Royal Ascot Tips: Coral Beach can show up in the Sandringham

I'd had a few at home by the time of the Windsor Castle on Wednesday, so I ended up chucking some cash at a couple, and thankfully they included the winner. But in the sober light of day these big-field juvenile races totally bamboozle me and that is again the case in the 25-runner Albany Stakes at 14:30.

The US racing journos over for the meeting and the clock-watchers have been raving about Nayibeth for a while and she heads the market.

But the briefest of glances at the racecard tells you what she, and us "punters", are up against here, and that is a plethora of unknowns.

Two at bigger prices that caught my eye are Separate and Galadriel but I won't be having a bet - unless the gin makes a morning appearance on Friday - so I am not tipping.
Good luck if you are.

Take on Ten Sovereigns

I am not willing to oppose Japan in the King Edward VII at 15:05, after his third in the Derby. That makes him the clear form choice, and he has a profile of a horse that is going one way. Upwards.

He is not my kind of price at 5/4 but he isn't a bad bet. He looked like an odds-on poke to me, for all the likes of Pondus and Private Secretary are progressive types in opposition.

However, I am happy to take on Ten Sovereigns at a similar price in the Commonwealth Cup at 15:40, as I am not convinced that the Guineas fifth is certain to be suited by the drop to 6f, for all that he was a Middle Park winner (by ½ length from Jash, who re-opposes here) at two.

Advertise is the one I am going to chance at a price against him, and he rates a small-stakes bet at 13.012/1 or bigger.

He is only 1lb off the favourite on official ratings but obviously he comes here after completely blowing out in the Guineas, so there is a possibility that he simply hasn't trained on.

But it's too early to be making those snap judgements and his 2yo efforts give him strong form claims.

He came second in the Coventry here, and went on to land his Group 1 before chasing home Too Darn Hot in the Dewhurst, over a length clear of a certain Anthony Van Dyck in third.

Martyn Meade tries him in first-time blinkers and he is an impressive 5 from 17 when trying this headgear option since 2015.

If they work, then this horse is bang in business.

Hermosa is EVS for the Coronation Stakes at 16:20, and it is impossible to argue with that assessment after what she did in Ireland last time, though making all here could be harder and the easier ground may not be ideal, though she has form on good to soft.

And the French 1000 Guineas winner Castle Lady is decent and the up-in-class Jubiloso is held in the highest regard at home.
Those two are the obvious each-way shouts, but this is another race I can leave alone.

Coral Beach can make Sandringham golden appearance

In the Sandringham at 17:00, Coral Beach has a very similar profile to the stable's Rain Goddess, who finished a narrow second in this race in 2017.

God, that brings back bad memories.

Indeed, both were beaten only 4 lengths in the French 1000 Guineas, on heavy ground in Coral Beach's case, and a mark of 100 looks quite generous on that form, and indeed on her Group 3 win at two.

The issue is that she didn't look overly keen in the Irish 1000 Guineas last time, and that run undoubtedly was off-putting, for all it was a Classic and she was beaten only 9 lengths.

But I am willing to forgive her that run.

She will enjoy the ease in the ground and it is very interesting that the tongue-tie that she wore in her best two efforts as a juvenile - and was left off last time, and presumably in France, too (though I am not sure they have to declare it there) - is back on here.

She is worth a tickle at 17.016/1 or bigger.

Can Byron get off to a flyer?

Corgi has an obvious chance after a great run on his comeback at York and Pivoine also interested me, but I was very surprised to see Byron Flyer available at 25/1+ on the exchange, so back him at 27.026/1 or bigger in the 17:35.

He is drawn on the outside in 22, but that is a positive over 1m4f around here, and he comes here on the back of a second to Soto Sizzler at Epsom last time.

He has been upped 1lb for that defeat but that was a good effort against an improver, so the minimum rise was justified and it just allows him to sneak into this 0-105 off the ceiling handicap mark.

He may ideally want it quicker but he has form with ease in the ground and he has run two crackers on both his starts here (in the Shergar Cup) and the first-time visor is an interesting move for a horse that ran so well last time.

But Ian Williams, already among the winners here this week, knows what he is doing on that score and is 19 from 101 with this headgear switch since 2006.