Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old colt Auguste Rodin is talented and infuriating in equal measures. When last year’s Betfred Derby winner is good, he is simply superb but when he is bad, he is very poor indeed. He is a nightmare for punters to evaluate because he has been stone last in two of his last five runs but there have been two impressive winning performances during that time too.
My big hopes today lie with my two strong fancies for the Kensington Palace Stakes
All in all, I am happy to take him on in today’s feature race at Royal Ascot, the Grade 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (4.25 p.m.). I am no keener to back Inspiral at skinny odds either after her uninspired comeback when fourth at Newbury, even though I accept that race was very much a prep run for Royal Ascot.
Yes, one of these two horses at the top of the market will probably come good on the big stage today but I would rather take a chance with ALFLAILA at a bigger price. Owen Burrows’ five-year-old has won four of his last five starts but ruined his chances last time out in Ireland with a very slow start. Back him each way at 8-1 with bet365, paying three places.
The big handicap of the day is Royal Hunt Cup (5.05 p.m.) and it makes sense to look for confirmed milers who are course specialists, who love fast ground and who are well handicapped. Trainer Dermot Weld’s runner Coeur d’Or ticks all of those boxes except that he does not have Ascot form so I will turn to those at bigger prices.
Age is just a number for BLESS HIM who is now ten years old but who is still capable of running big races. His last run at Haydock was disappointing but before that, on his seasonal debut, he ran really well at Ascot.
With a fast pace guaranteed, he will be held up by jockey Jamie Spencer and so he will need luck in running. Back him each way at 20-1 with SkyBet, paying eight places rather than other bookies offering bigger odds but fewer places.
Another course specialist is PEROTTO but his fitness has to be taken on trust as he has not run since last August because of a setback. However, his last run was a winning one at this track and he is still only six years old. Back him each way at 20-1 with SkyBet, again slightly shorter odds than most of its rival but with eight places.
My big hopes today lie with my two strong fancies for the Kensington Palace Stakes (5.40 p.m.), both of which I put up on Friday. Both Azahara Palace, tipped each way at 25-1 and Elim, tipped each way at 33-1, have been backed heavily and are now towards the top of the market. Here’s hoping both run big races.
I usually stay well clear of the two-year-old races at the royal meeting because they are so hard to predict: Indeed, the first three in yesterday’s Coventry Stakes were returned at odds of 80-1, 40-1 and 50-1. However, I am very sweet on the chances of MISS RASCAL in today’s opener, the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes (2.30 p.m.) for two-year-old fillies.
Her racecourse debut at Newmarket in April was full of promise and she ran even better when winning at Ascot last month. She goes well on good ground, her stable is in fine form and the booking of jockey Tom Marquand is a bonus too. Back her each way at 8-1 with William Hill, paying five places.
That’s it from me for today, betting wise. Today’s other races are not for me, ones simply to watch and enjoy.
Day one did not go well tipping wise but it was exactly the same with day one of the Cheltenham Festival in March, and then things were soon turned around with a nice profit by the end of the week. All is not lost and I will be back tomorrow morning with some tips for day three.
Pending:
1 point each way Miss Rascal at 8-1 for the Queen Mary Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Alflaila at 8-1 in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, paying 1/5 odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Bless Him at 20-1 in the Royal Hunt Cup, paying 1/5 odds, 8 places.
1 point each way Perotto at 20-1 in the Royal Hunt Cup, paying 1/5 odds, 8 places.
1 point each way Azahara Palace at 25-1 in the Kensington Palace Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Elim at 33-1 in the Kensington Palace Stakes, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Jasour at 11-1 in the Commonwealth Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Isle of Jura at 12-1 in the Hardwicke Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Shartash at 10-1 in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
Yesterday: – 9.6 points.
1 point each way Makarova at 22-1 with SkyBet in the King Charles III Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, five places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Alyanaabi at 16-1 in the St James’s Palace Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Tritonic at 20-1 in the Ascot Stakes, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
2 points win Pied Piper at 8-1 in the Ascot Stakes. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Astro King at 12-1 in the Wolferton Stakes, 1/5th odds, 4 places.
1 point each way My Mate Mozzie at 7-1 in the Copper Horse Handicap, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. 3rd. + 0.4 points.
2024 flat season running total – 2.5 points.
2023-4 jumps season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jumps season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
My gambling record for the past eight years: I have made a profit in 15 of the past 17 seasons to recommended bets. To a 1 point level stake over this period, the overall profit of has been 517 points. All bets are either 1 point each way or 2 points win (a ‘point’ is your chosen regular stake).
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