Tag: Royal Ascot

Tipsy Tipsters Royal Ascot Ante Post Selections

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Here we are. It’s nearly that time of the year were the racing world gets ready for 5 days worth of quality group action down at Royal Ascot.

Before I begin, i will have to declare a massive interest in Animal Kingdom. I managed to get 5/2 just before rumours of Farhh’s withdrawal was announced, for a sizable chunk. Smug is the word to describe that bet, as Animal Kingdom now finds itself down to 4/6 with the majority of the bookies. So confident i am that this horse will win on the day i imagine it’ll go off at 1/2 or so, and I won’t even think twice about laying some of my potential profit off. Not sure I can even put you off if you can find some 8/11, on all known form and the weak opposition, it should be a walk in the park for the Dubai World Cup & Kentucky Derby winner.

Here is a cheeky treble of other runners I fully expect to contract in price drastically on the day. My suggestion is to get on now.

52.6/1 William Hill

Shea Shea 9/4 King Stand Stakes
Stubbs 9/2 Coventry Stakes
Al Kazeem 2/1 Prince Of Wale’s Stakes

Shea Shea, the horse from South Africa, over two races in Meydan broke his own track record. Won the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night in easy enough fashion. Has settled well into the UK training regime at Newmarket. The one to beat. Stubbs has the world at his feet, a potentially class animal from the all conquering Aidan O Brian team. Potentially a tough race on paper, but the dogs have been barking for this one. And finally, Al Kazeem. Turned up the last day to beat Camelot (who re-opposes) over in Ireland to spring what many people thought was a surprise. Many shrewdys didn’t think it was a surprise however, I was on him, were you? If he runs a similar race he should be far too good for Camelot again.

£526 + from £10? with William Hill – That will do nicely.

Royal Ascot Sprint Race Ante-Post Preview

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Two of the championship races of the sprint season take place at Royal Ascot next week. The King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs starts the ball rolling and there seems to be plenty of confidence in South African raider Shea Shea.

He is a firm favourite on the basis of two blistering performances in Meydan in March. Mike de Kock’s six-year-old easily beat Sole Power by two and a half lengths in the Meydan Sprint and then followed up by easing to victory in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint. Sole Power was beaten about the same distance into fourth with Spirit Quartz and Medicean Man well beaten in both races.

On the bare form, Shea Shea must have a great chance. Whether or not he is entitled to be 5-2 I am not sure. If you factor in the time between races, the travelling and the different surface, there must be some hope for the opposition. Sole Power looked impressive in the Palace House Stakes but was never going to win at Haydock next time and it could be that he has peaked for the season.

Spirit Quartz has followed more or less the same programme as Sole Power and managed to get his head in front in France last week. He has been running his usual honest races and will surely land a Group 1 prize sooner or later. He is currently trading at a generous 27-1 on Betfair. Trainer Robert Cowell is also the current handler of veteran Kingsgate Native and he followed up a fine second at Newmarket with victory in the Temple Stakes.

Arguments have been put forward for Swiss Spirit (2nd) and Reckless Abandon (3rd) to reverse the form at the Royal meeting and consequently Kingsgate Native is still available at 14-1. Swiss Spirit was hampered at the start but looked flat out most of the way. I fully respect the run of Reckless Abandon and he may have been unlucky to be on the far side. It was a most encouraging effort but I just have a feeling that the six furlong race would suit him better. In terms of value, I have to side with Kingsgate Native at an each-way price.

The six furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes looks the weaker of the two sprints with Shea Shea and Restless Abandon swerving it in favour of the King’s Stand. That has left Society Rock as favourite following his win in the Duke Of York Stakes.

I was on Hawkeyethenoo that day and felt a little aggrieved not to be collecting place money at least. Graham Lee has made a smooth transition to flat race riding but he was not at his best that day, failing to seize the opportunity to challenge wide before eventually running on strongly in fourth. Society Rock is priced at around 9-2 whilst Hawkeyethenoo is still available at 16-1. Jim Goldie’s eight-year-old was only beaten a little over a length by the winner and the difference in prices means that he has to be given another chance.

King’s Stand
Kingsgate Native 14-1 William Hill

Spirit Quartz 27-1 Betfair

Diamond Jubilee
Hawkeyethenoo 16-1 William Hill

Royal Ascot Ante-Post Update

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The Epsom Derby meeting does not usually provide many clues to Royal Ascot. In fact, it is often best to avoid the horses that run in the classics and then seek compensation at the Royal meeting. However, one of the handicaps could have provided an exception to the rule.

The Epsom Dash produced a bizarre finish when Sir Michael Stoute’s Duke Of Firenze burst through to grab an unlikely victory. With about a furlong and a half to run it looked as though he would struggle to make the frame but he suddenly took off once Ryan Moore switched him inside. Matching his run from the rear was Smoothtalkinrascal and the pair of them scythed through the field in eye-catching style.

It was possibly as much to do with the leaders slowing up as the first and second accelerating but both horses look sure-fire future winners. Duke Of Firenze looks set to run in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot off a 5lbs higher mark. The stable also has Enrol entered but that horse is languishing at number 80 in the handicap and is unlikely to get a run. Predictably the bookmakers have installed him as favourite but the 10-1 with Ladbrokes is worth adding to our Ascot portfolio.

