Today's Racing News: Now's the time for Bay Bridge to stamp his class

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14:30 Queen Mary

Jockey Daniel Tudhope's last ride on a filly over five or six furlongs for trainer Karl Burke was a winning one on Pillow Talk at York. Today he is back in the saddle for the trainer on board the potentially smart Dramatised 3.7511/4, who looked right out of the top draw on debut at Newmarket.

US Trainer Wesley Ward has won this contest three times in the last ten years. Today he saddles Love Reigns 4.03/1.

There are two Listed winners in the field. Manhattan Jungle 26.025/1 and Maria Branwell 10.09/1.

15:05 Queens Vase

It's a quick turnaround for Derby seventh Nahanni 5.04/1, who should relish this step up in distance for last year's winning trainer Charlie Appleby and is the first test of the Derby form. Appleby has a 22% strike rate with horses running at 1m6f-1m7f.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien knows what it takes to win this contest. He has scored five times in the last ten years and saddles Anchorage 7.513/2.

Every runner in the field is attempting this trip for the first time. Al Qareem 10.09/1 and Perfect Alibi 13.012/1 look like the two that may struggle to stay.

16:20 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes

No horse has won this race in the last ten years with a Group 1 five-pound penalty. Saffron Beach 3.55/2 looks a favourite to take on.

Punters would have made a loss of £24 for a £1 level stake backing Aidan O'Brien runners in headgear at Ascot from his last 50 runners. He has had just four winners from 50 runners, and Mother Earth 4.03/1 sports first-time cheek-pieces today (4-42).

Trainer William Haggas has a 22% strike rate with fillies at Ascot, scoring with 11 of his last 50 runners at this venue for a £28 profit. His recent winner Bashkirova 5.04/1 steps up in grade but is worth a second glance.

17:00 Royal Hunt Cup

Four-year-olds have a smashing record scoring in six of the last seven runnings.

No favourite has won this in the last ten years.

No horse has carried more than 9st5 to win this in the last ten years

Fantastic Fox 17.016/1 fits all of the above and has seen support, and is my idea of the winner after a fast-finishing effort from off the pace at Epsom when it paid to be handy.

The recent gelding operation seems to have brought about improvement from him after clocking a career-best RPR and time figure on his latest outing, and this track has seen him to good effect in the past.

He is on a very workable handicap mark of 98, and his previous form when chasing home Snow Lantern (115) and Derab (112) at Newbury last season suggests he could be one to go on into pattern company at some stage. He looks ready to strike.

Others I have taken a small stab at are Symbolize 9.08/1, who has been well supported and is short enough in the market now and Etonian 34.033/1, who has an air of unfinished business about him after an excellent two-year-old campaign a mainly missed three-year-old season and could be ready to reward connections' patience at four.

17:35 Windsor Castle Stakes

Only two horses in this contest hold a future Group 1 entry: Little Big Bear 3.02/1 and Chateau 9.08/1.

Four of the last six winners have come from double-figure draws, three from stalls 20 or above.

18:10 Kensington Palace Stakes

Jockey Daniel Tudhope has a 40% strike rate when riding older horses for Saeed bin Suroor this season. Today they partner with White Moonlight 8.07/1, who qualified just in time for this contest. The trainer also runs Dubai Love 19.018/1, and she is partnered with Pat Cosgrave, who has a 26% strike rate this season for the trainer.

Interestingly, Saeed bin Suroor will be looking for compensation for his runner Stunning Beauty who was caught in the gates in this race last year.

Horses for courses

This section highlights the horses that have won at Ascot.

14:30 Ascot - Omniqueen - Has won here once (100%)
15:40 Ascot - Lord North - Has won here once (25%)
17:00 Ascot - Escobar - Has won here once (7%)
17:00 Ascot - Tempus - Has won here once (100%)
17:00 Ascot - Dark Shift - Has won here three times (60%)
17:00 Ascot - Bless Him - Has won here twice (33%)
17:00 Ascot - Via Serendipity - Has won here twice (29%)
17:00 Ascot - Isla Kai - Has won here once (100%)
18:10 Ascot - Don't Tell Claire - Has won here once (33%)

Furthest traveller

Today's furthest traveller to Ascot is again Keith Dalgleish, who has made the 388-mile journey with his runner What's The Story 34.033/1 17:00.

