It is day one of Royal Ascot and there are some fabulous races to savour. I will always marginally prefer the Cheltenham Festival with jumps’ horses to the Berkshire extravaganza on the flat but I am greatly looking forward to the next five days.
Down to business: the King Charles III Stakes (3.45 p.m.) offers mouth-watering fare for those who love the speedsters. With fast ground in his favour, I had expected to put up Regional for this race after his near-perfect prep in Ireland and because today’s stiff five furlongs should be ideal for him. However, I can’t back him at a top priced 9-2 in such a competitive 17-runner Group 1. Regional is talented but no world beater.
Instead, I am going to propose backing MAKAROVA each way even though Ed Walker’s five-year-old mare needs to find a bit on official ratings even to make the frame let alone to win the race.
She ran some pretty decent races last season notably in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp when not beaten far into sixth by the ill-fated Highfield Princess. I like the fact that Ed Walker is putting first-time blinkers on her today too.
Makarova is a top-priced 33-1 with many bookmakers but I am going to take a more cautious route and suggest an each way bet at 22-1 with SkyBet because the firm is paying six places rather than the typical four with most of its rivals.
I have already put up Alyanaabi each way at 16-1 in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes (4.25 p.m.). Although there are only eight runners, this race is more competitive than I anticipated. Quite apart from the first two home in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas – Notable Speech and Rossalion – Henry Longfellow, Darlinghurst and Almaqam all have a chance too.
As usual, it is the big ‘impossible’ handicaps that interest me most. I have already put up Tritonic each way at 20-1 in the marathon Ascot Stakes (5.05 p.m.) and that price has gone. But I will go in double handed now that the price on PIED PIPER had drifted to 8-1.
That drift has happened because, on top of Willie Mulllins’ My Lyka being well backed, the money has come for Zanndabad, who was unlucky in running when third in the Chester Cup last month.
Pied Piper, trained in Ireland by Gordon Elliott, is well capable of winning this even off top weight on the best of his hurdles form. He was only sixth in this Ascot race two years ago but he had a troubled run that day and he is better than that. Back him two points each way at 8-1 with bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power or Betfair. I am not going each way as I am slightly worried that a really fast-run race will test him stamina to the limit.
MY MATE MOZZIE is an intriguing runner off joint bottom weight in the Copper Horse Handicap (6.15 p.m.) because he was last seen on a racecourse when a distant sixth in the Arkle Challenge Trophy over fences at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Today he tackles one miles six furlongs on the flat.
That Cheltenham run was on unsuitably soft ground and he will much prefer to hear his hooves rattle on the Ascot turf in the final race on today’s card. Irish handler Gavin Cromwell is no fool and he would not be running My Mate Mozzie at the royal meeting unless he thought he had a real chance. Back him each way at 7-1 with most bookies, paying five places.
Belloccio, Fox Journey and A Piece of Heaven rightly head the market for the Copper Horse but, at cramped odds, I am happy to leave it at just the one bet in this race.
The Wolferton Stakes (5.40 p.m.) is a competitive one mile two furlongs contest that has attracted 17 runners. For my final tip of the day, I am going to put up last year’s bet365 Cambridgeshire winner ASTRO KING for husband-and-wife training team Daniel and Claire Kubler.
This seven-year-old gelding is as tough as teak and simply forget his last run at Chester over a trip too far for him. Astro King ran some big races at Ascot when trained by Sir Michael Stoute and I am happy to back him each way at 12-1 with Paddy Power or Beftair, both paying four places.
The first two races on today’s card, the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (2.30 p.m) and the Group 2 Coventry Stakes (3.05 p.m.) are too hard for me and I will leave them along betting wise. I will be back tomorrow morning with my thoughts on day two but, in the meantime, good luck to one and all.
Pending:
1 point each way Makarova at 22-1 with SkyBet in the King Charles III Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, five places.
1 point each way Alyanaabi at 16-1 in the St James’s Palace Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Tritonic at 20-1 in the Ascot Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
2 points win Pied Piper at 8-1 in the Ascot Stakes.
1 point each way Astro King at 12-1 in the Wolferton Stakes, paying 1/5th odds,
1 point each way My Mate Mozzie at 7-1 in the Copper Horse Handicap, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Azahara Palace at 25-1 in the Kensington Palace Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Elim at 33-1 in the Kensington Palace Stakes, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Jasour at 11-1 in the Commonwealth Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Isle of Jura at 12-1 in the Hardwicke Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Shartash at 10-1 in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
Last weekend: – 2 points.
1 point each way Serried Ranks at 14-1 in the Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
2024 flat season running total + 7.1 points.
2023-4 jumps season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jumps season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
My gambling record for the past eight years: I have made a profit in 15 of the past 17 seasons to recommended bets. To a 1 point level stake over this period, the overall profit of has been 517 points. All bets are either 1 point each way or 2 points win (a ‘point’ is your chosen regular stake).
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