Royal Ascot Day 2
Royal Ascot Day 2 – Wednesday
2.30 Jersey Stakes (Group 3) 7f
At the front of the market, Garswood impressively won the Free Handicap at Newmarket before a disappointing run in the 2000 Guineas. That run was too bad to be true and he could be fancied to make amends over a trip where he has proven form-the 2000 Guineas form received a boost in the St James Palace Stakes as Dawn Approach and Toronado fought out a tight finish. The form of Gale Force Ten (behind Magician last time) took a knock after his poor run on Day 1 and Montiridge is up in class after his win in Listed class last time out at Sandown. Garswood is the best of the front few for me.
The horse that interests me most at a price is Ninjago who won impressively on his penultimate start here at Ascot. Although disappointing last time out at Newbury he was held up in a race where the front running Zanetto stole a soft lead.
1pt win GARSWOOD
0.5pt e/w NINJAGO
305 Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) 1m
Duntle from Ireland heads the market and has previous Royal Ascot winning form after winning the Sandringham Handicap last year and is much respected if a touch short in the market. Thistle Bird was an impressive winner last time out at Epsom and although this test will be very different she has won at Ascot before and can be confidently expected to go close in this Group 2. Chigun was supplemented last week and as Sir Henry Cecil’s last Group race winner would produce emotional scenes in the winners enclosure. Dank beat both Chigun and Thistle Bird in a tactical affair at Newmarket but at the prices I prefer Thistle Bird to carry on the improvement shown at Epsom.
1pt e/w THISTLE BIRD
345 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) 1m 2f
This race could be renamed the “get the front 2 beat” stakes in my book. Camelot beat a disappointing crop of 3 year olds last year and was beaten by his market rival Al Kazeem last time out. Where one finishes, the other is likely to be nearby so let us get them both beat with the next two in the market.
Maxios has been running well in France for his shrewd handler Monsieur Pease. Three of the last 6 winners of this race have come from across the Channel and will be hard to keep out of the frame.
My other selection is The Fugue for John Gosden. Simply put she is a true Group 1 performer who can take advantage of her sex allowance that she receives and may simply have too much speed for the big 2 inside the Ascot straight. She has yet to race this year but will surely be 100% ready to go in this Group 1.
2pts e/w THE FUGUE
1pt e/w MAXIOS
Other Races
Keep an eye on Field Of Dream in the highly competitive Royal Hunt Cup, respect last Saturday’s impressive winner Reroute in the Queen Mary and impressive last time out scorer Annecdote for the under-rated Johnny Portman in the last.
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 Favourites for Wednesday.
