Jibber Jabber is back with six betting tips for Friday's racing action on Day 4 of Royal Ascot 2025.
14:30 Royal Ascot
We kick off Day 4 at Royal Ascot with a fiercely competitive 17-runner Group 3 for two-year-old fillies, and the short-priced favourite Signora (7/4) will likely be tough to beat. She’s drawn in stall 11, which could prove advantageous if the high draw bias we saw in yesterday’s 7f Buckingham Palace Stakes continues—the first six home were drawn between stalls 25 and 31, with a clear edge towards runners racing close to the stands' side rail.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has already notched up five winners at the meeting so far, and he said of Signora:
“She’s only had the one run, but she seems to have progressed nicely from it. We think she’s nice.”
That said, Signora is more about potential than proven form at this stage, and as with most Royal Ascot 2yo races, there are several unknown quantities with big potential lining up.
All week I’ve been trying to give you runners at bigger prices with each-way appeal, and I’ll stick to that here. Most firms are paying 4 places, and Sky Bet looks the obvious choice for this race as they’re offering 5 places.
Having gone through race replays for most of the field, I think the winner will come from Signora, Fitzella, GOLD DIGGER, or Ipanema Queen—though very few of the others can be comfortably ruled out.
Of that group, I believe GOLD DIGGER represents the best value at the current odds. She won on debut over this 6f trip on today's forecast Good to Firm ground 37 days ago, beating subsequent winners who finished 3rd, 4th, and 7th that day.
Trainer Richard Spencer is very positive about her:
“She has a great temperament, she's very relaxed with a great mind. She’s classy and probably one of the best we’ve had for a while. She has natural speed, and Jamie Spencer keeps commenting on how straightforward and quick she is. The form of her race has worked out well, with the third and fourth both winning since.”
This 260,000 gns breeze-up purchase really impressed me on debut. She’s well drawn in stall 14, and there’s every chance she’ll improve again.
An each-way play at the current odds looks more than fair.
15:40 Royal Ascot
A shorter-priced one from me here in the shape of FRENCH DUKE from the Roger Varian yard—and I only put one up at this kind of price when I believe they’ve got a seriously strong chance of winning.
Varian is in flying form (Last 14 days: 8-36, 22%) and has made it clear this race has been the plan for some time. Yes, FRENCH DUKE is returning from a 286-day layoff, but if there’s one trainer you can trust to get them spot on after a break, it’s Varian—so I’ve no hesitation in tipping him here.
The trainer said:
“We’re very happy with him—he’s been training well. Unfortunately, he missed a run at York, but he’s in good form and I’m expecting him to run a big race.”
FRENCH DUKE has been progressive across his six career starts, with RPRs of 67, 77, 87, 92, 100, and 107, showing consistent improvement. He also ran well twice over course and distance last year, and that experience should stand him in good stead today.
James Doyle takes the ride, and with more to come from this improving 4-year-old, I think he’s a very solid bet.
17:00 Royal Ascot
We’ve got a typically wide-open 28-runner Fillies’ Handicap to close the day, so I had no hesitation in giving you two against the field.
The progressive 3-year-old filly OOLONG POOBONG looks to be on the up. She finished a close second of 12 on her seasonal debut over 7f at Newcastle, coming off a 241-day break. She then gained compensation 20 days ago at Haydock, comfortably beating her 10 rivals by 2 lengths over the same trip. She travelled strongly throughout and was eased down about 20 yards from the line—winning with a fair bit in hand.
She shaped as though the step up to today’s mile trip would suit, and although she’s been raised 5lb for that Haydock win, it could still underestimate her. There’s a feeling she hasn’t reached the ceiling of her ability just yet.
A high draw in stall 21 also looks a positive if the track bias we saw yesterday towards the stands' side continues.
Trainer Ed Bethell said:
"I'm as hopeful as you can be for a Royal Ascot handicap. I'm hoping the step up to a mile will bring a little more improvement. She did it nicely at Haydock last time and she worked well at the start of the week."
At a bigger price, I’m also taking a chance on PURPLE RAINBOW for the in-form William Haggas team (Last 14 days: 9 - 44, 20%). She’s progressed nicely in her three starts so far (RPRs of 69, 79, and 88) and could be well-in here off a mark of just 84. First-time booking Warren Fentiman takes off a valuable extra 5lb too. I'm hopeful, drawn in the middle in stall 14, that she will be dropped in and make her way over to the stands-side group.
She wouldn't have even made the cut for this if she’d run well in the Listed race she was entered for at Goodwood on 8th June—but she was declared a non-runner due to soft ground. Today’s forecast Good to Firm is a better fit, and she’s already shown she handles it well, running a strong race on the round course here back in April.
Trainer William Haggas said:
“Purple Rainbow may be better at a mile and a quarter, but they'll go a good gallop and that will suit her well.”
I’m not convinced she needs 1m2f, though—she bolted up by 3.75 lengths over a mile on the All-Weather at Kempton in January and has shown a good finishing kick. Expect her to be running on late, and with 7 places on offer, she looks well worth an each-way punt at the price as she is potentially very well handicapped.
17:35 Royal Ascot
There are just 10 runners in this Group 2 for colts and geldings, but it looks a highly competitive affair. The two at the head of the market—Zahrann and the unbeaten Amiloc (both 5/2)—clearly have serious winning claims.
Zahrann has been well backed in the ante-post markets, supported from as big as 14/1 on Betfair Exchange after a seriously impressive effort at Leopardstown 15 days ago. He came from last to first to win comfortably by 2.25 lengths over this 1m4f trip, and he did it with plenty in hand. That was only his third career start, and his first go at the distance, so he’s completely unexposed and open to stacks of improvement. He looks sure to go close—but at 5/2, the value in his price has completely disappeared.
With that in mind, OPPORTUNITY looks the each-way "value" play in the field, especially with Sky Bet offering four places.
This three-year-old colt represents the in-form William Haggas yard (Last 14 days: 9 winners from 44 runners, 20%), who’ve already enjoyed a 1st of 19 and a 2nd of 30 at this year’s Royal Ascot.
Opportunity was well beaten by the re-opposing Amiloc at Goodwood 27 days ago, but the run is best forgiven. He was badly hampered two furlongs out—I've watched it back and it completely ruined his chance—but he stuck on well to finish fourth, which was a decent effort in the circumstances.
This son of Frankel, out of dual Group 1 winner Izzi Top, is bred to be smart and has shaped as though he’ll improve for this first try at 1m4f. He will be fitter on his third start of the season and if the step up in trip ekes out further progress, he could easily outrun his odds.
18:10 Royal Ascot
We wrap up Day 4 with a typically wide-open 27-runner handicap but I like the chances of the unexposed filly ADRESTIA, representing the Simon and Ed Crisford yard, who is well-drawn high in stall 24.
The eye-catching jockey booking of Oisin Murphy is a big plus—he’s got a cracking record when riding for the yard. The hope is he’ll track the likely pace, which should come from Hammer The Hammer in stall 17, before delivering a late challenge.
ADRESTIA won twice as a 2-year-old, with her standout performance coming on today’s forecast ground (Good to Firm), where she posted a Racing Post Rating of 90. But she looked even better on her seasonal reappearance at Windsor just 11 days ago—finishing a close-up third, beaten only a length, from a wide draw in stall 11. That was a red-hot sprint full of rock-hard fit and progressive types, so it’s strong form.
She gets to run off the same mark here and could be well-in, she shaped like she would strip fitter for the outing, and looks to have plenty going in her favour. She’s my Nap of the Day.
