, Highland Chief begins his three-year-old campaign. He was third behind Pinatubo in the Chesham Stakes at this meeting last year. Acquitted gave the hugely smart Palace Pier a few nervous moments at Newcastle last week and looks to go one better, while Global Storm is chasing a hat-trick for Godolphin.

Grand Rock and Tritonic won twice last season but will need to bounce back following defeats on their last starts, and Maori Knight at the bottom of the weights is another leading player for the Richard Hughes team.

What they say

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of Laser Show
He's had a break since running at the Dubai Carnival where he was a winner on the dirt and has trained nicely on the Limekilns recently.

John Gosden, trainer of Hypothetical
He ran around the mile and a quarter inner track at Kempton last time which is not the best and is not a track that suits many horses. Frankie went too hard with him trying to get a position early and he didn't finish off his race as he should. He's a nice type of horse and is still learning about life.

Tritonic: impressive winner on his penultimate start at NewburyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Alan King, trainer of Tritonic
He's in very good form and hopefully he'll run very well, but – it's a strange thing to say at Royal Ascot – he might come on for the run. He won well at Newbury and I think he may have just been past his best last season when he ran at Newmarket. He didn't quite get home, I don't think that was stamina, I think he'd just had enough by then. A drop of rain would do him no harm whatsoever. We've been very happy in the build-up and look forward to running him.

Hugo Palmer, trainer of Acquitted
He was about the same price for this race and for the Britannia and I've gone with my gut as I've wanted to run him over a mile and a quarter all year. He blew up at Newcastle and will come on a ton. Any rain won't harm his chance and being drawn 15 of 16 might sound like a nightmare but statistically it isn't so we're hopeful.

Brian Meehan, trainer Cepheus
He's a lovely horse and we thought he had a perfectly acceptable run in the Guineas last time. It was a bit of a punt going there and Jim [Crowley] said he was still a little bit green with the early pace, but he was happy with him. The extra two furlongs will be ideal and he's in very good order. The forecast rain will be perfect and we're hoping he can run well.

Richard Hughes, trainer of Maori Knight
I'm quite surprised we got in. We took him up to Haydock and we thought he'd need to win to get him in to this. He ran a big race in second which has got him here and this has been his target all along. He's up 6lb, but we think he's fairly well treated and I think it'll take a fair horse to give him a stone.

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