On a day where England’s football team inject a dose of St George’s cross-clad over-the-top patriotism into the nation, Ascot, the epitome of British culture, hosts its biggest race in the marathon Ascot Gold Cup, with Aiden O’Brien’s Order Of St George, ironically named after a Russian military honour, trading odds-on favourite. This…
Author: Joel Roberts
1pt win Blue De Vega @5/1, 15:05 Ascot, Thursday
This looks a tricky and competitive renewal of this mile-and-a-quarter Royal Ascot Group Three. Hawkbill seemingly sets the form standard for Charlie Appleby, having beaten the favourite, Abdon, on good-to-soft ground on their seasonal reappearances. The market seems to be expecting a reversal on this softer ground, but I’m not…
1pt win Architecture @10/3, 15:40 Ascot, Thursday
It might be too soon after The Oaks for ARCHITECTURE to run to her best, but at 11/4 and almost a stone clear of all her adversaries on ratings and she might be good value. She hasn’t won yet this season, finishing second the last twice, but that might be a blessing…
0.5pt each-way Tryster @28/1, 16:20 Ascot, Wednesday
Japanese raider A Shin Hikari, the highest rated racehorse in the world, sets the loftiest of standards and appears a certainty for the Prince Of Wales Stakes, the feature race on Royal Ascot’s Wednesday card. A wide-margin demolition of a top-class Group One field on very soft ground last time…
1pt win Lady Aurelia @3/1, 15:05 Ascot, Wednesday
I’m a big fan of American trainer Wesley Ward. He lets punters know when he’s got a good thing and the noises he’s making about his Queen Mary Stakes raider LADY AURELIA are too positive to ignore. This is a race he targets as he’s won it twice since 2009, most recently…
1pt win Tepin @5/1, 14:30 Ascot, Tuesday
We’re set for a rare soggy start to Royal Ascot and the deteriorating going has had a big impact on the betting market for the opening Queen Anne Stakes, won last year by superstar miler Solow for France, in what’s possibly the race of the week. A setback has prevented a…
0.75pt each-way Mongolian Saturday @25/1, 15:40 Ascot, Tuesday
Unlike recent renewals, this season’s King’s Stand Stakes – the first of two British Group One five-furlong sprints each year – will be raced on soggy, slow ground. That’s caused many of the leading players to defect, including dual-winner Sole Power and the much-hyped American raider Acapulco. With each defection…
0.75pt each-way Robin Of Navan @12/1, 15:15 Chantilly, Sunday
I really like ROBIN OF NAVAN‘s chances of landing the Prix Du Jockey Club – the French Derby. He’s already won three times and placed twice in France – a run including Group One success in the Criterium De Saint-Cloud. The form of that race is strong, with Epsom Derby third…
2016 Epsom Derby Selections: Cloth Of Stars, Harzand, Across The Stars
It’s Derby day at Epsom, the second and most valuable of three British Classics for colts, and 16 three-year-olds are declared to seal their future stud values with victory. It’s been a race kind to punters in recent years with favourites Golden Horn, Australia and Camelot all obliging at short odds – but…
1pt each-way Simple Verse @5/1, 15:10 Epsom, Saturday
The Coronation Cup, run over the same one-mile-four course and distance at Epsom as the Derby Stakes on the same card, looks a strong renewal this year with four recent Group One winners heading the market. Arabian Queen‘s 100/1 success in the Juddmonte International at York was this column’s finest…