royal ascot 2012 - day three
2012 Royal Ascot Day Three - June 21st
| Approx. Post Time ET/PT | Race | Class | Distance |
| 9:30am/6:30am | The Norfolk Stakes | Group 2 | 5f |
| 10:05am/7:05am | The Ribblesdale Stakes | Group 2 | 1 1/2 miles |
| 10:45am/7:45am | The Ascot Gold Cup | Group 1 | 2 1/2 miles |
| 11:25am/8:25am | The Britannia Stakes | Heritage Handicap | 1 mile |
| 12:00pm/9:00am | The Hampton Court Stakes | Listed | 1 1/4 miles |
| 12:35pm/9:35am | The King George V Stakes | Heritage Handicap | 1 1/2 miles |
Ladies Day begins with another 5 furlong sprint for two-year olds. The Norfolk Stakes, upgraded to Group 2 status in 2006 and classy runners such as Johannesburg and Dutch Art are included among the list of winners.
In the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes, we are likely to see some of fillies who talk part in the Epsom Oaks the month before. Indeed, many who compete in this contest at Ascot will take their place in the Irish Oaks the following month. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor and jockey Frank Dettori will be looking to team up and provide Godolphin with their sixth winner of this race.
The feature race of the day, the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup is run over a gruelling 2 1/2 miles. It is Ascot's oldest race and one of just three in which the trophy is awarded by The Queen herself. The Gold Cup provides British and Irish racing fans with some of their most cherished memories of the sport. Aidan O'Brien's brilliant stayer Yeats, destroyed his opposition to win the race for four consecutive years. Between 2006 and 2009, he became very much part of the Royal Ascot furniture, and his feat is unlikely to be matched. Fame And Glory won the race last year for Aidan O'Brien who may be looking to rack up a staying sequence with this admirable son of Montjeu.
A competitive handicap over 1 mile, in the shape of The Britannia Stakes, throws up another difficult yet exciting race for the punter. The race is popular amongst trainers, and usually attracts close to 30 runners. Restricted to three year olds, John Gosden trained consecutive winners of this race in 2000 and 2001.
The Tercentenary Stakes (formerly The Hampton Court Stakes) was last year upgraded to Group 3 Status, so promises to be an even classier, more competitive affair than ever.
The card closes with the King George V Stakes, another heritage handicap, this time over about 1 1/2 miles. Another race restricted to three year olds, Mark Johnston has an excellent record, having won the horse race three times since 2000.
Handicapping Royal Ascot
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