Horse racing tips for Royal Ascot on Thursday

Elite Status, a 325,000 guineas purchase as a yearling, looked like a good prospect when making a successful debut at Doncaster last month and he built on that positive impression when landing the listed National Stakes at Sandown in devastating fashion.

That looked like a good edition of the National Stakes as nine of the ten-strong field were last-time winners, but Elite Status proved in a league of his own, storming five lengths clear and clocking a fast time in the process.

Elite Status, who is the joint-highest-rated two-year-old this season, is already rated higher than a typical winner of the Norfolk Stakes, is at least 6lb clear of these rivals on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings and will take the beating.

Al Asifah is beautifully bred – she is by Frankel and out of a listed-placed half-sister to Irish Guineas winner Awtaad – and she has made a sparkling start to her career.

She looked an exciting prospect when landing a mile-and-a-quarter maiden at Haydock with plenty to spare last month and she took the rise in class in her stride when registering another impressive success in a listed race at Goodwood 11 days ago.

Al Asifah cruised through that race and readily quickened six and a half lengths clear without coming off the bridle, looking very much the type to make a big impact in pattern company.

She still has the Timeform Large P attached to her rating, highlighting that she remains capable of much better form when the situation demands it.

Exoplanet had to settle for minor honours in the London Gold Cup but he shaped extremely well in third in what is usually one of the hottest handicaps of the season.

Exoplanet was dropped out in rear from the worst of the draw which proved a disadvantage in a race run at a stop-start gallop, while his task was made more difficult when he momentarily became unbalanced after jumping a piece of litter under three furlongs out.

He picked up strongly down the outside, though, despite still looking a bit rough around the edges, and the change of pace he produced to briefly get past the winner was eye-catching. He clocked a good closing sectional and looks the type to carry on improving so he can cope with this step up to pattern company.

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