Royal Ascot: Exploring trainer Ed Dunlop's contingent

Over the last two decades and counting, trainer Ed Dunlop has won eight races at the coveted Royal Ascot meeting in England.

U.S. racing fans might be most familiar with Dunlop’s star mare Ouija Board, the two-time Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) winner who triumphed against males in the 2006 Prince of Wales’s S. (G1) at Royal Ascot. But another of Dunlop’s most memorable Royal Ascot triumphs came in 2015, when 12-1 longshot Trip to Paris battled to a tenacious victory in the 2 1/2-mile Gold Cup (G1).

Trip to Paris remains Dunlop’s most recent winner at the royal meeting, but the accomplished conditioner will have a couple of chances to increase his tally in 2021. One is Society Lion, winner of the seven-furlong Qatar H. at Goodwood last summer. A capable performer in the British handicap ranks, Society Lion holds entries in the seven-furlong Buckingham Palace S. and six-furlong Wokingham S.

However, Dunlop’s best Royal Ascot hopeful might be Red Verdon, an eight-year-old gelding who won the Prix Maurice de Nieuil (G2) racing 1 3/4 miles at ParisLongchamp last year. Somehow, Red Verdon had made only one previous foray to Ascot across 46 starts, finishing second in the 2018 Hardwicke S. (G2) over 1 1/2 miles.

Red Verdon holds an early entry in the 2021 Hardwicke, which would mark his return to Ascot after three years away. Red Verdon doesn’t rank among the early betting favorites, but he did finish second in the 1 3/4-mile Race to the Ebor Grand Cup S. at York on Saturday, and Dunlop recently told Tony Elves of attheraces.com he believes the aging gelding is still capable of competing at the group stakes level.

“He is as ancient as you and I but has won over £700,000 in prize money now,” said Dunlop. “He ran very well when fourth in Saudi Arabia and I took him to France where he won last year but unfortunately it rained all day long and it was bottomless ground over two miles and he simply didn't stay or handle it. He is in the Hardwicke S., the Curragh Cup, and those sort of Group 3s and he still seems to have a good turn of foot and he has been a great servant to us all.”

It’s unclear whether Red Verdon will wheel back on short rest for the Hardwicke. But if he does, he might be worth a longshot look.