Stoute will probably have a strong hand in the handicaps at the meeting this year but the one race he would really like to win is the Ascot Gold Cup. Amazingly he has not won the race since Shangamuzo in 1978 but has decent prospects this year with the Queen’s Estimate. The race she won at Sandown was a muddling affair but she quickened past them well enough and will be primed to run a big race. I’ve taken 16-1 about Simenon (now best-priced at 12-1) and I think the addition of Estimate at 10-1 will double my chances in a less-than-vintage Gold Cup.

Having backed Chapter Seven for the Royal Hunt Cup I was less than pleased to see him given a pacemaking role for Dunaden in the Coronation Cup. That race is over half a mile further than his optimum trip so it was hardly the ideal prep for Ascot. Another horse I like for the Hunt Cup is last year’s winner Prince Of Johanne. The grey ran a storming trial at York last month and must have a chance off virtually the same mark as 12 months ago. He is presently 20-1 with many punters believing that Dance And Dance, eighth at York, is the one to be on for Ascot. He was runner-up in 2011 and also has to be respected.

Royal Hunt Cup
Prince Of Johanne 20-1 Paddy Power

Wokingham
Duke Of Firenze 10-1 Ladbrokes

Gold Cup
Estimate 10-1 Ladbrokes

Royal Ascot – Queen Anne Stakes Preview

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After the drama of the Epsom Derby there is a bit of a hiatus with fairly modest racing on offer this week. Royal Ascot is the next port of call for many of the top class racehorses and now is as good a time as any to look for a little value.

The bookmakers have singled out Animal Kingdom for special attention in the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of the meeting. The price of the Dubai World Cup winner has been slashed from 11-4 to 13-8 with speculation that market rival Farhh may be heading to the Prince of Wales’s Stakes instead. Godolphin have stated that no decision has yet been made and this is not a bandwagon that I want to follow.

If you look at the placed horses in the World Cup they were Red Cadeaux, Planteur and Side Glance. They are all familiar names to British racegoers and it did not look a particularly strong renewal. Another factor is that we are talking about a straight mile on turf for the American horse and I think people are getting a little carried away.

If Farhh does take his place in the field he would certainly be a very serious rival. The way he stamped his authority over a good field at Newbury in the Lockinge Stakes was very impressive. On that evidence he is certainly among the best milers in Europe and Godolphin are clearly in two minds whether or not to step back up to ten furlongs. His price has drifted to 7-2 but that would quickly disappear if he were declared to run.

His Newbury victims included Sovereign Debt, Aljamaaheer and Declaration Of War. The latter was a big disappointment and no definite plans have been made for him. Sovereign Debt ran the race of his life to finish second whilst Aljamaaheer also posted a career-best. It would be difficult to make a case for either of them reversing the Newbury form but they could certainly run into a place. I’ve followed Aljamaaheer throughout his career to date and he has so far promised more than he has delivered. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with his Newbury effort and this looks the logical race for him at the meeting.

Gregorian is an intended runner after his workmanlike success in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom. That followed up a decent effort at Haydock and I liked the way he responded when passed by the free-running Producer. Trainer John Gosden may have helped to ignite the gamble on Animal Kingdom by referring to him as ” a beast” in his post-race interview but I think the present odds are too tempting to ignore for Gregorian. He is available at 51-1 on Betfair and is worth a little each-way flutter. If the field cuts up, as it usually does for this race, he could be much nearer 14-1 on the day.

Aljamaaheer 33-1 each-way Bet Victor
Gregorian 51-1 each-way Betfair

Royal Ascot Ante-Post Preview

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It may seem a bit early to be thinking about Royal Ascot but the bookmakers have already started pricing up many of the races. The perils of ante-post betting were illustrated this week when the ground at Haydock was considered too fast for my two leading fancies in the Silver Bowl. From my vantage point in Scotland I must admit that I had never even considered the prospect of firm ground! Hopefully there will be no such concerns for the Royal meeting next month.

My first dabble in the ante-post market is on the Ascot Gold Cup. There does not appear to be an outstanding stayer about at the moment. So far this season we have seen an impressive win for the Queen’s Estimate and a shock winner of the Yorkshire Cup. But the one to catch my eye is Irish raider Simenon.

Last year, Simenon notched two victories at the Royal meeting and is now ready to step up from handicap class to the stayers’ championship. He took his chance under 9st 10lb in the Chester Cup and endured a nightmare run under Johnny Murtagh. Held up towards the rear, he bowled around on the inside but could not get out in time to catch the leaders. He made up plenty of ground in the straight and flew home in fourth. It takes a good horse to lump that sort of weight around in the Chester Cup and, if he arrives at Ascot in the same form as 12 months ago, 16-1 could be good value.

My second selection is Chapter Seven in the Royal Hunt Cup. These mile handicaps can take a lot of sorting out and the draw often comes along to scupper the best laid plans. However, Chapter Seven is available at 20-1 and is worth a punt at those odds. He has caught the eye by staying on at the end of all three starts this season, notably when an unlucky third in the Newbury Spring Cup. He had previously been sixth in the Lincoln and deserves to pick up one of the big prizes.

My third selection is for the Wokingham Handicap. Admittedly a sharp pin on the day of the race is sometimes as good a way as any to solve this particular puzzle but I’m prepared to take a chance with Jeremy Noseda’s Nocturn. He was just denied at York last time out when he was caught by a horse flashing home on his outside. I felt that he was a little unlucky there and could still be improving.

Royal Ascot

Simenon Gold Cup 16-1 Coral
Chapter Seven Hunt Cup 20-1 Totesport
Nocturn Wokingham 25-1 Coral