Royal Ascot Tips: Be prepared for a thunderous start to Royal Ascot

Best Bet: Queen Anne Stakes, Ascot, 14.30 - Back More Thunder @ 7/24.50

This is a big week for trainer Charlie Appleby who has found this meeting a barren landscape in recent years.

Notable Speech and Opera Ballo give the Newmarket handler a huge chance of improving on some rather dismal recent figures (one winner from last 36 runners) and the former will be strongly fancied by many following a rather luckless run 12 months ago in this event.

His latest performance in the Lockinge Stakes when leaving a talented field trailing in his wake was exhilirating and connections will hope it's a case of third time lucky for their entire who was also beaten at the Royal venue in the St James's Palace Stakes when a well-backed market leader.

Priced up at 2/13.00 or shorter this time round, I am happy to let him run and possibly win, preferring instead to back Newbury runner-up More Thunder to turn the tables at a more favoured venue.

The selection has a couple of lengths to find on Notable Speech, but this track is more conducive to a patient ride than Newbury and it was also his first run since a luckless effort at Longchamp on Arc day.

There can't be too many horses that have finished second in a Wokingham and have been well fancied for the Queen Anne a year later, but More Thunder boasts a huge amount of ability and can trouble the Godolphin duo here.  

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Queen Anne Stakes, Ascot, 14.30 - Back Docklands @ 7/18.00

It could well be a case of déjà vu for Docklands who was well tipped up to win this race 12 months ago and again looks to have compelling claims under conditions which suit him so well.

Sadly, we won't see any of the 20/121.00 that was available that day, but 7/18.00 is still a very fair price for a horse that boasts course figures of 11322214.

The reigning champion hasn't been seen since running a fine race in Hong Kong at the end of April, but he isn't a horse that needs to be over-raced and he won't care a jot what underfoot conditions are like on the opening day.

He claimed a landmark win last year despite Mark Zahra dropping his whip a furlong out and his best three career figures have all been recorded over today's course and distance so he looks likely to be involved again.

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Ascot Stakes, Ascot, 17.00 - Back Bahadur each-way @ 22/123.00

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Reaching High will be a short-priced favourite here to right the wrongs of last year in this corresponding race and begin the week in the best possible fashion for the Royalists.

The son of Sea The Stars, whose mother Estimate won the Gold Cup in these colours, found more cul-de-sacs than a postman with Ryan Moore enduring an horrific passage in the Ascot straight.

In true Willie Mullins style, we haven't seen him since and I will probably make sure I have saver on the five-year-old, even at his cramped odds, as he holds Group 1 entries later in the season so could be masquerading as a handicapper.

Joseph O'Brien is also going to be tough enough to beat as he saddles more than a third of the 20-strong field and it is anybody's guess which of the septet will come out on top.

So, it is with a little trepidation that Bahadur gains the nod, but at 22/123.00 with six places on offer, the progressive son of Make Believe makes some appeal, especially as he settled better at Goodwood last time.

A propensity to over-race has been the four-year-old's failing on occasion, but he switched off well in a small field last time and found plenty down the straight to see off the persistent and talented St Mawes with a good bit in hand.

The time of that race was excellent and the selection's dosage index of 0.87 (the lower the better for a stayer) indicates he should see out this step up in trip, while I also like the fact he has three all-weather wins on his cv as those boasting good form on a synthetic surface often run well at Ascot.

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Wolferton Stakes, Ascot, 17.35 - Back Enfjaar each-way @ 9/110.00

I was fortunate to be present at Goodwood on a toasty May afternoon when Enfjaar made his return to action and commented on air pre-race that I thought he would be sharper for his first run in 307 days.

It was therefore a fine effort from the son of Lope De Vega to finish on the heels of Boiling Point and Naqeeb, especially as he looked as though this race was more of a pressing objective.

Twelve months ago, Enfjaar found stall two an early blessing, but then a late curse as his passage was stopped a number of times on the Ascot inside rail in the straight.

Beaten just a length and a half, Roger Varian's gelding would have finished a lot closer granted a clearer passage and there was enough promise in his Goodwood return to suggest he can go close once more.  

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Wolferton Stakes, Ascot, 17.35 - Back King's Gambit each-way @ 9/110.00

Those taking the advice to back King's Gambit may wish to watch this event from behind the sofa as Jamie Spencer on a hold up horse around Ascot is not a bet for the faint-hearted.

The five-year-old was another that didn't enjoy much fortune in this contest last year, and it was to his immense credit he eventually finished third (as 4/1 favourite) under James McDonald, recording the fastest finishing speed data in the race.

A comeback run behind Damysus at Newmarket with Spencer onboard was a nice building block towards this event and I would be inclinded to forgive the selection's modest showing in the Huxley Stakes, even if the race has subsequently worked out very nicely.

King's Gambit was also a rather unlucky runner-up in the Hampton Court Stakes at this meeting two years ago and could make it third time lucky granted some fortune in the run.

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Sam Turner's Royal Ascot Day 1 Double

Back Docklands (14:30 Royal Ascot) and Enfjaar (17:35 Royal Ascot) in an each-way double

Betfair is offering Bet £10 Get £10 on Multis, and the multi that makes the most appeal is an each-way double consisting of Docklands in the opening Group One of the week and Enfjaar in the Wolferton Stakes.

Last year's winner Docklands boasts tons of excellent course and distance form and should again run well, while Enfjaar caught the eye at Goodwood and could improve on last year's placing.

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