Royal Ascot Day 2

So with Day 1 of Ascot tomorrow, and previewed already, it's time to check out Day 2 on Wednesday ...

Jersey Stakes' History

The Jersey Stakes is a Group Three race run at Royal Ascot over seven furlongs for three-year-old horses.  One of the highlights of the Royal meeting, this contest offers horses that have are just below top class to bag victory on the big stage and some of managed to use this as a stepping stone to greater achievements later in their career.

A couple of notable winners of this event in the last few years include John Gosden's Observatory, who was a classy winner of the 2000 Jersey Stakes. Gosden's raider went on to become a classy performer and managed to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes later on in his career, whilst some notable Group victories around Europe.

Aidan O'Brien saddled Mozart to victory in the 2001 running and that Ballydoyle inmate went on to make his name over the shorter distances. A winner of the July Cup and Nunthopre Stakes handed the rising star the accolade of top European sprinter to highlight that this contest can unearth future stars.

Sir Michael Sotute has a decent record in the race and during his illustrious career has saddled a handful of winners with Jeremy being a notable victor in the 2006 renewal, whilst the team of Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes are a duo to watch having won the 2011 Jersey Stakes with Best Terms.

Recent Winners of Jersey Stakes

2000 - Observatory
2001 - Mozart
2002 - Just James
2003 - Membership
2004 - Kheleyf
2005 - Proclamation
2006 - Jeremy
2007 - Tariq
2008 - Aqlaam
2009 - Ouqba
2010 - Rainfall
2011 - Strong Suit
2012 - Ishvana
2013 - Gale Force Ten
2014 - Mustajeeb

Queen Mary Stakes' History

The Queen Mary Stakes is a Group Two race run at Royal Ascot over five furlongs and is open to two-year-old fillies.  Established in 1921, this contest has now become one of the highlights of the Royal meeting and is targeted by the leading trainers in the UK & Ireland with their star two-year-olds and look to use it as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

It may be run over the minimum distance of five furlongs, but it has often been used as a trial for the 1000 Guineas the following season and some fillies have managed to step up to a mile after winning the Queen Mary Stakes and bag victory at Newmarket at the beginning of the following season.

Mark Johnston's Attraction managed the coveted double when storming to victory in the 2003 Queen Mary, before bagging Classic glory the following season at Newmarket in the 1000 Guineas.

However, it more likely that you see a plethora of runners take part in the leading sprints over the rest of the season with some attacking the Nunthorpe Stakes at York's Ebor Festival, whilst some have gone on to bag victory in the Cheveley Park Stakes.

Richard Hannon has a pretty good record in the Queen Mary and trained back-to-back winners in 1992 and 1993 with Lyric Fantasy and Risky, whilst Best Terms was a classy winner for the legendary handler in 2011 to cement his place as one of the leading trainers in what often throws up a star of the future.

Recent Winners of Queen Mary Stakes

2000 - Romantic Myth
2001 - Queen's Logic
2002 - Romantic Liason
2003 - Attraction
2004 - Damson
2005 - Flashy Wings
2006 - Gilded
2007 - Elletelle
2008 - Langs Lash
2009 - Jealous Again
2010 - Maqaasid
2011 - Best Terms
2012 - Ceiling Kitty
2013 - Rizeena
2014 - Anthem Alexander

Prince of Wales's Stakes' History

The Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Group One race run at Royal Ascot over one mile, two furlongs for horses aged four years or older. Established in 1862, the Prince of Wales's Stakes has grown in stature over the years and it was eventually promoted to Group One status in 2000 and now attracts some of the leading middle distance horses around and is usually contested on the second day of Royal Ascot.

Notable winners of the race are the Alec Stewart-trained Mtoto who bagged this event in 1987 and then retained the title a year later before going on to more Group One successes in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Eclipse Stakes.

Muhtarram was the last horse to win back-to-back renewals of the Prince of Wales's Stakes in 1994 and 1995 after John Gosden's raider had already bagged the 1993 Irish Champion Stakes.  Sir Henry Cecil's Bosra Sham is certainly a shining light in the illustrious roll of honour after bagging 1000 Guineas glory before winning the 1997 Prince of Wales's Stakes.

At the turn of the century Saeed Bin Suroor dominated the training ranks and won the 2000, 2001 and 2002 renewals with Dubai Millennium, Fantastic Light and Grandera all taking the Group One crown.

Wonder filly Ouija Board has her name etched on the list of winners when winning it in 2006 following a dual Oaks winning campaign two years earlier, whilst Rewilding's win in the 2011 Prince of Wales's Stakes will be remembered as an absolute classic.  With Ballydoyle superstar So You Think being sent off a short-priced favourite, a phenomenonal ride from Frankie Dettori saw Godolphin's Rewilding get up in the final strides to beat the ex-Australian superstar.

