Our racing expert Ben Linfoot has six Value Bet selections for day two of Royal Ascot and he's taking two against the field in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Recommended Bets: Royal Ascot, Day Two
1pt win Tango in 2.30 Royal Ascot at 20/1
1pt win Dashing Willoughby in 3.05 Royal Ascot at 14/1
1pt win Move Swiftly in 4.20 Royal Ascot 18/1
1pt win Seniority in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 20/1
1pt win King's Field in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 20/1
0.5pts e.w Glasvegas in 5.35 Royal Ascot at 50/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Day two of Royal Ascot and the feature Prince Of Wales’s Stakes could be the race of the week with Magical, Sea Of Class and Crystal Ocean a trio of top-class operators in the 10-furlong Group One on Wednesday.
Arguably, all three are better over a-mile-and-a-half and if you think they might be vulnerable over the trip then Waldgeist could be the one to take advantage.
He looked better than ever over 10 furlongs last time and that puts him into the equation, but I think the fillies have the edge in this and I just prefer Magical’s match sharpness over a fresh Sea Of Class.
Sporadic showers are forecast until racing on Wednesday and the ground changed to 'Soft' before the last on day one, so bear that in mind ahead of day two.
The best betting race of the day is the Royal Hunt Cup at 5.00, a 30-runner handicap where all the early pace seems to be drawn middle to stands’ side.
The low numbers on the far side could well be at a disadvantage and that could be bad news for hot favourite New Graduate who is drawn out on the wing in stall one.
He hosed up at Ripon and the form has worked out tremendously well, but, up 15lb from that draw, he’s worth taking on at around 6/1.
Beringer was high on my shortlist, as he’s been very consistent this season and a strongly-run stiff mile looks right up his street, but he too looks poorly berthed in stall two.
The stands’ side could well be the place to be with Cardsharp, Zwayyan, Vale Of Kent and Chief Ironside all prominent racers drawn high and with this I mind I’m drawn to the claims of SENIORITY at 20/1 (bet365, 18/1 General).
William Haggas and Ryan Moore team up with the Queen’s horse here and he was sent off the 7/1 favourite for this race last year on the back of an easy win at Chelmsford the week before.
Being well-in for the Hunt Cup effectively forced Haggas’ hand but running a week before wasn’t the ideal prep and in the circumstances he ran really well in a running-on eighth.
After that he won the Golden Mile at Goodwood off a mark of 98 after a month off and he’s only 3lb higher on Wednesday after a really encouraging reappearance at Epsom.
Things didn’t pan out for him at Meydan, but he ran really well at Epsom from stall one where Moore made more use of him than he usually does to ensure he wasn’t trapped out the back.
The downside was he raced a bit too keenly after being lit up in the early stages, but, considering that, he ran with great credit to finish best of the rest behind runaway winner Gossiping.
Being held-up off a strong pace on a more conventional track is more his bag and 19 days on from Epsom he’s been given the ideal prep this time around.
Softening of the ground is an unknown, but with everything else in his favour he’s well worth backing at 20s in anticipation of a Royal winner.
The other one I want on side is KING’S FIELD for Joseph O’Brien at 20/1 (General).
He’s got a similar profile to last year’s winner Settle For Bay having excelled on the all-weather track at Dundalk before catching the eye on his return to turf in Ireland last time.
His easy win at Dundalk in December off a mark of 97 was franked by the third and fifth who won subsequently and then he got injured out in Meydan where he only ran the once.
It was therefore highly encouraging to see him run on nicely for third over an inadequate seven furlongs in a Listed race at Naas on his return and he can come on plenty for that run.
His half-brother Balmoral Castle won by five lengths in a handicap at Ascot on his first go at the track and, drawn centrally, this hold-up horse should have the race run to suit.
He’s been nibbled at on Tuesday afternoon, but the available 20/1 remains fair.
It could be a good day for Haggas and earlier on he has the well-fancied Pretty Baby going for the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (4.20) but I prefer his second string for the same owners as MOVE SWIFTLY looks big at 18/1 (Betfair Sportsbook, Paddy Power).
