Day one of Royal Ascot is always a star-studded affair, with three Grade 1 contests among the seven races on the card: The Queen Anne Stakes (2.30), King’s Stand Stakes (3.40) and the St James’s Palace Stakes (4.30).
As you’d expect it’s a hugely competitive day’s racing with little in the way of clear market leaders, even in the top-table events. As a result, our Tuesday tips are focusing on runners at each-way prices that could well have what it takes to be the flies in the favourite backers’ ointment.
Royal Ascot Tips: Day 1
3.05 – Bobsleigh to win (each-way) @ 22/1
4.20 – Mostabshir to win (each-way) @ 17/2
5.35 – King Of Conquest to win (each-way) @ 8/1
Bet on the latest Royal Ascot odds with Betzone
Team up with Bobsleigh for a big-priced Coventry coup
Eve Johnston-Houghton and Charlie Bishop have previous for pulling off big-priced Royal Ascot coups and look to have a contender capable of springing a Coventry shock in BOBSLEIGH.
The pair previously struck Grade 1 gold with 22/1 shot Accidental Agent, who won the 2018 Queen Anne and Chipotle, who landed the listed Windsor Castle Stakes in 2021.
That Johnston-Houghton has chosen to swerve the latter race for this tougher Grade 2 assignment is a sizeable vote of confidence for Bobsleigh, who has won both his career starts.
The most recent of those saw him streak home under confident looking Bishop to land the Woodcote at Epsom, a race in which he had Fifty Grand Slater 10 lengths behind. The same horse finished 12 lengths second to Coventry second-favourite Asadna in that colt’s sole run to date.
Of all Bobsleigh’s rivals in the race, only the aforementioned Asadna has a better Racing Post Topspeed figure and the selection currently trades at four times the price.
Tip: 3.05 – Bobsleigh to win (each-way) @ 22/1
Reason to believe Classic form could be outshone in St James’s Palace
English 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean and Paddington, who won the Irish equivalent, are likely to duel for favouritism in this Grade 1 mile for three-year-olds.
However, the form of the two races looks closely matched. Hi Royal was a one-and-three-quarter length second to Chaldean at Newmarket and a three-quarter length third to Paddington at the Curragh, while the reopposing Galeron was fourth and fifth in the two races respectively.
That’s enough to wonder whether there might be an unexposed type with the profile to suggest themselves capable of improving past the pair. In fact there are two, in the shape of Cicero’s Gift and MOSTABSHIR.
Cicero’s Gift may boast the unbeaten record, but looking at the pair’s most recent outings, the selection’s win in the Darley Novices Stakes at York was visually more impressive and the form has proven to have more substance to it since too.
Ziryab (five lengths behind in second to Mostabshir on the Knavesmire) scored handily on his next start, as did New Business, who was over seven lengths back in fourth.
John Gosden has landed this race with Guineas-skippers Without Parole and Palace Pier in recent times too, which affords extra confidence this horse is following a tried and tested plan.
Tip: 4.05 – Mostabshir to win (each-way) @ 17/2
Four-timer seeker looks generously priced to notch again
The Wolferton looks like a competitive contest, with no fewer than 10 of the anticipated runners rated between 110 and 112 by the handicapper. One of three sharing the top rating of 112, King Of Conquest stands out a mile and not just because he’s won his last three starts.
In recording those victories he’s seen off Saga (likely to go off favourite in this race), as well as Francisco Clemente, who will also be in the upper reaches of the betting.
Those successes came by a head and a neck respectively, but in each case the Charlie Appleby colt was value for more than the winning margin. Having won four of his six starts on turf and placed in the other two, he looks lovely each-way material.
Bet: 5.35 – King Of Conquest to win (each-way) @ 8/1