Also, at Ascot, trainer Iain Jardine makes the 327-mile journey for Finn Russell 67.066/1 in the 17:35.

Race of the day

Our feature race of the day is Ascot's 15:40 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, where a notable lack of pace lies amongst the five-runner field, and fast ground is an unknown for a few of these runners.

Bay Bridge has been supported from 11/8 into 10/11 on the Betfair Sportsbook on the back of his excellent seasonal return when scoring in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.

Today represents a big step up in grade, and he must face the fastest surface he has raced on, but there will be fewer better opportunities to land a grade one than this.

He is the most exciting horse in the field and has not faced defeat since his two-year-old days. He is the class act in the field, and it would be deflating should he come unstuck today. He has the class to overcome the lack of pace in the race with a smart turn of foot.

State Of Rest was given too much to do when a staying-on third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, but it was another step in the right direction, and while that specific piece of form has taken some knocks, he is a proven Group 1 performer after landing the Cox Plate in Australia back in October.

He will relish the quick surface today and ticks plenty of boxes. It's hard to see why his price is on the drift out to 13/2 this morning, and his 9/4 W/O Bay Bridge looks rather appealing.

Japanese horses always command respect, but Sheema Classic winner Shahryar was flattered by being well-positioned in a steadily run affair, and there were plenty of hard-luck stories in behind. He has been over-bet here, and the lack of pace in this contest is a slight concern, given he stays further than this.

Big race verdict

Bay Bridge has long been my idea of the winner and still is, but there are two bets in this contest. Bay Bridge to win and State Of Rest W/O Bay Bridge 9/4 looks the way to play this with the latter ticking all the boxes despite a bizarre market drift. I make him more of a 3/1 chance, so the 9/4 without the readily fancied favourite looks excellent value for all Bay Bridge is the win-only bet.

Dudman with an all blue daily double

Alan Dudman made a profit on the opening day of Royal Ascot yesterday with the place part of his 140/1 each-way double landing with 12/1 and 18/1 drifters. He's going the same way on Wednesday for his duo...

Read Al Dudman's tips here.

Final Word

I was absolutely gutted that Maljoom failed to get the breaks yesterday and scupper a headline winner for this column. I've been banging the drum about this horse for some time, and now the cat is out of the bag.

He is a real talent, and you can call me crazy, but one I think would give Baaeed a real run for his money. There was a lot of jockey bashing yesterday, which is not on. It was just unfortunate he got stuck in on the rail. I was hoping for a more prominent ride, as highlighted in this column yesterday, but it was not to be, and the price was paid.

From a punting perspective, he would have yielded one of the biggest wins of the season from a single bet for me - well, well into the mid-range four figures. Yet, sometimes you can do no more than be on the best horse in the race at an excellent price.

It's extremely difficult to find horses like that and try to stay one step ahead of the game, so when it doesn't come off, and he finishes as eye-catching as he did and everyone knows the horse's true ability, your edge is gone with that one.

The value of having an edge and seeing what others don't far outweigh the cost of the punt.

For example, I would have rather had him finish on the bridle out the back of the telly with no run rather than blast home to be narrowly beaten. I'd happily look like a fool one day to look a genius the next to keep the edge.

The biggest mistake most punters will make is to back this horse heavily when he is a shade of odds-on next time. That's not how this game should work. The time to back him heavily - albeit a frustrating one that didn't come off this time - was yesterday, not next time, when everyone knows, and the price is nothing short of chicken feed.

Anyway, now my cornflakes are watered with tears; lets move on! Until tomorrow, be lucky.

Follow Daryl Carter on Twitter @DarylCarter7