Royal Ascot Betting: Who will join the roll call of Dubai Millenium, Rakti and Ouija Board?

Royal Ascot / Andrew Hughes / 17 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

Andrew Hughes goes through the racing on day two of Royal Ascot

What will you drink while watching the Royal meeting? Those who answer lager, hang your heads in shame. There is only one drink suitable for this Society event and what better way to recreate that Royal Enclosure experience than with a drop or two of Pimms Royal style. Get yourself a tall glass (or a small vase, depending on your capacity for alcohol) combine ice, one part Pimms to two parts champagne and garnish with orange, lemon, lime and a slice of cucumber. There you go, you're the Duke of Edinburgh. Cheers!


2:30 - Jersey Stakes

Wednesday opens with a typically thorny big field race, full of unexposed and progressive horses. This seven-furlong tussle is confined to three-year-olds yet to win a Group Two, so in taking on this challenge, punters need to be adept at assessing potential and prepared to delve a little into the world of pedigrees. The King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket can also be a useful pointer.


3:05 - Windsor Forest Stakes

A relatively new addition to the Royal meeting, this straight mile race was upgraded to Group status as part of the effort to encourage connections of fillies and mares to keep their charges in training as four year olds. There is usually a small, classy field for this and plenty of good quality form for punters to peruse.


3:45 - Prince of Wales's Stakes

Since this race was upgraded to Group One status in 2000 it has become one of the best middle distance contests in the world. The roll call of previous winners include Dubai Millenium, Fantastic Light, Grandera, Nayef, Rakti and Ouija Board. As that list demonstrates, you should only concentrate on the classiest types and bear in mind that the ability to stay a stiff ten furlongs is vital. Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Duke of Marmalade heads the market on [2.72] with Henry Cecil's Lockinge runner up Phoenix Tower on [5.7]


4:20 - Royal Hunt Cup

One of the most popular betting races of the meeting, this heritage handicap features an enormous field thundering down the straight mile. It is a great spectacle and a true test of punters' mettle. There is bound to be much talk of where the best ground lies this week but it can often be more important to know where the early pace is likely to come from. Previous straight course Ascot experience has proven invaluable in the past and May's Victoria Cup can be a useful trial. Current favourite Bankable looks very short at [2.82] on what he has achieved thus far.


4:55 - Queen Mary Stakes

The first Group race of the year for two-year-old fillies and as big a challenge to the punter as yesterday's Coventry. Run over five furlongs, the emphasis is on pure speed and those with stout sprint pedigrees are favoured. The Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley can be a good guide but punters also need to be able to root out those fillies with the most potential from the yards best equipped to target this kind of contest.