We run through every race at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, picking out a tip in each one.
14:30 AscotSee All Odds
14:30 Royal Ascot – Ruiva - 0.5pts ew
16/1 (5 Places)
Five Reasons To Back Ruiva
- Explosive debut performance – Ruiva made a striking impression when winning on debut at Churchill Downs, travelling strongly throughout before quickening clear and being eased close home, suggesting she had plenty left in reserve.
- Wesley Ward's strongest hand – Trainer Wesley Ward has an outstanding record with juvenile sprinters at Royal Ascot and has reportedly identified Ruiva as his leading chance in the race, a notable vote of confidence given his past success.
- Pedigree offers Ascot hope – Unlike many American speedballs who fail to see out Ascot's demanding uphill 5f, Ruiva's pedigree contains stamina influences through her damsire, increasing confidence she can cope with the stiffer test.
- Potential for further improvement – With only a single career start under her belt, Ruiva remains open to significant progression. The step up from 4f to 5f looks ideal and should allow her to utilise her natural speed even more effectively.
- Tactical speed can be a major weapon – She showed blistering early pace when blasting rivals away around a bend on debut and could attempt similar front-running tactics here. If securing a prominent position early, she may prove difficult to reel in.
Ruiva
Royal Ascot 14:30
0.5pts E/W
16/1
15:05 AscotSee All Odds
15:05 Royal Ascot – Mr Colonel - 0.5 pts ew
25/1 (3 Places)
Five Reasons To Back Mr Colonel
- Looks set to improve for this longer trip – The Queen's Vase often rewards staying types and Mr Colonel shapes as though 1m6f could unlock further progress. He stayed on encouragingly at Chester and gave the impression that extra distance would play to his strengths.
- Strong Chester Vase form – His third-place finish in the Group 2 Chester Vase reads well in the context of this race. He was competing against proven Pattern performers and stuck on admirably after a patient ride, showing he belongs at this level.
- Frankel pedigree screams stamina – As a son of Frankel, there is every reason to expect improvement as distances increase. His pedigree suggests staying races could bring out the very best in him, making this test look particularly suitable.
- More ability than the bare result suggests – Chester's tight track can be unforgiving and Mr Colonel didn't enjoy the smoothest passage when trying to mount his challenge. Despite that, he kept finding under pressure and emerged with plenty of credit.
- Appealing each-way value in an open renewal – Several rivals are trying this sort of trip for the first time and questions remain throughout the field. Mr Colonel has already shown he can be competitive in a recognised trial and looks overpriced relative to his proven form and potential for improvement.
Mr Colonel
Royal Ascot 15:05
0.5pts E/W
25/1
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15:40 AscotSee All Odds
3:40 Royal Ascot – Noche Classica - 0.5 pts EW
50/1 (4 Places)
Five Reasons To Back Noche Classica
- Proven winner profile (4 wins from 8) – She has already shown she knows how to get her head in front, which matters in a race where many rivals are still unproven in these conditions and at this level.
- Strong recent form stacks up well – Only beaten a neck by a 109-rated rival last time, which is solid Listed-level form and suggests she is not far away from being competitive in a deeper race than this.
- Trip switch could unlock more – Returning to a mile looks a smart move given she is 3/4 at the distance and stays further, suggesting this intermediate test could bring out a more efficient finishing effort.
- Progressive profile still developing – She has already stepped up into Listed company and finished fourth at Haydock, shaping like a filly still learning but clearly still on an upward trajectory.
- Tactical speed from a good draw – Stall 3 gives her options to break cleanly and take up a prominent position, and if allowed to roll rather than be held up, she could make this a genuine stamina test for the field.
Noche Clasica
Royal Ascot 15:40
0.5pts E/W
40/1
16:20 AscotSee All Odds
4:20 Royal Ascot – Ombudsman - 1.5pts WIN
6/4 (WIN) *Available at 2/1 with bet365 superboost*
Five Reasons To Back Ombudsman
- Proven Royal Ascot specialist – Already a winner of this race last season, he arrives with proven ability to handle the unique demands of Ascot and has a track record that few of these can match.
- Elite Group 1 consistency – His overall profile is rock solid (8 wins and 3 seconds from 11 starts), including multiple top-level victories, underlining a horse who rarely runs a bad race at the highest level.
- Strong recent form against top-class rivals – A close second to Calandagan over this C&D in the Champion Stakes reads exceptionally well and suggests he remains right at the top of the older middle-distance division.
- Ideal race setup with pace on – The presence of confirmed front-runners should ensure a properly run contest, which plays directly into his strengths as a strong traveller with a superior finishing kick off a strong gallop.
- Versatility on ground and conditions – He handles fast ground well and has already proven he can win under different race setups, including overcoming trouble in running to score decisively here last year. Retaining the partnership with William Buick is another plus in a race where timing will be crucial.
