Value Bet Ben Linfoot's free racing tips for Royal Ascot 2020 day two

Recommended Bets, Royal Ascot 2020, Day Two

1pt win Salayel in 1.15 Ascot at 14/1

1pt win Bright Melody in 2.25 Ascot at 15/2

1pt win Arthurian Fable in 2.25 Ascot at 16/1

1pt win Fox Premier in 3.35 Ascot at 16/1

0.5pts e.w Petrus in 3.35 Ascot at 40/1

1pt win Ranch Hand in 4.40 Ascot at 6/1

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The signs on the first day of Royal Ascot were that the stands’ side is the place to be on the straight track and while it might not play out like that all week long I do think it’s where you want to be drawn in the Royal Hunt Cup (3.35) on Wednesday.

Bar Cardsharp, who could plough a lone furrow on the far side, all of the early pace is drawn middle to stands’ side in the Hunt Cup with Vale Of Kent (stall 12), Alrajaa (13), Lord Tennyson (14) and Wargrave (21) all likely to help force the issue from the higher numbers.

Drawn in stall 24, FOX PREMIER (16/1 General) looks likely to get the race run to suit and I’m sure Silvestre de Sousa will ride him prominently to utilise his proven stamina.

A winner twice over 10 furlongs and a good second to Forest Of Dean over that trip when last seen, he has to prove he has the pace for a mile having not run over the trip since he was two.

However, he travelled noticeably well when winning over 10 furlongs at Sandown and showed pace to get into a good position at Glorious Goodwood, as well, so it could be that he’ll relish the blood and thunder of a Hunt Cup as it looks like he’ll enjoy a proper end-to-end gallop.

Having beaten all bar Forest Of Dean at Goodwood off 95 in a hot race, I’m convinced he’s well treated off 97 and Andrew Balding can be trusted to have got him spot on for his first run in 321 days given how his team have been running since the resumption.

The other one I’m going to have a small each-way bet on is PETRUS at 40/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5, Sky Bet are paying seven places) for Brian Meehan and Martin Dwyer.

I’m a little bit worried about any cut in the ground for him, but he’s worth chancing on that score with plenty else in his favour.

He’s another that could benefit from tracking the stands’ side pace and he loves a big field over this trip as he showed when winning the Spring Mile at Doncaster last season.

That was first time up and he looks to be very much at his best when fresh, so his 263-day break should’ve done him some good after his form tailed off towards the end of last season.

He’s dropped back down to 98 now, just 1lb higher than his last win, and Meehan can ready one for a big pot after an absence as he showed at this meeting when Bacchus won the 2018 Wokingham after 260 days off.

The Pyledriver win on Tuesday boosted the form of Berlin Tango, who goes in the Hampton Court (1.50), and BRIGHT MELODY (15/2 Ladbrokes), who goes in the King George V Stakes (2.25), and the latter looks worth a bet.

He stayed on well for third at Kempton over 10 furlongs on just his second start behind two horses that could well line up in the Derby and off 98 he might've been let in lightly for this handicap.

On the evidence of his Kempton third the step up to 1m4f should suit him well and it’s not really a surprise to see Charlie Appleby reach for the cheekpieces in a bid to help him travel better in the early stages.

Appleby has a solid 22 per cent strike-rate with first-time cheekpieces and a similar percentage when applying them to progeny of Dubawi.

He’s worth a bet and so is ARTHURIAN FABLE (16/1 General) in the same race for Meehan and Dwyer, who will hopefully have a good day.

This son of Sea The Stars pulled clear with Global Storm at Newmarket on June 7 and though he lost in a head bob-finish by a short head he’s clearly ahead of the handicapper having pulled three lengths clear of the rest.

He’ll have to settle better if he’s to get home in this, but that run should’ve taken the freshness out of him and on that run and judging by his pedigree he should improve for the step up to 1m4f.

Officially 5lb well-in after his rating was revised on Tuesday, he looks a big price from his wide draw – the place to be according to most of the last 10 renewals of this race.

In the opening Silver Royal Hunt Cup I quite like the look of SALAYEL at 14/1 (General).

Roger Varian’s filly looks like she’s crying out for a proper gallop over a mile judging by her third at this track last September and her run at Newmarket two weeks later.

Second to Nazeef, who won the Duke Of Cambridge on Tuesday, on the Rowley Mile, she didn’t handle the dip well at all but on that run and her close-up fourth at York (over seven furlongs) she looks well treated off 92.

Finally, RANCH HAND (6/1 General) looks the one to be on in the Copper Horse Handicap at 4.40.

Balding’s horse was sent off 11/2 favourite for the Cesarewitch last season on the back of a really impressive win at Haydock over Wednesday’s trip of 1m6f on his previous start.

He ran flat at Newmarket, but had looked highly progressive before that and he’s only 5lb higher than he was for his authoritative Haydock win in this.

From a family that Balding knows well and one that improves with age, Ranch Hand will likely have come on again from three to four and if he has he’s the one they all have to beat.

Posted at 1700 BST on 16/06/2020

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