Coltrane looks to make giant steps in Ascot Gold Cup

Last June, Coltrane won the richest race of his career in the $121,000 Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot, a handicap at 2 1/2 miles and one of the lesser staying races of the five-day meeting in Britain.

Coltrane spent the rest of 2022 enhancing his reputation with a win the Group 2 Doncaster Cup at 2 1/4 miles and two second-place finishes in Group 2 races for stayers.

This year, the goals are higher. After a win in the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes at two miles on May 3 at Ascot in his 2023 debut, Coltrane will have his second career start in a Group 1 in Thursday’s Ascot Gold Cup at 2 1/2 miles.

The $767,500 Gold Cup is the longest Group 1 race of the meeting and one of the most prestigious, first run in 1807.

Coltrane, trained by Andrew Balding, closed from last of six to win the Sagaro Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths under jockey Oisin Murphy, who has the mount in the Gold Cup.

The Gold Cup has a projected field of 15 with a variety of contenders. The 4-year-old colt Eldar Elderov will start at 2 1/2 miles for the first time in his eighth start. A four-time winner, Eldar Elderov was second by a half-length in his first start this year, the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup at 1 3/4 miles on May 19 at York Racecourse.

:: Royal Ascot 2023: Get PPs, previews, analysis, recaps, and more

The 4-year-old filly Emily Dickinson and 7-year-old mare Echoes in Rain should have no trouble with the distance.

Emily Dickinson, trained by Aidan O’Brien, won the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes at two miles last October, but was sixth of nine by 3 3/4 lengths after setting the pace in the Group 3 Levmoss Stakes at 1 3/4 miles on May 19 at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland.

Echoes in Rain won the Grade 1 Mares Champion Hurdle at 2 3/4 miles on April 29 at Punchestown Racecourse in Ireland. The Ascot Gold Cup is Echoes in Rain’s first start in a flat race since a second by a half-length in the 30-runner Irish Cesarewitch Stakes at 2 1/16 miles at The Curragh last September.

The Ascot Gold Cup is the lone Group 1 race on a seven-race program Thursday. First post time is 9:30 a.m. Eastern, or 6:30 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

There will be as many as three American-trained runners in the opening race, the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at five furlongs.

American Rascal can play a major role for trainer Wesley Ward, who also has nominated Fandom. No Nay Mets runs for trainer George Weaver. Fandom also is entered in Wednesday’s Windsor Castle Stakes.

American Rascal won his debut by 10 1/2 lengths in a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs on dirt on April 20 at Keeneland. Owned by Stonestreet Stable, American Rascal is by Curlin and is out of Lady Aurelia, the winner of two group stakes at Royal Ascot in 2016 and 2017.

No Nay Mets won his debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at five furlongs on turf on May 13 at Gulfstream Park.

The winner of the $140,600 Norfolk Stakes receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.