Kings Stand Stakes - Winner

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Architect Tips Selection: Highfield Princess

This year’s line-up doesn’t look as strong as it has done in recent years and it does present John Quinn’s brilliant sprinter HIGHFIELD PRINCESS with a good chance of landing a fourth Group 1 in what has already been a remarkable career to say the least.

She ran a race full of promise under a penalty in the Duke of York on her reappearance, where she travelled best and was only beaten half-a-length by Azure Blue, who was in receipt of five pounds. That run ought to have sorted her fitness out and she undoubtedly brings the best form into the race.

Last season, she won five times, including three consecutive Group 1 events. She beat higher-quality horses than this in the Arc Prix Maurice de Gheest in France before winning the Flying Five at the Curragh, as well as winning the Nunthorpe at York in excellent style. Her final outing saw her finish a solid fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

She landed the 7f Buckingham Palace Handicap at the meeting at a big price two years ago and went from strength-to-strength last season after finishing sixth in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at the meeting last year. Her jockey and trainer are very bullish about her chances and it is hard to dispute their positive view, as she is clear of these on official ratings.

She will face an oversea of challengers, such as Australian stars Coolangatta and Cannonball plus the speedy US filly Twilight Gleaming but she has the course winning form, has tasted success at the highest level on several occasions and is ideally drawn in stall 10. I am struggling to pick holes in her credentials and I just feel as though this is her race to lose.

I make her a very solid bet at the odds, and a good qualifying bet for the Betfred Royal Ascot offer.

St James’s Palace Stakes - Winner

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Architect Tips Selection: Chaldean

Frankie Dettori has a host of good chances on the opening day of Royal Ascot. While I was close to nominating Inspiral as his best bet, I just cannot see past 2000 Guineas CHALDEAN who was really impressive at Newmarket and that form to me seems stronger than Paddington’s win at the Curragh.

A few of the horses he beat underperformed in Ireland but they failed to give their true-running as the quick turnaround backfired. Andrew Balding’s charge is improving at a rate of knots and already has two Group 1 wins to his name with surely more to add, while this course should play to his strengths.

He travels well, has a turn of foot and I feel as though his acceleration will prove too much for this field. He is rated well clear of his nearest market rival and while I respect Cicero’s Gift, who I have tipped ante-post alongside Chaldean, I think Frankie Dettori has a great chance of winning this race again for the final time having won it four times in the past.

Ascot Stakes - Winner

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Architect Tips Selection: Urban Artist 

The Ascot Stakes has been won by some decent horses over the years, including Coltrane last year, and this year’s race probably revolves around the Willie Mullins-trained Bring On The Night who has been kept fresh for the race since finishing second in the race 12 months ago.

However, I really like the each-way chances about URBAN ARTIST, who is a very good mare on her day and is reunited with Oisin Murphy, who is the last jockey to have won on her for Hughie Morrison.

The eight-year-old turned in a rare-poor effort on her final start of last season in a Group 2 at Doncaster but ran well for a long way on her reappearance in the Further Flight Stakes and wasn’t disgraced when sixth in a Listed event at ParisLongchamp when last spotted. She was runner-up twice in Group 3/listed company last season, including at Goodwood, in the Lillie Langtry, where she split Sea La Rosa (rated 110) and Emily Dickinson (rated 111).

That form has been positively advertised, with the first and second winning since, as the winner won the Group 1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu, while the third has won Group 3/Listed events. Based on that piece of form, this mare is well-treated off a mark of 98.

Her only previous run at Ascot came at this meeting last year, where she ran with credit to finish sixth of 12 in the Queen Alexandra Stakes over 2m5f which stretched her stamina. Her best form certainly brings her right into the equation and I can envisage her running really well. Six places are widely available with firms.

As part of the Bet365 Royal Ascot Offer for existing customers, the bookmaker will not be beaten on price by any of the following bookmakers: Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power, Coral, Sky Bet and Boylesports. At the time of writing, best price on Urban Artist in the Copper Horse Handicap across those firms is 33/1.

Copper Horse Handicap - Winner

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Architect Tips Selection: Scriptwriter

The final race on the opening day is the Copper Horse Handicap, run over 1m6f, and while Vauban has a crystal-clear chance, I do worry about him settling over this distance back on the Flat. He is the best horse in the race, and is well-handicapped off 101, but there is value to be had in the race and the most interesting runner from my betting point of view is SCRIPTWRITER.

Milton Harris’s four-year-old is actually rated three pounds higher than the favourite and carried top-weight to victory the last time he was seen in this sphere, albeit it came on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. He won twice over hurdles last year, including a Grade 2, and ran a tidy race when fifth in the Grade 1 Jewson Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree when last spotted, which is a strong piece of form.

What makes him of strong interest here though, is that he is lightly-raced on the Flat and is only two pounds higher than when winning at Wolverhampton. Moreover, when he was formerly-trained by Aidan O’Brien, he ran very well in a pair of Group 3 events that have been handsomely boosted since. He is unproven over this distance but it’s worth an experiment and as far as I can see, he is over-priced based on his Irish form and his hurdles form.

Milton Harris has his team in great form of late, with three winners in the last couple of weeks and this smart dual-purpose horse should still have plenty more to offer given his low-mileage profile. He had the option of running in the Duke Of Edinburgh on the Friday but connections have instead taken aim at this race, plus David Egan is a good jockey booking as well.

I have seen worse outsiders and should be matched a touch closer to the favourite on collateral form. Most firms are going five places. A good one to consider as a longer odds qualifying bet for the Parimatch Royal Ascot offer.