Haggas clearly thinks a lot of this filly as he nominated this race as a target for her in the off-season and he’s entered her in the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes as well.
She hasn’t been seen this season, but that’s not a concern at the odds and on her best form last year she has a huge chance.
Her best effort came in a handicap at Newmarket where she narrowly failed to give 9lb to Belle Ragazza with subsequent French Listed winner Qazyna seven lengths adrift in third.
She’s an improving filly who has never been out of the first three in her life and I don’t think she’ll mind the easing of the ground, either.
It’s possible she’s a big price because she’s not been sighted this season, while James Doyle jumps ship for Pretty Baby, too.
However, Daniel Tudhope is in the saddle, fresh from a huge day one double aboard Lord Glitters and Addeybb, and he has an exceptional record for Haggas having won 27 races from 92 goes at 29 per cent.
In the Queen’s Vase (3.05) I’m not completely convinced by the Aidan O’Brien representatives this year and would rather back Andrew Balding’s DASHING WILLOUGHBY at 14/1 (Betfair Sportsbook, Paddy Power).
This stoutly-bred son of Nathaniel looks likely to improve for stepping up in trip as he looks a strong stayer and is a very close relative to Joshua Reynolds who won three times over 1m5f and further.
The form of his Newbury second in April has worked out well with subsequent winners Space Blues and Headman well beaten in behind while he proved to be a sitting duck off an ordinary gallop when attempting to make all in Sir Dragonet’s Chester Vase.
Balding’s Count Octave was well beaten in that race before running Stradivarius to a neck in the Queen’s Vase and Dashing Willoughby looks to have similar claims this year.
He won’t mind softer ground and Oisin Murphy has been flying for his old boss this year, picking up 14 winners from 66 rides at 21 per cent despite his other commitments.
Finally, the two-year-olds and I can’t resist taking an each-way swing at Keith Dalgleish’s GLASVEGAS in the Windsor Castle Stakes at 50/1 (bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4, 40/1 Betfair Sportsbook, Paddy Power).
He’s got a better chance on form than his odds suggest, as he came on a good deal for his debut run when beating Archie Watson’s Taxiwala at Hamilton last time in a race that has produced several good winners in recent years including subsequent Group One Prix Morny winner Unfortunately in 2017.
Drawn on the wide outside, he wasn’t in an ideal position and was then carried wide by the runner-up late on but managed to win regardless.
Taxiwala franked the form with a win at Brighton and I’m convinced Glasvegas will be coming home strongly in this field, with the worry being that’ll he be outpaced in the early stages.
At the prices that’s a risk I’m willing to take, especially with the Dalgleish stable hitting a rich vein of form this week thanks to five winners on Monday.
In the opening Queen Mary Stakes I want to be with Aidan O’Brien’s TANGO at 20/1 (Sky Bet, 16s General).
The daughter of No Nay Never was heavily supported on debut in a hot fillies’ maiden at the Curragh, a race in which O’Brien unleashed subsequent Group Two winner Just Wonderful last year.
That was over six furlongs and she showed bags of natural speed before just getting run out of it by Jessica Harrington’s Albigna.
The form is already working out well and Tango boosted it herself when winning with ease at Navan last time.
At odds of 1/6 she was entitled to get the job done, but it was the professionalism she showed that suggests she’s ready for Royal Ascot and dropping further back to five furlongs for this race rather than taking in the Albany over six looks the right move.
She’ll have to improve, but she certainly looks the type to reach a higher level of form now she runs in a better race and odds as big as 20/1 are a surprise.
Ben Linfoot's Value Bet aim: The Value Bet is designed to generate long-term profit by searching for overpriced horses in the feature weekend races and at the big Festivals in the UK and Ireland. Running total: +342.69pts to advised stakes/prices (from inception of Value Bet column in January 2010 to current).
Click here for the full Value Bet record
Posted at 1700 BST on 18/06/19.
