Royal Ascot Tips: Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

It is very difficult to split the front two in the market, Bright Diamond and Born To Sea, who created favourable impressions both visually and on the clock on their respective debuts and it would come as little surprise if one of the pair were to prevail. Whether taking 5-2 the pair coupled is great value, however, is open to debate, so the percentage call is to look at something at a bigger price – step forward JUNIPER BERRIES (best price 33/1).

Well touted prior to making her debut at Bath back in April, Eve Johnson Houghton’s filly travelled supremely well right from the start and once asked to go about her business in the final two furlongs, she readily pulled clear to record a fast time figure (second, third and fourth all won since).

A warm order to vindicate the impression she created at Salisbury next time, unfortunately things did not quite go as smoothly as planned - seeing way too much daylight in the early stages - and that allowed the more efficiently ridden Relief Rally to come and pick her pocket late on.

With a maximum field almost guaranteeing a strong gallop, this should allow her to drop her head and relax a good bit better than it did at the Wiltshire venue and if so, the daughter of Expert Eye has enough ability to easily outrun her odds.

A viciously competitive fillies handicap made even more complicated due to it being run on the round course but providing TARRABB (best price 10/1) can overcome trouble in running, there is a fair chance she will end up being a big player.

A winner at the Berkshire course last season, there is a good chance that today’s race has been the plan ever since and that fe3lt even more the case having watched how she ran on her first outing for 215 days at Chelmsford last month.

Taking a keen grip in a small field, she ultimately did not quite finish off her race as well as anticipated, but it was still a performance that was commendable and at the same time, served a purpose of blowing away the cobwebs.

Likely to be much sharper for that initial outing and arguably better over a mile, Owen Burrow’s filly can maintain the useful strike rate of her trainer in recent times.

RANDOM HARVEST (best price 25/1) may not have the sexy profile of many of her rivals, but she does have strong Ascot form against her name and that knowledge just might allow Ed Walker’s mare to punch above her weight.

Runner-up in the Kensington Palace Handicap at this meeting last year from a poor draw, the daughter of War Front duly gained compensation on here return to the Berkshire venue next time and she went on to put up a brave effort in defeat on her third and final start here a month later.

Just picked off in the closing stages by the very talented filly Prosperous Voyage at Epsom last time, it makes little sense why she would be chalked up 10 times bigger than her old rival and she deserves to be played accordingly.

A typically trappy version of one of the most sought-after handicaps in the calendar and in traditional Countdown style, it probably pays to have one from either side of the track.

PEROTTO (best price 7/1) is a must for any shortlist based on his overall track record and he looks to have been primed with this race in mind. Although only seventh in the Victoria Cup here last time, that seven-furlong trip would have been short of his best and when you consider Roger Varian’s gelding bolted up off a higher mark in the Britannia Handicap two years ago, the long-term plan could easily be executed with that all-important run under his belt.

DUNUM (best price 16/1) would not be a household name for many UK punters – nor would his trainer - but he represents the strongest form lines over a mile on home soil and a repeat of any of his latest performances should see him justify the trip over the Irish Sea.

Just touched off in a hugely competitive handicap at The Curragh last time out, it would not be the first time Natalia Lupini’s gelding has gone well over that stiff mile and with conditions to suit, he has a decent chance of duplicating the victory of Settle For Bay and Portage – two winners for the Irish raiders in recent times.

SAINT GEORGE (best price 9/1) has very little chance of landing this Group 2 prize based on his rating, but his mark of 93 may prove to be a bit of red herring and following a strong staying performance at Doncaster last time out, his confirmed stamina can see Andrew Balding’s inmate a bigger player than his odds suggest.

A difficult one to assess prior to Town Moor in the sense he had only raced on an all-weather surface on his three previous starts, he cast aside any notions he may be a one-trick pony with a performance of some repute.

The way he saw out the 1m6f journey to post a quick speed figure suggested he could be a good bit better than a mere handicapper and, in what looks an open contest with so many unexposed types at the trip, the grey colt is worth a roll of the dice to back up that view.

MAXIMUM IMPACT (best price 15/2) was one of the first of this field to show his hand with a tremendous performance on debut back in April and with Alice Haynes’ grey going on to prove his suitability to today’s C&D next time, he rates a confident choice to go well for the second time at the Berkshire track.

A wide-margin winner on heavy ground at the Midland venue, it could have easy to get carried away with the time figure he produced on that occasion but given that he went on to prove his versatility on a much quicker surface next time, he went a long way to suggest he is just a very smart juvenile.