With Royal Ascot 2019 now at an end, from an antepost point of view it is well worth picking through the results with a fine toothcomb and finding out what the future plans are for many of the runners...
Naturally it pays to focus on the Royal winners going forward, but there are also lots of horses that filled the places that have to be noted too.
The winner of the opening race of Royal Ascot 2019, Lord Glitters will be heading to Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes next.
His trainer, David O’Meara said "We will follow a pretty similar path with him to last year and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood is probably next up.”
Beat The Bank’s trainer Andrew Balding said "We are keen to try him at a mile and a quarter, so we might look at the Eclipse if he's all right” while Willie Haggas, the trainer of One Master, suggested they may run in the Foret (Longchamp) again this year.
The Coventry winner Arizona will have a range of options for the rest of the season but the most likely options for him, Threat and Guildsman are the July Stakes and the Richmond Stakes.
King’s Stand and Diamond Jubilee double hero Blue Point will be retiring at the end of this season, but further targets this season are fairly fluid.
Charlie Appleby said: "We will let the dust settle, this was always going to be his last year, win, lose or draw. We'll enjoy this moment and let the horse have a rest - he probably needs it for a couple of weeks."
King’s Stand fourth, Mabs Cross will have a few avenues to go down for the remainder of this season.
Her trainer Michael Dods wrote on his Facebook page: “We were expecting a breakneck pace but we didn’t get it and it’s really a case of the quicker they go, the better it is for her. That’s not the way it panned out so she was going a bit too well during the race and didn’t finish.
"That said, these were the world’s best sprinters and she ran up to her form. We’ve got the Nunthorpe at York to look forward to in August, plus another crack at the Prix de l’Abbaye in France. We also want to try her over six furlongs at some stage and there are races we can look at.”
St James’ Palace scorer Circus Maximus will either go to the Sussex Stakes or the Eclipse according to Aidan O’Brien.
John Gosden said of King Of Comedy and Too Darn Hot: "It's interesting. King Of Comedy will go a mile and a quarter, whereas Too Darn Hot needs an easy mile or seven furlongs. The Sussex Stakes will be his target."
Ian Williams, the trainer of the Ascot Stakes winner The Grand Visir, said of this dual-purpose runner: “His hurdling career is still open to interpretation.” Given his antics at Aintree, I dare say Williams will be keeping this son of Frankel on the flat.
Wolferton winner Addeybb will be staying at the same trip, with Haggas saying: He'll be going up to Group class but does need this ground and I think he now needs this mile-and-a-quarter trip. “
The Mark Johnston-trained Raffle Prize showed her liking for soft ground by lifting the Queen Mary: “The good thing is she likes the soft, but she will be fine on quick ground as well” said Johnston afterwards.
Queen’s Vase winner Dashing Willoughby could well be heading to the St Leger now. His trainer Andrew Balding said after the victory: "I am delighted he has come good.
"I'm delighted for Mick and Janice (Mariscotti) as they have been loyal supporters for a while. I was pretty hopeful coming into the race. We will work back from the St Leger and sit down and discuss it with them where we go next."
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is the obvious target for Crystal Ocean, as it is for Magical and Waldgeist, after they finished 1-2-3 in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
Willie Haggas was disappointed at himself for letting his Sea Of Class run in the poor conditions but she will remain on target for the Arc in October.
The three horses that followed Move Swiftly home in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes look like they will all contest the Falmouth Stakes next.
Rawdaa, I Can Fly and Veracious are all quoted in the horse racing betting for the Falmouth while Haggas said of his runner: I think she'll come on for the run, she might get further and there's a few options. She might have to have a go at a Group One now she's won a Group Two. She may go a mile and a quarter, we'll see."
I really wish I’d read Charlie Hill’s website before Royal Ascot, where he posted about Afaak (20/1): “He has two options at Ascot, The Hunt Cup or the Wolferton Handicap, and a decision will be made nearer the time.
"Hopefully in due course he can step up into Listed or Group races.” Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Southern Hills, a son of Gleneagles, stormed home under Ryan Moore to land the Windsor Castle Stakes from the Godolphin-owned Platinum Star. Aidan O’Brien said after the race: “I should have thought that five or six furlongs would be his trip, because he’s got so much speed.”
A’Ali may be heading to the Breeders’ Cup after picking up the Norfolk Stakes, with his trainer Simon Crisford not ruling anything out: "I hadn't thought about it being a Breeders' Cup win and you're in - I think the doors are open for everything.
"He will be campaigned as a two-year-old. He's small, he's neat, he's quick and he's tidy."
Sir Michael Stoute has not committed to a future target for the Khalid Abdullah-owned Sangarius after he landed the Hampton Court. Racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe thought it unlikely Sangarius will be stepped up in class for his next start and will be brought along slowly.
John Gosden said of his Ribblesdale scorer, Star Catcher: "On soft ground a mile and a half is far enough, she doesn't want to go any further. We will see how she is and how she comes out of it."
Part two of our Royal Ascot review will conclude next Sunday but in the meantime remember to check out our blog for all the latest horse racing news and tips.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
