5:00 Royal Ascot: Shumoos to build on sparkling debut win
Published:Shumoos may be a short favourite at 7/4 in the Royal Ascot odds to win the Queen Mary Stakes, but given the impressiveness of her debut victory, she is very hard to oppose.
It was hard not to like anything about Shumoos’ debut victory at Haydock, when she looked a major class horse in the making over 5f.
Always travelling on the bridle behind the leaders, Shane Kelly eventually allowed the horse to quicken with just over 1f remaining and in a matter of strides she quickly put the race to bed.
What was even more impressive was that there still seemed to be plenty more in the tank and the race was not short of talent with the likes of yesterday’s Windsor Castle Stakes winner Frederic Engels battling it out for the minor places.
The favourite has won the Queen Mary Stakes in four of the last eight years, but Shumoos is up against plenty of challengers who are unexposed and potentially have some large improvement in them.
Half of the 14 runners have yet to taste defeat, while only one has failed to make the frame in any of their racecourse appearances.
Best Terms is another horse that has not been extended to secure her two victories to date and looks a leading contender for Richard Hannon.
Royal Ascot odds have Best Terms as a 10/1 chance and this could certainly represent good each-way value.
Trainer Wesley Ward won the Queen Mary Stakes in 2009 with Jealous Again and saddles another strong candidate this year with Gypsy Robin.
Gypsy Robin is 7/1 to triumph at Royal Ascot and won by a fair distance on her debut when making all, but it remains to be seen if can enforce the same amount of dominance in the Queen Mary Stakes.
