Royal Ascot 2019: Five of the best greys to grace the turf at the Royal meeting
EVERYONE loves a grey.
And in recent years at Royal Ascot, there have been five superstar greys whose ability on the track has matched their stunning appearance.
Alpha Centauri
Jessie Harrington's flying machine shattered the course record in last season's Coronation Stakes.
The brilliant Mastercraftsman filly left scorch marks on the turf when thumping a good field by six lengths on rattling quick ground.
She won four Group 1's over a mile in 2018 and is one of the best three-year-old fillies of recent times.
Caravaggio
Aidan O'Brien's speedball won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot as a juvenile in 2016 and returned to land the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup the following year.
It wasn't too bad a race, with Harry Angel, Blue Point and Bound For Nowhere among those in behind...
The Ballydoyle bullet now commands a big fee at stud (it'll cost you €35,000 a pop if you're interested), and I for one can't wait to see some baby Caravaggio's on the big stage.
Colour Vision
This gallant grey was far from flashy, but he knew where the winning post was and loved a scrap.
He fought off his rivals one-by-one in the 2012 Gold Cup, rallying to win bravely having been briefly headed by Opinion Poll.
It was a great scrap and was one of the best finishes to the 2m4f marathon in recent times.
Lethal Force
Clive Cox's rocket ship enjoyed his finest hour in the Diamond Jubilee six years ago.
He plied his trade over 7f during his three-year-old season, but the drop back to sprinting trips was the making of him and his rivals were left eating his dust in the big Group 1.
He beat a top-class sprinter in Society Rock that day and amazingly, the fifth horse home Gordon Lord Byron is still going now at the age of 11!
Solow
What a wonderful beast Solow was for French trainer Freddy Head.
He was something of a slow-burner in his early days, but by 2015 he was the most feared turf horse in the world.
He won the 2015 Queen Anne Stakes in good style, beating a host of top performers, and he also took home the QEII when he returned to Ascot in the Autumn.