JC / Railbird

Royal Ascot Opens

Royal Ascot opens Tuesday and stud dud George Washington, winner of last year’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, will make his much anticipated return to the races in the Queen Anne Stakes. “He’s good. We think he has matured, we’ve been very happy with him and he is behaving very well,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien of the colt (Sporting Life). George Washington is the hot favorite in the race, at even money on Ladbrokes, 11-4 on Betfair in the early wagering.
On Wednesday, rivals Notnowcato and Dylan Thomas clash in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Times), won last year by Ouija Board, now retired and in foal to Kingmambo. A beautifully illustrated biography written by owner Lord Derby has recently been published about the tremendous mare, who often trounced the best of her peers, male and female, during her 22-race career run in seven different countries.