Recent Winners of Prince of Wales's Stakes

2000 - Dubai Millennium
2001 - Fantastic Light
2002 - Grandera
2003 - Nayef
2004 - Rakti
2005 - Azamour
2006 - Ouija Board
2007 - Manduro
2008 - Duke of Marmalade
2009 - Vision d'Etat
2010 - Byword
2011 - Rewilding
2012 - So You Think
2013 - Al Kazeem
2014 - The Fugue

Duke Of Cambridge Stake's History

The Duke Of Cambridge Stakes is a Group Two race run at Royal Ascot over one mile for fillies and mares aged four years or older.  Established in 2004, this race one of many set up around Europe that offered the fillies and mares the chance for Group victory after their Classic season had passed an it tried to keep more older fillies and mares in training and this contest has certainly attracted some stellar line ups.

Taken place on day two of the Royal meeting, it can sometimes be aimed at by fillies that ran in the 1000 Guineas the previous year and some notable names have won this contest.

Multiple Group winner Soviet Song was victorious in the 2006 renewal for James Fanshawe and the Elite Racing Club, whilst John Gosden's Nannina was another classy winner in the early years of this contest.

However, one trainer dominated the early exchanges and Sir Michael Stoute was certainly the man to watch as he trained the first two winners of the race with Favourable Terms winning the inaugural event in 2004, whilst Peeress retained the title for the Freemasons Lodge handler to cement his place in the roll of honour.

In 2010, Stoute then saddled Strawberrydaiquiri to victory and racked up his third win in the race, so he will always be a trainer to watch out for as the race continues to gain stature in the Royal Ascot calendar and becomes one of the leading events of the five-day extravaganza.

Recent Winners of Duke Of Cambridge Stakes

2004 - Favourable Terms
2005 - Peeress
2006 - Soviet Song
2007 - Nannina
2008 - Sabana Perdida
2009 - Spacious
2010 - Strawberrydaiquiri
2011 - Lolly For Dolly
2012 - Joviality
2013 - Duntle
2014 - Integral

Royal Hunt Cup History

The Royal Hunt Cup is a handicap race run at Royal Ascot over one mile for horses aged three years or older.  Established in 1843, it is widely regarded as one of the most difficult races to win over the five days of the Royal meeting and often attracts bumper fields as they look to etch their name in Ascot history.

With it a such a competitive heat, it was a fantastic achievement when 1947 winner Master Vote managed to return to the Berkshire track 12 months later to retain the title and he still remains as the only horse to have won the race on more than one occasion.

Having already bagged victory in the Britannia Stakes at the 2003 Royal Ascot meeting, Clive Cox's New Seeker managed to bag another success at the flat extravaganza as he stormed to success in the 2005 Royal Hunt Cup and put his name in a select group of dual Royal Ascot winners.

More recently, Jeremy Noseda's Forgotten Voice was a classy winning favourite in the 2009 renewal, whilst Godophin's Invisible Man grabbed a shock 28/1 victory before he went on to bigger and better things.

It may not have the amount of quality that most of the Ascot races provide, but this does certainly offer punters the chance to get stuck into a tricky handicap and is sure to be a competitive race for years to come.

Recent Winners of Royal Hunt Cup

2000 - Caribbean Monarch
2001 - Suprise Encounter
2002 - Norton
2003 - Macadamia
2004 - Mine
2005 - New Seeker
2006 - Cesare
2007 - Royal Oath
2008 - Mr Aviator
2009 - Forgotten Voice
2010 - Invisible Man
2011 - Julienas
2012 - Prince of Johanne
2013 - Belgian Bill
2014 - Field Of Dreams

Sandringham Handicap Stakes' History

The Sandringham Handicap Stakes is a Listed handicap race run at Royal Ascot over one mile for three-year-old fillies.  Rounding off the second day of the five-day extravaganza, this contest often attracts a competitive field and accommodates those fillies that are just below Pattern company and it is their chance to try and secure a big race victory at the Royal meeting.

Originally known as the Fern Hill Stakes, its names was changed and in 2005 was made into a handicap contest, which has seen it become a more wide open race, but occasionally it has seen a classy winner.

In 2010, Sir Henry Cecil saddled Timepiece was long being touted as a potential Oaks filly, but when she struggled in the top grade over the middle distances, she was dropped to handicap company and was an emphatic winner of the Sandringham Stakes, when being sent off at 5/1.

It may not have the class of a lot of the other Royal Ascot races, but it certainly gives punters the chance to get their teeth into a handicap conundrum and it can pay to stay with the class element and the horses dropping in grade than the progressive horses that are on the upgrade.

Notable winners of the last few years include Michael Bell's Red Evie, who was a cracking winner in 2006, whilst John Dunlop won this race twice in the 2000s with Hold To Ransom in 2003 and Festivale in 2008.

Recent Winners of Sandringham Handicap

2000 - Papabile
2001 - Independence
2002 - Tashawak
2003 - Hold To Ransom
2004 - Celtic Heroine
2005 - Beautyandthebeast
2006 - Red Evie
2007 - Barshiba
2008 - Festivale
2009 - Moneycantbuymelove
2010 - Timepiece
2011 - Rhythm Of Light
2012 - Duntle
2013 - Annecdote
2014 - Muteela