Horse Racing Betting Tips Today

Will Smith Tips

Alta Regina

Queen Mary Stakes - 2.30 Royal Ascot

** EW 5 places 1/5

15/2

Pershaada

Queen Mary Stakes - 2.30 Royal Ascot

* EW 5 places 1/5

20/1

Ebt's Guard

Royal Hunt Cup - Royal Ascot 5.00

* EW 6 places 1/5

20/1

Cerulean Bay

Royal Hunt Cup - Royal Ascot 5.00

* EW 6 places 1/5

28/1

Lucky 15

View Tips

7/1

Any perceived or actual track bias at Royal Ascot can be a very fluid beast, but what doesn’t often happen is a massive about-turn from one day to the next, and certainly on the evidence of how straight track races panned out on the opening day, (which will also be fresh in the jockey’s minds and potentially lend itself to confirmation bias on their part,) stands side will potentially be the place to be on Day 2.

With that in mind, there seems to me be an excellent 2-star ** selection in the opening Queen Mary Stakes at 2.30. Hamad Al Jehani and Wathnan Racing were a little unlucky with their standout 2-year-old colt in the Coventry Stakes but can makes amends with Alta Regina at 15/2 each-way with William Hill for 5 places here.

Alta Regina was extremely impressive when winning at Lingfield Park on debut, given her track position, that she had to weave in and amongst runners, and defied signs of real greenness to clear away in extraordinary fashion late on. She might just be the best horse in the field quite comfortably, and she also has what you’d hope will be an advantageous draw in stall 24.

Next to her in stall 23 is Pershaada, who is also worth a small 1-star * bet at 22/1 each-way with William Hill for 5 places. In being beaten twice on the all-weather before winning impressively at Goodwood, she has perhaps hoodwinked a few of the layers into thinking she might not be that good, but the Goodwood performance suggested otherwise.

The next straight track race on the day is the Royal Hunt Cup at 5.00, and so, should the stands side prevail in the Queen Mary, then expect a rush for those drawn high again here, which will lend itself perhaps to how the following Kensington Palace and Windsor Castle might pan out.

I’m sticking with high draws and two horses who are rock-solid conveyances in these big-field handicaps and have suggested with their early season runs this time around, that they might be about to hit peak career form.

At 20/1 each-way generally for 6 places (or shorter for 7 or 8 if you prefer), Ebt’s Guard can add to his already extremely impressive Ascot record, as he was the only horse who raced up with the pace at Newbury last time that hung around in the finish. He’ll step forward nicely in stall 32 under the rail.

Cerulean Bay is the other bet from stall 22 at 28/1 each-way generally for 6 places, as he has often been out of luck with the draw/pace when coming to Ascot and it’s interesting that he’s the only runner for David O’Meara in a race he’s yet to win but sometimes has had big-priced horses fill the frame. His two runs this season have suggested he’s better than ever.

David Young Tips

Wild Blossom

2.30 Ascot

EW 5 places 1/5

15/2

Friendly Soul

3.40 Ascot

EW 4 places 1/5

9/2

Shout

5.00 Ascot

EW 6 places 1/5

14/1

Fifth Column

5.00 Ascot

EW 6 places 1/5

10/1

Alobayyah

5.35 Ascot

Win

7/2

Miss Nightfall

5.35 Ascot

EW 6 places 1/5

11/1

Agitator

6.10 Ascot

EW 4 places 1/5

100/1

2.30 Ascot – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) – 5f

If you could choose you might opt for a stall of 14 or higher given 8 of the last 10 winners ticked that box but we’ve had winners from Stall 1 and 10 so it wouldn’t be the be all and end all and potentially moreso this year with the first three in the betting drawn 5, 7 and 10.

The one I’ve had in mind for this contest is the middle drawn of that trio, WILD BLOSSOM who really did catch the eye on her debut up in Carlisle, a track trainer Karl Burke likes to use for his nicer 2-year-olds and in the very same race he used for Venetian Sun before her Albany win.

