Andrew Mount's Royal Ascot Answers - Days One, Two & Three

Ahead of the start of the Royal meeting, I've taken a look at the early confirmations for Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursday cards and found a World Pool angle. I will of course be playing these bets in the daily Royal Ascot Betting Tournaments and you can take me on by opt-ing in here.

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Tuesday, June 20

2.30 – Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)

The Queen Anne has been billed as a match between Lockinge winner MODERN GAMES and Franke Dettori’s mount INSPIRAL. I’m in the latter’s camp. The Gosden-trained four-year-old was turned over at odds of 1-7 in the Falmouth Stakes last summer but raced on the slowest part of the track and bounced back to land the Group 1 Jacques le Marois at Deauville next time. She blew the start when only sixth to Bayside Boy in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day but I’m happy to forgive that and the subsequent layoff is unlikely to be an issue given her fine record when fresh.

Selection: Inspiral

3.40 – King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1)

I’m keen to oppose Temple Stakes winner DRAMATISED, as she looked flattered from a high draw in that Group 2 Haydock contest – the first four finishers were drawn 10, 12, 13 and 11 of 13. Runner-up Equilateral has already been turned over since (when 3-1 favourite for a Listed contest) and I’d rather side with the low-drawn runners form that race, as they turned out to have little chance on such a biased track.

MITBAAHY (stall 3) fared best of the low draws in fifth, while HAPPY ROMANCE, sixth from stall 2, also caught the eye.

MANACCAN’s course record of 511 (2-3), with the defeat by just one length in a 27-runner handicap, also entitles him to respect. HIGHFIELD PRINCESS is difficult to leave out of calculations. She was expected to need the run on her reappearance in the 6f Clipper Stakes at York but only went down by half a length to the progressive Azure Blue, doing clear best of those to race up with the pace. My final selections will be formed when the draw, going and pace scenario are known but at the time of writing I intend to back Mitbaahy and Happy Romance, as well as combining them in Tote exotics with Highfield Princess and Manacan. If I had to whittle down to just one at this stage, I’d go with Mitbaahy

Selection: Mitbaahy

4.20 – St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)

CHALDEAN’s 2000 Guineas victory took his record outside of his seasonal debuts to 11111 (5-5) and he’s difficult to dismiss. At the time of writing, he was sharing 2-1 favouritism with Irish 2000 Guineas winner PADDINGTON, who might be the one to oppose of the pair, as he was always close to the front end at the Curragh on a day it was incredibly difficult to make ground from the rear.

GALERON, fourth at 150-1 in the 2000 Guineas, did really well to finish fifth to Paddington in the Irish equivalent, as he was given a patient ride. He looks a strong each-way player at a big price.

Selection: Galeron

5.00 – Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap)

Willie Mullins runners who competed over hurdles last time out are four from 15 in the 2m4f Ascot Stakes for a profit of £16.00 to a £1 level stake at SP, with four of the beaten horses placing. He has only two entries this year – BRING ON THE NIGHT, off the track since his fine second to Ascot Gold Cup favourite Coltrane (now rated 24lb higher) in this race 12 months ago, and SCARAMANGA, who landed a valuable 3m hurdle in the USA last month.

TIDES OF WAR caught the eye at Goodwood where he emerged best of those ridden patiently in a 1m6f handicap on his first run since gelded. Jamie Spencer will try and present him late but progeny of Galileo are 0-22 in this race with all finishing unplaced. FIRST EMPEROR also fared best of the hold-up horses when third at Goodwood last time, going down by two lengths in a 2m handicap, but he too is a Galileo.

NEWFOUNDLAND weas sent off as the 3-1 favourite at Tipperary in April on his debut for Joseph O’Brien but the ex-Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old found the extended 1m4f trip too short and could only plod on into seventh of the ten runners. She showed more over 1m6f at the Curragh next time (7-2f) where he stayed on into sixth of 18 and looks interesting over this longer trip.

Selection: Scaramanga

5.35 Wolferton Stakes (Listed Race)

Stalls 1, 2 and 3 are 0-33 in the past 11 years and it usually pays to challenge more towards the centre of the track. Siding with horses who are usually ridden patiently is a strong angle and we’re not likely to see recent Epsom winner CADILLAC, runner-up from a poor draw in this race last year, on the premises until late.

One who could go well at a much bigger price is Noel Meade’s LAYFAYETTE. He was beaten by almost nine lengths when a 33-1 fourth of six at the Curragh last time but that was behind Luxembourg in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in which his patient running style was at a huge disadvantage. This will be her first turf outing below Group 3 level since a Listed win at Naas in March 2022.

