The Archie Watson-trained Bradsell stepped up into Group 1 company at Royal Ascot and produced an excellent performance to win the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes. It was the colt's first attempt against older horses and his five furlong debut, having been exclusively raced over six furlongs previously. The son of Tasleet is hard to fault on the Royal Ascot form, although it should be noted that whilst he carried three pounds less than Highfield Princess on that occasion, the weight allowance system in the Nunthorpe will mean the colt carries a pound more than his old foe.
Winner of this race twelve months ago, Highfield Princess was kept busy during Royal Ascot and placed in both the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Although the ground was officially considered good-to-soft at Glorious Goodwood in the Group 2 King George Stakes, it was undoubtedly not the mare's preferred going and she produced a dominant performance to win by three lengths. The return to a sounder surface is an advantage and as previously mentioned, the fillies' and mares' weight allowance puts John Quinn's six-year-old in a favourable position.
There has not been a two-year-old winner of the race since Kingsgate Native in 2007, yet the hefty weight allowance allocated to juveniles always attracts an interesting runner. Although she may not have won, two-year-old filly The Platinum Queen posted an excellent performance in the race last year to finish second behind Highfield Princess and her exploits must have partially encouraged the connections of Big Evs to throw the dice. A surprise winner of the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Michael Appleby-trained proved his victory was not a fluke when taking the Group 3 Molecombe Stakes on ground that was softer than he would have liked. Andrea Atzeni gets the ride in place of Jason Hart, who understandably retains his partnership with Highfield Princess.
Of the longer priced runners, the 80/1 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Khaadem is generally ignored in the market (25/1) following his fifth in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket and will be dropping in trip. It is worth noting that he has a fair record on his limited number of runs over five furlongs with three wins from eight attempts.
It may also be worth a bit of each way money on Aidan O'Brien's Aesop's Fables, who has an interesting profile for this race. The son of No Nay Never will be having his first start over five furlongs but his two best career performances have come over five-and-a-half at Navan. He finished third behind subsequent dual Group 1 winner Shaquille on his last run in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury in May and the combination of a sound surface and five furlongs may produce a better effort. Although a risky proposition, his current price of 40/1 reflects this and the three-year-old may even start at longer odds.
WIN: HIGHFIELD PRINCESS
PLACE: AESOP'S FABLES