The international challenge add further interest, with the bulk of those rivals drawn near to the trio I’ve already mentioned and ultimately this is an incredibly competitive race.

WILD BLOSSOM – 1 STAR EW @ 15/2 (5 places 1/5)

3.40 Ascot – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) – 1m

This is a race of real intrigue because Blue Bolt is an out and out miler with good form and a good attitude, but FRIENDLY SOUL is a Group 1 winner and while she’s been a 10 furlong mare, she is a course and distance winner. She also has the strongest line of form going back to beating Kalpana in the Pretty Polly and while she has a couple of blemishes on her book, the first at York was a combination of a bad draw and an uncommon hanging from her and last time out at Haydock she stepped on the exposed drain when tanking through the race following a near 600 day absence.

Not the ideal prep but a stiff mile at Ascot should be enough of a test for her to get away with it and while Blue Bolt might be the more typical miler, I’d expect FRIENDLY SOUL to be ridden prominently, which she can do from stall 5 and I don’t think she’s for passing for a yard who have produced 4 of the last 6 winners, and none of those were sent off favourite either!

FRIENDLY SOUL – 1 STAR EW @ 9/2 (4 places 1/5)

5.00 Ascot – Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap) – 1m

Big field handicap and there are a few boxes that typically want to be ticked:

• Aged 4 or 5
• Rated no higher than 103
• Carrying 9-0 to 9-5
• 3 or more career wins
• Placed last time out
• Has run at Ascot
• Drawn 4-11 or 20+

The one who really ticks those boxes is SHOUT for the Crisfords under Jack Callan claiming 3lbs. He’s a course and distance winner who flopped here 12 months ago in the Britannia but in a first time visor and curiously he’s three wins have all come under a jockey riding him for the first time so while losing Oisin Murphy wouldn’t be a typical positive, we can spin it slightly in here.

Another runner who doesn’t tick all the boxes but has formlines from the Brittania last year too and even close to Shout in the Spring Cup at Newbury from earlier this season is FIFTH COLUMN. Won his race in the Britannia last year just drawn in the wrong place and not in the worst position here from 14 but markedly stepped up from his first run to second run this season and is off a mark that looks workable for sure.

SHOUT – 0.75 STAR EW @ 14/1 (6 places 1/5)

FIFTH COLUMN – 0.75 STAR EW @ 10/1 (6 places 1/5)

5.35 Ascot – Kensington Palace Stakes (Fillies’ Handicap) – 1m

Big field competitive handicap here with so many in with chances but the two on my mind are ALOBAYYAH who was steadied and switched to the back in her last race at this track to be in position on the stands rail but was left with far too much to do although from a nice berth here is expected to go close, although will need some luck in running.

As too would MISS NIGHTFALL who has just one win to her name but was well fancied for the Sandringham last year when not able to get the best run although she was beaten favourite twice after with fewer excuses. Bit of a risk to be backing a horse with her mind but I thought she wouldn’t be a surprise contender as you’d think the yard have had an eye on Royal Ascot once more, and she still ran well in defeat last year.

ALOBAYYAH – 2 STAR WIN @ 7/2

MISS NIGHTFALL – 0.5 STAR EW @ 11/1 (6 places 1/5)

6.10 Ascot – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) – 6f

New conditions mean we don’t know what would be the ideal type for this and it’s likely to change now going forward. Sergei Diaghilev looks to have a favourites chance and looks well drawn and I wonder if AGITATOR drawn on his inside might just end up being taken through this race and he shows real determination in his latest start to stick his head down and looked strong through the line. Would need to improve bundles, but at this age they can and he won’t have been near a horse like O’Briens and that might be enough to eek out a bit more. With a 66/1 price about him, he looks very tempting for a small EW play because sadly there aren’t many offering extended places as I feel they should for a race like this.

AGITATOR – 0.25 STAR EW @ 100/1 (4 places 1/5)

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