Royal Ascot Day 1 Tips
What a great week we have ahead at Royal Ascot and one I have been looking forward to for a while. I have already had a few bets for the week ahead with my NAP of the week and my 320/1 Lucky 15.
Day 1 at the Royal meeting is always one of my favourite days with the most Group 1s of any day. The Queen Anne kicks-off the meeting and I am sure Inspiral under Frankie Dettori will be popular. The King’s Stand looks a good race followed by The St James’s Palace which see Guineas form on show.
I have gone for a big 400/1 Lucky 15 on day 1 plus I really like the look of my Double containing my two best bets of the day.
I am going for the bet365 £100,000 6 Horse Challenge each day of Royal Ascot, get my 6 picks here. Remember it is free to play so worth entering each day.
We kick-off day 1 at Royal Ascot with a cracking renewal of the Queen Anne Stakes. It looks a deep race especially with not a lot a between the top 3 in the market. MODERN GAMES gets the tentative vote to get Day 1 off to a flier. He won the key trial race for this when winning the Lockinge at Newbury. He picked up really well to run down Chindit late on and I think the stiff finish at Ascot will really suit judging by the way this is usually run.
Inspiral is obviously a big danger after winning the Coronation Stakes on her reappearance last year and even though she goes well fresh it usually pays to have a run or two under your belt in this race. This is a bigger test than the fillies only race and she will need to be in top form to take this. Native Trail will be better for the run behind Mutasaabeq and could outrun his odds. Mustasaabeq will likely make the running again and it is unlikely he will have it easy upfront so will be hard for him to make all. Of the rest I expect Chindit to be in the mix at the finish as he always runs his race.
With 22 horses heading to post it sounds a bit ludicrous to say it is between the top 2 in the betting but that is genuinely what I feel this year. I am all over ASADNA at the odds. This Mehmas colt couldn’t have done much more on debut winning by 12 lengths at Ripon last month and that visual impression was backed up by the clock too.
He is clearly an exciting individual and connections are very hopeful he is the ‘real deal’ and will win this. Aidan O’Brien has won this 5 times most recently back in 2019 with Arizona and the favourite at the time of writing River Tiber is clearly plenty talented. He is 2-2 and while he didn’t blow you away at Naas last time he still got it done well and I think he’ll run his race. I’m just hoping the selection has a few more gears at the crunch time.
I don’t think this is a vintage renewal with only a few rated good enough to win based on previous the marks of previous winners. I have had two bets in this with the classy HIGHFIELD PRINCESS heading my bets. She won 3 Group 1s last year at varying trips on all types of ground and she looks primed for this. Her comeback run she ran a cracker in 2nd carrying a penalty at York, she doesn’t carry a penalty to here and I think she is the one to beat.
I do like to find a horse to fly home late and TWILIGHT CALLS seems a great price after finishing 2nd to Nature Strip in this last year. He has excuses on his first two runs this season after soft ground and poor draws killed his chances on his 2 runs. He is drawn better much better than last year even with pace all across the track, he looks a cracking price. International raiders look the main dangers with Coolangatta, Cannonball and Twilight Gleaming a tad unknown but I don’t think they are near last years winner. Dramatised could prove best of the rest.
Chaldean was obviously impressive in tough conditions to win the Guineas last month and he has won 5 of 6 completed starts to date. I’m not sure this track will suit him as much though and you’d have to worry about the ground too. I really like PADDINGTON for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. This colt has been a work in progress but he has won 4 in a row now (3-3 this season) and he seemed to have a relentless way about him in the closing stages in the Irish 2000 Guineas last time.
He had Hi Royal back in third that day so on collateral form is a serious danger to Chaldean. He will improve again and I’m surprised he isn’t favourite for this. I do think Mostabshir represents good each way value having shown a smart turn of foot last time and I’ve always thought a bit of him so I’ll probably have a saver.
This is one of the harder races to call on the round track and CALLING THE WIND is my first of two bets in the race. He loves it at Ascot and has great form over this longer trip when he ran in the Queen Alexandra twice. His run in that race last year would be good enough to see him go very close here. His prep run in the Chester Cup should set him up nicely for this on quicker ground over further he has to be a player.
One at massive price is THEMAXWECAN who looks to be on a winnable mark. He goes well at Ascot, likes the fast ground and the Charlie Johnston yard are in flying form so he has to have a squeak. Bring On The Night has to be the main danger after missing out in this race last year by a slim margin. He is 4lb higher in the weights and has no prep run so that is why I am not backing him. But if any duo can do it, Willie Mullins and Ryan Moore can.
I have found this race extremely tricky to try and work out and while the price isn’t anything to write home about I do think SAGA has a very solid chance under Frankie Dettori. He probably should have won the Britannia last year only narrowly failing at the line closing fast. It was a similar story at Newmarket on return so he can find trouble but if things drop right I do think he is the most likely winner. He is still fairly lightly raced and if Frankie has a good day he could go off even shorter than the 4/1 on offer at the time of writing.
Given the nature of the race I’m going to have a saver and SOLID STONE might be worth a squeak. He has a good record at the track having run well in this race when third to Juan Elcano back in 2021. He looked to need the run behind Hukum at Sandown but was only beaten 5 lengths and should be spot on now and is largely overlooked in the betting.
No surprise to see Willie Mullins dominate the top of the market with VAUBAN running. On his hurdle mark he is very well in but so was Saldier 2 years ago when beaten favourite in this so I am going with one a bigger price. RULING DYNASTY really caught the eye winning a novice event at Haydock under a penalty with relative ease. He seemed to relish the extra trip and will likely improve a lot for that run and the extra couple of furlongs here. To get him at a nice each price could prove a great bet.
Vauban will be the main danger despite the national hunt runners going in this race struggling a bit and at 15/8 he is priced accordingly. Get Shirty won this last year but is struggling off a much higher mark so a repeat is unlikely. Outside the Mullins pair Postileo could prove best of the rest with good form at Ascot and seems fairly handicapped.
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