The waiting is over! The Royal Ascot 2023 meeting gets underway at the Berkshire track on Tuesday and it does so with seven races of the highest quality as the leading jockeys and trainers look to get up and running for the week.
Each race in itself is like a main event this week so we will split our previews into handicaps and non-handicaps and with so many runners and riders to go through the majority of the previews will just include races where we have selections. That begins with three in the non-handicaps on Tuesday.
2.30 Royal Ascot
Preview
The opener of what appears to be yet another cracking Royal Ascot is the Group 1 Queen Anne & it’s probably fair to say that we don’t have a Frankel, Palace Pier or Baaeed in this line although Inspiral & Modern Games may beg to differ. Inspiral won the Coronation Stakes in fine style on reappearance at this meeting 12 months ago and that marked her down as a potential superstar but she was then turned over on 2 of her 3 starts since including when 1/7 favourite in the Falmouth. Modern Games has won 5 of his 10 starts at the very highest level including last time out in the Lockinge where he had 5 of today’s rivals in behind. Also from the Appleby yard, Native Trail should go well; he was runner up in English 2000 Guineas last year before going one better in the Irish equivalent but didn’t really sparkle behind Mutasaabeq in his one and only start this year. The winner was 5th in the Lockinge & might prefer a smaller field whilst Light Infantry might need more rain & may prefer a higher draw. Cash in unexposed but probably isn’t good enough, with the dark horse being the Kevin Ryan trained Triple Time although he has a near 9 month absence to overcome.
Betting
Chindit – 2nd in the Lockinge, I think the selection has a good chance of going one better. He’s yet to win at the very top level but his trainer has said he’s strengthened from 4 to 5 and this should be his best campaign yet. He was 3rd in the Lockinge behind Baaeed last year before coming here & finishing 4th behind that same rival but since then has won 2 from 2 back at this track, albeit in lower grades. In total, he’s won 3 from 5 here and arrives after arguably his best career win in the Lockinge where he looked the most likely winner a furlong out & probably would’ve finished a bit closer had he not tried to bite the winner as he came past. He has to improve again to win but I feel he has the beating of most of these &, from a favourable high draw, should go well at a track he likes.
Tips
Back Chindit (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 15.00 Bet365 BOG (⅕ odds 1-4)
Special Offer
Open up a Boylesports account during the flat season and bet £10 on any race to get £20 in bonuses! Click the image below to take advantage of this fantastic offer! 18+ T&Cs apply Gamble Aware.
3.05 Royal Ascot
Preview
The first 2 year old race of the week is the Group 2 Coventry Stakes over 6 furlongs where 17 of the 22 runners come here with a last time win. It won’t be the first time we’ll say this during the week but the favourite is trained by Aiden O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore in the shape of River Tiber. He has won both his starts in fine style with the one small concern being whether he wants this extra furlong. Asadna won his one & only career debut by a whopping 12 lengths and if he builds on that, he’s sure to be hard to stop. Beyond the front 2, it looks pretty open. Givemethebeatboys has won a Group 3 for Jessica Harrington & has the assistance of Dettori in the saddle but he doesn’t appeal to the naked eye whilst Bobsleigh looks a good prospect but looks more of a 5 furlong horse despite winning over this trip at Epsom last time out.
Betting
Army Ethos – From last year’s winning connections, I think this once-raced colt has a massive chance. He’s drawn in stall 12 and should get a perfect tow into the race from the American challenger drawn just 3 stalls away. Whilst there’s so much winning form in the race, he’s the one to have recorded the best RPR on debut outside of the front 2 despite running a low grade race at Ayr. He was good from the stalls, looked very uncomplicated and made the running. All it needed was a shake of the reins and he quickened 5 or 6 lengths clear before being eased down close to the line for a 3 length victory. The jockey had said that the horse was carrying a bit of condition & would come on significantly for the run so, if that is true, he must have a huge chance today. With 5 places on offer, I’d expect him to be up with the pace from the off and he should be involved in the finish.
Tips
Back Army Ethos (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 17.00 Bet365 BOG (⅕ odds 1-5)
4.20 Royal Ascot
Preview
A small field of 9 but always one of the best races of the week, it’s the mile Group 1 for 3 year old colts, the St James Palace. The current favourite is the 2000 Guineas winner, Chaldean, who has won his last 5 completed starts with the one blemish when unseating from the stalls in the Greenham. There are a couple of potential questions with the ground being too fast if the rain doesn’t arrive and, of more concern, the fact he’s going round a bend. All his form has been on a straight track to date. Paddington is the Ballydoyle hope and he was the winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas. He’s won his last 4 progressing from maiden company, winning a handicap & a Listed race en route to his Group 1 success. 3 of the rivals that day finished behind in both Guineas & I’m not sure I can see any of Royal Scotsman, Galeron or Charyn turning the tables here. Isaac Shelby, the beneficiary when Chalden jinked coming out of the stalls in the Greenham, could go well & has an eyecatching jockey booking with Buick aboard whilst Cicero’s Gift is 3 from 3 but this is a big step up.
Betting
Mostabshir – Another making a big step up is the selection but there’s every reason to suggest he can do so. He hails from one of the shrewdest yards around & it’s worth noting they’ve won the race twice in the last 5 years with Without Parole and Palace Pier. Both of those had run 3 times in their career before this race, as has the selection, and neither had run in higher than Listed class. The selection won a novice on debut at 2, coming here almost 5 lengths clear with the runner up winning his only subsequent start by 4 lengths. He disappointed on reappearance in the Craven but it’s worth noting that his yard was in terrible form at the time with just 1 winner from 19 runners for a yard that operates almost exclusively at a 20%+ strike rate. He was very impressive in a novice at York on his most recent start where he dictated the pace, quickened up smartly and came home 5 lengths clear despite giving the rest of the field 6lbs. There’s no way his trainer would pitch him here unless he knew he was out of the top drawer and, with none of his rivals looking rock solid, he looks a superb each way bet.
Tips
Back Mostabshir (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 9.00 William Hill BOG (⅕ odds 1-3)
Back it here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2023
