Tote Placepot Tips for Wednesday's Racing at Royal Ascot

Leg 1 Selections: Dramatised, All The Time

There’s a really strong line-up for the opener on day two, the Queen Mary Stakes, which has attracted a stellar field. However, the one that appeals most is Karl Burke’s DRAMATISED, who recorded an exceptional time figure for a debutante when winning at Newmarket. She’s been dealt a good draw in stall 17, is open to considerable improvement and could be destined for a big future. She could be a serious force if taking to the task ahead and has easily made the cut for this cracking opener. 

Simon and his son Ed Crisford are very good at placing their youngsters and, interestingly, their only runner on today’s card is the exciting ALL THE TIME, who also looked above-average in winning by five-lengths on debut at Nottingham two weeks ago. That form has yet to be tested but she’s bred to be very smart and the fact that James Doyle is retained here suggests this filly is ready to make her presence felt in this grade. She will need to improve to come out on top but that’s plausible and a good slot in stall 13 is ideal for her chances too. 

Leg 2 Selections: Eldar Eldarov, Ruler Legend

The Queen’s Vase is traditionally an ultra-competitive stayers’ event for the three-year-olds and a host of these are in with chances. I quite like ELDAR ELDAROV who scored by a fair margin on debut at Nottingham and had little difficulty following-up at Newcastle 22 days later, hitting the line strongly after taking the lead at the furlong pole. The third has won since, so the form is working out well, and while he enters unknown territory over this longer distance, he should be well equipped for this admittedly tougher test in a bid to remain unbeaten. 

Fozzy Stack’s RULER LEGEND is an interesting Irish raider, who improved enormously from his first two runner-up efforts to record a decisive victory in a minor event at Naas last month in which he benefitted from a change to positive tactics. He is upped in grade and trip here and while the substance of his form is nothing special, there should be more to come from this son of Derby winner Camelot, who’s bred to stay the longer distance. Jamie Spencer is in the saddle and his presence alone could be the contributing factor to his mount being competitive here.

Leg 3 Selections: Shahryar 

The feature race on the card is the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and this looks an excellent opportunity for Japan to finally get their Royal winner in the shape of SHAHRYAR. 

This high-class performer beat a very good field in the Dubai Sheema Classic on his first trip abroad and has now won four of his starts. That form has already worked out very well with the seventh, Hukum, winning the Coronation Cup at Epsom since. He is back down in distance but has lots of natural pace with a good turn of foot, so he holds rock-solid credentials under Cristian Demuro and should be favourite for this in my view. 

Bay Bridge is the current favourite, who’s won his last five, but I’m surprised he’s so short in the betting, especially when considering that he’s having his first start at the highest level against established Group 1 winners. 

Sir Michael Stoute has won this contest four times in the past though and clearly knows what it takes to win this but, that said, he’s up against a quality Japanese-raider, who’s already tasted success at the highest level twice, and looks a perfect project for this race. State Of Rest has been seen to good effect overseas winning a pair of Group 1’s in France and Australia but will find this a lot tougher. 

Leg 4 Selections: Saffron Beach

This doesn’t appear to be one of the strongest renewals of the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes and, on form at least, it probably rests between last year’s 1000 Guineas second and first Saffron Beach and Mother Earth who bring the best form into the race. 

However, while she’s five-pounds worse off for defeating Mother Earth by three-lengths in the Sun Chariot, this can go to the classy SAFFRON BEACH, who can confirm her superiority over Aidan O’Brien’s filly here and take top honours. 

After finishing a gutsy second in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last May, she bounced back from two rare below-par efforts to record back-to-back wins, including at the highest level on her penultimate start. She was last seen running a great race to finish fourth in the Dubai Turf last time and that should have sorted her out, fitness-wise, as it was her first start in just over five months. 

Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam is plotting a route to the Breeders’ Cup in November with her so, if she’s to take up that option, she has to go close to winning this and I rate her chances highly here with William Buick booked to ride.

Leg 5 Selections: Intellogent, Rebel Territory

This is an open-looking Royal Hunt Cup, as expected, in which it’s worth taking a chance on a couple of runners with few units on their backs. The one I’m most interested in is INTELLOGENT who is ridden by James Doyle. He was a very good horse at the peak of his talents when trained in France, which included a victory in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville as a youngster. 

In his two runs for his current yard, for Jane Chapple-Hyam, he has shown he retains a good chunk of his ability. He was unlucky not to make a winning stable/UK debut at Newmarket, where he was beaten a short-head, and undoubtedly would have won with a clear passage. 

He then competed in a messy Listed four-runner race over course-and-distance and shaped very well to finish a close-up third of four behind New Mandate. That is very strong form, as he was right in behind Sir Busker, who won the silver version of this race two years ago and back in fourth was Valiant Prince, who subsequently bolted up at York in a Listed event. 

An opening mark of 105 on handicap debut seems a bit harsh but he’s a good-quality horse and connections have reserved the services of James Doyle to ride, which is no negative. He is drawn low, in stall four, but has a lot of class and makes a lot of appeal at double-figure odds to reach the frame at the very least here. 

Amanda Perrett won this five years ago with Zhui Feng and has a good chance of repeating the dose this year with REBEL TERRITORY, who picked up where he left off last year with a nice victory at Sandown three weeks ago under Jim Crowley. 

He has a penalty to carry here but he’s open to more improvement and has been granted a good draw in stall 19. Perhaps if he were from a more high-profile yard he might be a shorter price than he is and, while this will be his hardest to date, he should have more to offer and be able to give a solid account of himself if getting the breaks in the latter stages. 

Leg 6 Selections: Little Big Bear, Eddie’s Boy

It’s more than likely the Aidan O’Brien-trained LITTLE BIG BEAR will go off a warm-favourite for the Windsor Castle Stakes. He’s well clear of these based upon time-form ratings and landed the odds with lots to spare last month, recording very good sectionals. 

Ideally, a high drawn number would have been preferable but he seems like he could develop into a high-class horse for connections and should be able to get a good track position at an early stage. He is the one to beat in leg six under Ryan Moore. 

At a bigger price, in case the favourite is eliminated, Archie Watson’s EDDIE’S BOY could hit the frame and take out a few units. Hollie Doyle and Archie teamed up to win yesterday’s Coventry Stakes with Bradsell and this son of Havana Grey, who’s bred to be a good sprinter, ran a good race to finish second to a useful rival at Musselburgh last time. 

Interestingly, the cheekpieces are fitted, and if able to use his early speed to get into a prominent position, he could offer some decent value in the pool.

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