Selection: Layfayette

Wednesday, June 21

3.05 – Kensington Palace Fillies’ Handicap

BELHAVEN caught the eye over the straight mile here last time, doing best of the prominent racers when a neck second to Farhh To Shy on soft ground. The winner, third, fourth and fifth all came from midfield or further back and she had over two lengths to spare over the next prominent racer. The switch to the round mile won’t harm her chance but she could use some rain.

ONE MORNING, fourth to Farhh To Shy here on her comeback, will appreciate the likely quicker ground and could be well handicapped.

We’d have made money by back David O’Meara’s Royal Ascot runners blind and LOVE INTEREST wasn’t disgraced when mid-division in the Sandringham last year. The return to 1m will suit after three runs over 7f in Group 3/Listed company this term and she could surprise.

Selection: Belhaven

3.40 – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)

JUMBLY has been well supported in the antepost market and it’s easy to see why. Joseph O’Brien’s four-year-old was beaten into second place by Just Beautiful when 9-2 for the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes but that was a huge effort, as her patient running style was at a disadvantage. She raced keenly in midfield whereas the winner made all and Ascot looks ideal for her.

Selection: Jumbly

4.20 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)

I want to take on Aidan O’Brien’s LUXEMBOURG who may have been flattered by her half-length success from Bay Bridge in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month. It was a big advantage to make the running that day and she never saw another rival. BAY BRIDGE might miss this if the ground doesn’t ease but I’ll take him to reverse the form with Luxembourg if making the line-up.

MY PROSPERO found the 1m trip too short when fourth in the Lockinge and is the obvious danger.

Selection: Bay Bridge

5.00 - Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap)

PEROTTO finished a creditable seventh of 22 in the Victoria Cup on last month’s seasonal/stable debut. Roger Varian’s five-year-old, winner of the 2021 Britannia Stakes when with Marcus Tregoning, will appreciate the stap back up to 1m.

ASTRO KING, second best of those to race prominently when fourth in this race for Sir Michael Stoute last year, looked unlucky not to win at York on his debut for the Kublers when ridden patiently. Similar tactics will see him hard to keep out of the frame.

SAGA is a hard horse to win with and has finished second in five of his ten career starts, including at this meeting last year when going down by a head in the 30-runner Britannia Stakes. He was beaten by the same margin in a big field at Newmarket last time and I’ll be doing a Tote Trifecta perm with him as a banker to finish second yet again.

AWAAL ran a stormer to finish second in the Lincoln doing clear best to those to race up with the pace. He finished well beaten in France next time but could bounce back if getting some cut in the ground.

AERION POWER found the ground too soft when fourth at Leicester on his comeback and has since run a solid third at Sandown. He’s yet to win in a big field but could surprise.

OUTBREAK’s dam ran third in a Duke Of Cambridge and also finished a creditable eighth of 17 in the Coronation Stakes. Charlie Johnston’s gelding wasn’t best drawn when fifth at Newbury last time and would have a squeak at a big price.

Selection: Astro King

Thursday, June 22

2.30 – Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)

ELITE STATUS was heavily backed ahead of his debut when landing a Doncaster maiden by three lengths and earned a Racing Post Rating of 108 when coming home five lengths clear in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown to maintain his 100% record. He’s going to be hard to beat.

BIG EVS, a son of Blue Point, ran a cracker on his debut at Redcar last month, breaking smartly from his poor high draw in stall 12 of 14 (once adjusted for non-runners) and getting across to the far side. He was worn down by the better-drawn Hala Emaraaty, a previous winner, but it was still a huge effort. Mick Appleby’s charge is likely to go under the radar and could be worth an each-way interest.

Selection: Elite Status

3.05 – King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap)

Those drawn in stalls 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are just one from 55 since the draw reversed in 2011. The sole winner was HUKUM, who was incredibly well handicapped off a mark of 90 (he’s now rated 122). That was aa very strong renewal with Subjectivist, third off 94, now rated 123. We don’t know the draw at this early stage, but STRUTH caught the eye when second to SAINT GEORGE over the St Leger trip at Doncaster and is one to consider.

Selection: Struth

4.20 – Gold Cup (Group 1)

This doesn’t look vintage renewal and it’s hard to escape the claims of COLTRANE, who bolted up in the Sagaro Stakes over 2m here last time. His course record now reads 121 (2-3), with the second place by a head to Trueshan.

Adam Nicol’s WISE EAGLE chased home Coltrane in the Sagaro and is likely to be underestimated in the betting given his unfashionable connections. He’s only raced beyond an extended 2m trip on two occasions, scoring over 2m2f at Musselburgh last summer and over the same distance at Pontefract in the autumn.

Selection: Coltrane