Royal Ascot Tips: Nap Bay Bridge to be crowned Prince Of Wales

There's plenty to like about the Royal Ascot meeting, top-class racing action every way you look, the best of the best taking each other on in a unique atmosphere and time for punters to get a real good shake of the stick with extra places and enhanced odds.

Below I have highlighted three I want to keep on side at the meeting.

NAP - Bay Bridge to be crowned Prince Of Wales

Prince Of Wales's Stakes

Bay Bridge's excellent victory in the Brigadier Gerard went down as one of the most impressive performances of the season in my book. He confirmed himself a top-class performer and a Group 1 winner in waiting with that demolition job.

Bay Bridge

He picks up from where he left off last season with a dazzling display in the Coral Brigadier Stakes at @Sandownpark. A 12th win in the race for Sir Michael Stoute and a record 7th for Ryan Moore. pic.twitter.com/zIK0LOAfDC

-- Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 26, 2022

The older horse division has suffered a lack of stars in recent years, going back to the likes of Crystal Ocean and Waldgeist, who battled in this Prince Of Wales's Stakes contest in 2019. A quick glance at the last two runnings of this contest will tell you the division is awaiting a top-class performer, and Sir Michael Stoute certainly has one in Bay Bridge.

He is almost certainly entitled to improve for his seasonal return effort at Sandown where he clocked a very useful RPR of 126 - something only one runner in this field has achieved in their last six outings.

Mishriff is that horse, but he has been below his best in two visits to this venue and usually takes three runs to get motoring - he has had one this season, finishing 14/14 109 days ago, and it's hard to see him at his brilliant best on the back of a break.

There's little standing in the way of Bay Bridge outside of that runner, and with connections suggesting they will stick at this 1m2f trip, he has to be NAP material, with the potential to go off much shorter than his current 2.89/5 with the Betfair Sportsbook.

NB - Commonwealth Cup trip simply perfect for Power

Commonwealth Cup

Blowing your own horn is always frowned upon, but tipping Perfect Power to win the Norfolk Stakes at this meeting last year at odds of 14/1 was no mean feat, and the moment he crossed the line, I thought Commonwealth Cup winner - You would have to trust me on that one!

I couldn't get enough cash on his back when he went to Goodwood over six furlongs next time at 7/1, astonished at the price of the fast-finishing Norfolk winner. An easy six furlongs was the perfect opportunity to see if this horse had what it takes, and I was convinced he would run away with the contest.

He didn't with a blocked passage leaving him on the bridle and me in a sweaty puddle of despair. Still, I was even more convinced of his ability after the race, given how much he had left in the tank at the line.

Although gutted, this was a proper horse, and that was proven correct when the cash came back in spades when he scored in excellent style in the Prix Morny at a very generous SP price of 19/5.

Connections certainly knew what they had with him. His Middle Park victory at Newmarket cemented him as one of the top sprinters.

The progression from the Norfolk to the Prix Morny was outstanding, evident by scoring from off the pace at Newmarket and overcoming plenty of adversity.

This season connections rightly attempted a step up in distance with him. He scored at Newbury in good style on seasonal return over seven furlongs in the Greenham Stakes. Still, it was hardly the mind-blowing performance to trouble proven milers at the top of the Guineas market, but connections rightly had to take their chance.

The 2,000 Guineas seventh was an excellent effort, but that run would have confirmed to connections they have a sprinter on their hands, and I have little doubt they have now been training him with the Commonwealth Cup firmly in mind.

Plenty of previous Greenham winners have dropped back to sprinting trips. Tasleet was a three-time Group 1 runner-up over six furlongs, James Garfield another, and Muhaarar won the Commonwealth Cup on the back of this victory, just to name a few.

This horse ticks all the boxes. He is a winner at this meeting previously, and he stays further than six furlongs, and he has a tremendous turn of foot. He is a real likeable type, and with a solid pace likely to be on offer, you'd be a braver man than me to lay him any bigger than the Sportsbook 5.59/2, and the market has certainly not missed him.

E/W - Maljoom ready to dine at the top table

St James Palace Stakes

Recent German 2,000 Guineas winner Majoom impressed with how he ran down the runaway leader from well off the pace at Cologne, and he confirmed himself as a smart prospect when scoring going away at the line that day.

His eye-catching debut performance when winning from well off the pace at Doncaster has worked out well, and he was clueless that day. He struck the front in taking style, and it was a performance that left a deep impression.

He wasn't hard pushed to take care of Saga (97) at Kempton amid the runs mentioned above, and after just three starts, there could be any amount to come from this potential top-notcher.

His task here in the St James Palace is undoubtedly uphill, but this looks to be his target, and it would be no surprise to see Native Trail come out of the betting here with his stablemate Coroebus strong at odds-on. The selection arrives with more potential than most of the field, with his ceiling unknown, and he is an attractive each-way proposition to the smart favourite.