Racing legend Willie Carson has thrown his weight behind some of the most exciting horses heading into Royal Ascot, tipping Bow Echo as one of the strongest picks of the entire week.
Carson, a four-time Derby-winning jockey, brings unrivalled authority to his Royal Ascot selections with 56 winners at the prestigious Berkshire meeting to his name.
Speaking to Horse.Bet, Carson said the week promises to be exceptional, with star quality on display across every day of the five-day festival.
The curtain-raiser Queen Anne Stakes sees multiple Group One winner Notable Speech as Carson’s standout fancy, despite the horse yet to win at Ascot.
Carson said: “In the Queen Anne, Notable Speech stands out as my strongest fancy in the curtain-raiser. He has not won at Ascot yet, but the manner of his victory in the Lockinge was outstanding.”
Australian sprinter Overpass is also expected to prove a formidable challenge for European rivals in the King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday.
Carson added: “These Australian sprinters operate at another level and when you consider the calibre of horses they have been competing against, including Ka Ying Rising who is widely regarded as the best sprinter in the world, the European runners may have a difficult task on their hands.”
George Boughey’s Bow Echo, the brilliant 2,000 Guineas winner, is Carson’s standout selection for the St James’s Palace Stakes and a genuine horse of the year contender.
Carson was emphatic in his assessment, saying: “His performance in the Guineas was exceptional and I genuinely think he could end up being horse of the year. For me, he is one of the strongest picks of the entire week.”
Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes sets up a mouth-watering clash between defending champion Ombudsman and Arc hero Daryz, with both currently priced at 5/4 each-way.
Carson is prepared to side with the Godolphin runner, stating: “I am prepared to oppose Daryz with Ombudsman. I think the Godolphin runner could have the advantage if conditions remain on the quicker side.”
In the Gold Cup, Carson is willing to take on Aidan O’Brien’s highly touted stayer Scandinavia, instead backing Rahiebb to reverse their Leger form over the longer trip.
Carson explained: “Rahiebb made a huge impression on me with his return at York and although Scandinavia got the better of him in the Leger, I am backing Rahiebb to reverse that result over this much longer trip.”
Friday’s Commonwealth Cup sees Carson speaking with real conviction about Venetian Sun, who produced a remarkable performance at Haydock to establish herself as a leading contender.
In the Coronation Stakes, Carson highlighted Precise as the benchmark but urged punters not to ignore Touleen, who he believes has more improvement to come following her Guineas run.