Ombudsman
Royal Ascot 16:20
1.5pts
6/4
17:00 AscotSee All Odds
5:00 Royal Ascot – Linwood - 1pt EW
9/1 (8 Places with Sky Bet)
Five Reasons To Back Linwood
- Progressive lightly raced 4yo profile – Still relatively unexposed, Linwood has the look of a horse with more to come, particularly in big-field handicaps where improvement often matters more than peak ratings.
- Impressive recent Newbury win holds strong form – His 24-runner handicap success at Newbury was achieved in taking style and the runner-up has since advertised the strength of the form, giving the performance added depth.
- Ideal tactical setup for a big field handicap – He was able to travel strongly and dominate from the front last time, suggesting he has the versatility to cope with the pressure of a large Ascot cavalry charge.
- Jockey/trainer combination built for Ascot – The booking of Jamie Spencer is a major plus given his reputation for timing late runs in big handicaps here, and the horse arrives on a two-timer with this rider.
- Well treated despite the rise in the weights – A 3 lb increase for his latest win looks manageable given the manner of that success, and with strong trends favouring improving 4-year-olds in this type of race, he still looks ahead of the handicapper’s curve.
Linwood
Royal Ascot 17:00
1pt E/W
12/1
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17:35 AscotSee All Odds
5:35 Royal Ascot – Oolong Poobong - 1pt ew
10/1 (Six Places)
Five Reasons To Back Oolong Poobong
- Strong Royal Ascot course form already proven – Her career-best effort came over this course and distance last year. She finished a close fourth in the Sandringham here last year and shaped as one of the strongest performers on her side of the track, which reads well in a typically frantic big-field mile handicap.
- Lightly raced with clear scope for progression – With only a handful of starts under her belt, she still looks physically and mentally open to improvement, particularly now she’s returning to a venue where she has already run to a high level.
- Ideal rider for a big-field Ascot handicap – The booking of Jamie Spencer is significant given his ability to time late runs on the straight track, a style that suits her hold-up, late-finishing profile.
- Handicap mark looks workable – She returns off a mark only marginally higher than last year’s strong effort, suggesting she remains competitively treated if she can replicate or slightly improve on that performance.
- Better for recent return and setup – A solid comeback run at Thirsk should have sharpened her up, and with a tongue-tie applied and a likely strong pace to aim at, she is set up for her preferred late-closing style in a race that often collapses late.
Oolong Poobong
Royal Ascot 17:35
1pt E/W
11/1
5:35 Royal Ascot – All Moonshine - 0.5pts EW
20/1 (Six Places).
Five Reasons To Back All Moonshine
- Unexposed handicap debut profile – She arrives for her first start in handicap company, and lightly raced fillies like her often have more progression in hand than the market accounts for at this stage of their careers.
- Strong all-weather form suggests underlying ability – Three wins from four starts on the AW indicate a horse with clear ability and a competitive mindset, even if she now needs to transfer that level to turf for the first time.
- Staying effort at Kempton points to stamina edge – Her latest run showed she stays a mile strongly, and the time/sectional impression suggests there is more substance to her stamina than the bare form figures might imply.
- Unexposed on turf with scope to improve – While this is her first start on grass, her pedigree and racing style suggest she could translate her AW form effectively, especially with a break since her last run allowing further physical development.
- Low weight and tactical position look ideal – A light handicap mark combined with a decent draw gives her options in a race lacking obvious pace, and a forward-leaning ride from Jason Watson could allow her to control matters more than her rivals anticipate.
All Moonshine
Royal Ascot 17:35
0.5pts E/W
22/1
18:10 AscotSee All Odds
6:10 Royal Ascot – Sale Shark - 1pt EW
7/1 (4 Places)
Five Reasons To Back Sale Shark
- Impressive winning debut at Hamilton – He created a strong visual impression when winning on debut over 5f, quickening clear in the final furlong to score with authority and suggesting there is significant natural ability to build on.
- Clear scope for improvement up in trip – The step up to 6f looks a logical progression given how strongly he finished last time, and his pedigree and running style both hint that this longer distance could bring further progress.
- Strong finishing effort suggests quality engine – He showed a sharp change of gear to put his race to bed, an important trait in a big-field Ascot sprint where the ability to quicken late often separates the best from the rest.
- Top jockey booking a major positive – The booking of Oisin Murphy is a notable signal of intent, and his record for improving, well-handicapped types in big fields adds further confidence to the profile.
- Well-drawn to attack from a good position – A favourable low draw gives him tactical options in what could be a strongly run 6f, and if he settles and travels as he did on debut, he looks well placed to get involved in the finish with each-way value at a double-figure price.
Sale Shark
Royal Ascot 18:10
1pt E/W
7/1
