We have reached the middle day of the Royal Ascot meeting for 2024 and it is Ladies Day in Berkshire with the highlight of the seven race card being the Gold Cup which is always keenly contested over a marathon distance.
While the attention is on the stayers for the day, the undercard looks very strong as always and there is a lot of betting potential over the course of the day, although as far as we’re concerned it comes away from the feature offering.
2.30 Royal Ascot: Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
A 5 furlong sprint for 2 year olds to kick off Day 3 & O’Brien is responsible for the very warm favourite in the shape of Whistlejacket. The one concern is the faster ground so I’m opposing with 2 longer priced each way bets, the first in the shape of Moving Force. He’s run twice, both over this trip, both at Beverley which has a similar stiff finish & both on good to firm ground. First time up, he won a novice event nicely enough & was then touched off in the Two Year Old Trophy by Stakeholder who is half the odds here today. Whilst he has to reverse the form, he was beaten just a short head & is 7lbs better off today. Yard has a very good record in this race & with plenty in his favour, I’m hopeful of a big run.
Tropical Storm is the only maiden in the field but is by no means a forlorn hope. He’s run in 2 pretty hot races so far, finishing 5th in the first at Newbury when beaten by just over two & a half lengths. What’s more striking though is that the 2nd has since won, the 3rd won the Coventry on Tuesday & the 4th has won since & finished 3rd in a Listed race. There’s a similar feel to the race where he was 2nd at Newmarket too, with the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th all since visiting the winners enclosure. He was only beaten a neck that day having gotten disorganised in the dip & the front 2 pulled clear which makes the form look even stronger. Admittedly, this is a better race but he’s done enough, without winning, to suggest a big performance today.
Tips
Back Moving Force (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 19.00 Betfred (⅕ odds 1-4)
Back Tropical Storm (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 17.00 Betfred (⅕ odds 1-4)
3.05 Royal Ascot: King George V Stakes (Handicap)
A 3 year old handicap over a mile & a half, with the London Gold Cup having some strong formlines in this. In fact, it’s from that race that my first bet comes in the shape of the 2nd that day, Poniros. He’d won a maiden & finished placed in 2 novice events coming into that race before putting up an impressive performance there. He looked a bit inexperienced there having travelled supremely well & can improve for the run as well as the step up in trip. Others were perhaps waning at the end of the mile & a quarter trip but not the selection as he stayed on from the back in fine style. He has a nice racing weight, is drawn a bit wider which is no bad thing in this race & I fancy him to back up a good run last time out.
At bigger odds, I like the chances of Fouroneohfever. Stepping up in class, for sure, but you can’t do more than win each of your first 3 handicaps & his most recent win, off the highest mark he’s raced off, was arguably his most impressive. He’s a relentless galloper & has twice won over this trip. I think the course will suit & his toughness could prove important up the straight here. He’s up another 6lbs but his RPR’s suggest this new mark should be in range. With his yard in flying form, he looks too big a price & could land his young jockey his second winner of the week.
Tips
Back Poniros (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 8.00 Paddy Power (⅕ odds 1-6)
Back Fouroneohfever (e/w) for a 0.75/10 stake at 15.00 Paddy Power (⅕ odds 1-6)
3.45 Royal Ascot: Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
I feel like there should be a bet in the race but having looked & looked, I cannot find any value. Not just that, I have no strong opinion on where the winner might come from so it’s a race to sit out.
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4.25 Royal Ascot: Gold Cup (Group 1)
The big race of the day & another to sit out. A cracking contest with the likes of Gregory, Vauban & Coltrane all in the field but I think Kyprios might prove too strong.
5.05 Royal Ascot: Britannia Stakes (Handicap)
An incredibly competitive handicap with 30 going to post, made more difficult by the fact bookies pay out on reduced places in this as profits from the race go to charity. Ordinarily, I’d sit this out with a maximum of 5 places on offer but, being the charitable sort that I am, I’ll throw one dart at the race. That comes in the shape of Dashing Darcey who does have a few bit of mileage on the clock for a 3 year old but has been running well. Handicap form figures of 2-3-4 this season were bettered last time out when he comfortably landed a Haydock handicap by over 2 lengths on his step up to a mile. That took his record over this trip to an impressive 3 from 3. He’s gone up 6lbs for that but the style in which he won suggests he can defy his revised mark. His yard is in fine fettle & his high draw in 25 should prove advantageous too. There are plenty with chances but this one has possibly the least to prove & should give us a good run for our money.
Tips
Back Dashing Darcey (e/w) for a 0.75/10 stake at 13.00 Boylesports (⅕ odds 1-5)
Back him here:
5.40 Royal Ascot: Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
The favourite for this Group 3 over a mile & a quarter is the impressive winner of the London Gold Cup in the shape of King’s Gambit & it’s expected he can take this step up in class in his stride. However, his price is skinny so I’d prefer to have a few quid on Bracken’s Laugh. He finished in front of King’s Gambit on his debut run when winning a conditions race at Newbury & was thought good enough to take his chance in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud where he ran well enough but didn’t quite get home on the very soft ground. First time up this season was a hot conditions race at Chelmsford which he won in fine style before being edged out by Capulet in the Dee Stakes. He didn’t quite get the run of the race there but he travelled so well & was close enough at the line to suggest he’ll improve from it. This track should suit this big horse better too & with a lack of serious contenders, he should be right in the thick of things here.
Tips
Back Bracken’s Laugh (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 8.50 Bet365 (⅕ odds 1-4)
6.15 Royal Ascot: Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap)
A nice easy 28 runner straight field handicap to finish off Day 3 & there is standing dish after standing dish in this field. Hard to rule out the majority of this field but I settled on 2 bets, the first in the shape of Billyjoh. He’s been running well on the all weather in & around this mark but has shown himself to be equally adept on turf. 2 starts ago, he was edged out here by just a neck having made good progress & narrowly failing to get up. He then backed up that form off today’s mark when a length 4th of 14 at Haydock where he could be marked down as unlucky. He finished with a wet sail but was drawn wrong & the 3 that beat him were racing away from him. Both those, arguably, unlucky defeats were over 6 furlongs & with him being noted as finishing fast & late, a step up to 7 furlongs is certainly worth exploring – the only worry being whether this is the race to do it in. If he gets the trip, he should give us a good run for our money.
I also like Carrytheone. A decent type when trained in Ireland with form in pattern company, he’s started to come to hand on these shores too now. He was a no show in the Victoria Cup over course & distance in May but lost all chance after blowing the start but came back to form in style when winning a Class 2 handicap at Newmarket 5 weeks ago. That day, he travelled really strongly in the refitted hood (retained today) & looked the most likely winner from some way out before hitting traffic at a crucial point. Having negotiated that, he won by a short head but was value for more than that distance so I feel a 2lb rise is lenient. He’s one that clearly relishes big fields & provided the hood works & he breaks on terms, he should be a big threat at a nice each way price.
Tips
Back Billyjoh (e/w) for a 0.75/10 stake at 21.00 Skybet (⅕ odds 1-7)
Back Carrytheone (e/w) for a 0.75/10 stake at 19.00 Skybet (⅕ odds 1-7)
