Royal Ascot Tips: King Charles III Stakes preview Podcast

Our experienced of Billy Nash, Graham Cunningham, Ed Chamberlin and David Johnson shared their early thoughts on plenty of the big clashes to come at Ascot next week in this week's preview Podcast, and the sprinters have seemingly divided opinion.

Graham Cunningham - A Scottish affair?

There is a solid chance of a repeat (for Asfoora) here. It's odd to think that she's 0-7 in Group 1s down in Australia but it's a shallower pond here and she did well to win last year from the 17 box, Murphy was very cute when he sensed the pace wasn't holding up in a small group on the nearside, he smuggled his way over and got with the 'right' pace.

Of late, she won a Group 3 and she was second in a Group 1 in April in Aus so she's probably still the same filly isn't she, which puts her in with a pretty solid chance. There was a line from trainer Henry Dwyer too, saying he's looking for the 'added 1%', he's going to put blinkers on her this time. If you like Asfoora then we know Regional and Believing tie in very closely, so one way or another you'd think last year's race is going to be a significant piece of the puzzle.

I think I've got a horse at a big price who will run well here, and it's American Affair - the Jim Goldie horse. He's a hold-up horse with a really good turn of foot and he bolted up from an unpromising position at York. It was only a handicap and it was only from a mark of 98 but I can forgive his Temple Stakes run, he was keen, he got squeezed around then saw too much daylight.

I think he might be a horse who is very well suited by the demands of this race and at a big, big price don't sleep on him. Jim Goldie at Royal Ascot... now that would be a good story.

David Johnson: Outsiders worth considering

With Asfoora, I think we need to mention the different prep as she took in the Temple at Haydock and she ran there like she needed it so it's just a bit of a concern for me that they've come here straight away and they're going to try and hit the gates running rather than have that trial under their belts.

There are a couple that I thought might run well. Flora Of Bermuda, I think she will pitch up here (also entered over six furlongs) because she's recently been bought by Wathnan, who have Kind Of Blue in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes but they've also bought the favourite, Lazzat. It does look like they've bought Night Raider too but I'd be surprised if they fired three in the six-furlong race, so I think Flora Of Bermuda will come here.

The way that her form's gone, I just think that she's an improving filly. I don't think it's necessarily that she's improved over six furlongs as such. She bombed through the Duke of York and traded at 1.03, she maybe just needed it as she was really weak in the betting that day.

So I think she'll run well but I also noticed that Rumstar was trading at 33/1 for this. He's obviously a course and distance winner, he was very impressive when he won at Newmarket on his reappearance and he went off at just 11/4 for the Temple. He disappointed there but he's not become a bad horse overnight.

I think some of the horses that are tied in with the Temple are much shorter in the betting than he is and if he turns up on form then I could see him bouncing back at 33s.

Ed Chamberlin: Repeating the trick

I think Night Raider will trade short in this race. He is just so fast. I just fear he might be more of a Nunthorpe horse than an Ascot horse. I fear he'll lead and then be on fumes up that hill with Asfoora and American Affair coming.

He'll be very quick in the King Charles but can he hang on? I'm not so sure. I think Asfoora might come and get him.

I'd love Believing to run on the Saturday, I just think at that crucial moment she'll just get found out over five furlongs. I'd love her to win that Group 1 in this country but I've always thought it would be over six.

WATCH: Asfoora wins last year's King Charles III Stakes

Billy Nash: Storm needs to whip into shape

Storm Boy has to be of interest but not if he's in the same form as he was at the Curragh a couple of weeks ago as that was a pretty inauspicious start to his time in the northern hemisphere. He ran in what I didn't think was a particularly strong Greenlands Stakes.

He finished last - yes, he got hampered but he was well beaten at the time so it wasn't the start they were looking for. But then after the race Aidan O'Brien told us after the race that he hadn't been training him and he'd barely been out of a half-speed at home. So I'm sure they'll have got plenty of work into him but based on what he showed at the Curragh they'll need to have done.

I've no doubt he'll progress but you couldn't back him on the strength of that performance.

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