The Commonwealth Cup headlines the seven-race program on Day 4 of the Royal Ascot Carnival (Friday Night AEST).
One of three major Group 1 sprints during the week-long event, the Commonwealth Cup is open to three-year-olds and is shaping as one of the more open feature races at the Carnival this year.
You can find my 2020 Commonwealth Cup tips below.
Suggested Bets
- 2 Units straight out #6 Pierre Lapin
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below
Pierre Lapin hasn’t been seen at the races since September, but he is clearly an above-average colt and he puts an undefeated record on the line in the Commonwealth Cup.
The Cappella Sansevero colt immediately stamped himself as a horse to follow with a dominant performance and win at Haydock on debut and made a successful transition to black type racing when as easy winner of the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes, at what was his only other appearance so far.
He’s drawn to receive a lovely run from barrier 6 and can return Roger Varian a Group 1 win at Royal Ascot.
Lope Y Fernandez is one of several starters for champion trainer Aidan O’Brien in the Commonwealth Cup and looms as a winning chance.
The Lope De Vega colt has recorded two wins and three minors from his six career starts and evidently, doesn’t know how to run a bad race.
He returned from a decent spell to fill the minors of the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas last week and I think that run will bring him on a lot – he has a key fitness edge over several of his leading rivals.
He is available at the write-your-own-ticket odds of $19 at publish and he does face a rise in class, but there’s been a lot to like about what Dubai Station has done during the early stages of his career and I think that he can fight out the finish.
Dubai Station has recorded a couple of lovely wins and placings since making his debut in May last year and filled the minors of a couple of nice Stakes races here at Ascot and Deauville last time out.
He mustered an impressive turn of foot to win the Group 3 Pavilion Stakes when resuming at Newcastle a couple of weeks ago and will only improve for that effort.
I also like that he is by gun Australian sire Brazen Beau. If that is any indication, he should run well down the straight.
Wooded will take winning form into the Commonwealth Cup and with even luck from barrier 12, does loom as a competitive each-way chance.
The son of Wootton Bassett does face the toughest task of his career so far on Friday night, but he is yet to miss a place in five starts and brings a relatively unique form line into the Commonwealth Cup, having saluted at Group 3 level in France last month.
He’s another colt that will enjoy good improvement for that hit-out and he certainly doesn’t look out of his depth.