Royal Ascot Day 1
Tuesday – Royal Ascot Day 1
Best Bets
2.30 Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 1m
Last year Frankel started the meeting in imperious style with an 11 length romp in the Queen Anne and, although we should not expect such fireworks this week, the first race of the day offers the most interesting storyline of the whole week.
The American Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom tackles the straight mile of Ascot and, unlike his two biggest career wins, this race is on turf. He could just be different class to the rest but at small odds on (although the firms may look to ‘get him’ in the morning) I feel looking at a bigger priced each way alternative could pay off here.
Declaration of War from the powerful Aiden O’Brian yard is simply too short on what he has achieved so far, so the two horse that interest me most are ELUSIVE KATE and TRADE STORM.
Elusive Kate is a proven Group 1 performer with Ascot form (finished 3rd behind Excelebration in the QEII last season)and can take advantage of her 3lb fillies’ allowance.
Trade Storm has a similar profile to one of my all-time favourite horses Tillerman. He has progressed through handicaps and loves a fast pace to aim at and has the perfect hold up jockey in Jamie Spencer to execute such tactics. Since his move to David Simcock he has improved significantly and may be able to follow the mighty Frankel onto the Queen Anne Roll of Honour.
1pt e/w ELUSIVE KATE
1pt e/w TRADE STORM
3.45 St James Palace Stakes (Group 1) 1m
The St James Palace Stakes for 3-y-o’s over 1m sees a ‘Big 3’ of 2000 Guineas winner and beaten Derby favourite Dawn Approach back over 1m versus Magician from Ballydoyle and Toronado from Richard Hannon’s yard. I could not back a horse so quickly after such a disappointment last time at 11-8, feel Magician could be a touch over rated and Toronado ran well below form behind Dawn Approach at Newmarket. Again, we will be looking at big priced alternatives to the favourites with small ew wagers on MARS and DUNDONNELL.
Mars is the 2nd string from Ballydoyle but has the superb Ryan Moore on board and ran respectably enough in the Derby to justify a small ew wager. Dundonnell looked a potential superstar last season but I feel that a Breeders Cup run may have been one race too far at the end of his 2-y-o campaign. A confidence boosting win at Newmarket last time out has seen the form franked by the 3rd placed Baltic Knight at York on Saturday. Although beaten twice by Toronado at the current prices available Dundonnell is the ew value.
1pt e/w MARS
1pt e/w DUNDONNELL
Other Races
The Kings Stand at 305 has a real international feel to it as it sees the South African superstar Shea Shea taking on the best sprinters from England and Ireland but also Shamexpress from NZ. The best of the home team could be the 3-y-o Reckless Abandon but am I loath to desert Sole Power whose regular jockey Johnny Murtagh is back on board and may have his favoured fast surface tomorrow.
However, with question marks over the value of the international form (they could simply be better) it is a race to savour rather than bet on.
I’ve never been a regular player in early season 2-y-o races so the Coventry Stake is a watching brief for me; the unique test of a 2m 4f h’cap sees doubts over horses significantly up in trip and another 2-y-o to finish the card means that as ever the first day of Royal Ascot is all over from a betting perspective by 400pm.
Offers!
If you are considering a spread bet at Royal Ascot we have a bonus SP offer on all 50 indices; if you buy any horse on a 50 win index and if it wins we’ll add its starting price to the 50 points it gets for winning; each day we be offering a popular market “spread free” until the first race and this will be Double Numbers for Tuesday.
