Royal Ascot Day 1 - Tuesday 20th June

[The Brigadier]

2.30

There are many good match ups at this years meeting none more so than in the opening race between Modern Games and Inspiral.With the Charlie Appleby horses back in form this looks an ideal spot for their Modern Games to follow up his impressive Lockinge Stakes victory at Newbury last month when he had several of these behind him. His main danger will surely be the Gosden filly Inspiral who goes well fresh and can push Modern Games all the way. The other Appleby runner Native Trail looks booked for third place.

 

MODERN GAMES 2 points win @ 2/1 William Hills

 

3.05

 

Asadna had the time guru’s purring with his sectionals when winning at Ripon on his racecourse debut and can go well along with favourite River Tiber who is a typical Aidan O’Brien juvenile. At bigger odds however I’ll take a chance with the Archie Watson trained Army Ethos who looks a horse with a future when an easy winner under Holly Doyle at Ayr on his debut. That form doesn’t amount to much but subsequent gallop reports suggest that he may be up there with the likes of last year’s winner Bradsell for the same connections.

 

ARMY ETHOS 1 point each way @16/1 bet365 1/5th 12345

 

3.40

 

A cracking renewal of the Kings Stand Stakes where we have a match up between the best sprinter over here in the mare Highfield Princess and one of the best from Australia in Coolangotta. It should be a decent battle between them with the likes of Dramatised also in with a shout. My preference though has to be Highfield Princess who was the best around last time winning three Group One’s before not getting the run of the race at the Breeders Cup.

 

HIGHFIELD PRINCESS 1 point win @ 5/2 bet365

 

4.20

 

I don’t fancy Cicero’s Gift who, despite having plenty of promise, has a staggering 27lb to find with the top rated Chaldean. This may week turn out to be a battle between the English 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean and Irish 2000 Guineas winner Paddington. It’ll be close but using Hi Royal as a form line it just seays things in the favour of Aidan O’Brien’s Paddington.

 

PADDINGTON 1 point win @ 5/2 William Hill

 

5.00

 

This race revolves around Willie Mullin’s runner up from last year Bring On The Night who is only 3lb higher than when running Coltrane to 3/4L then. That horse is now 19lb higher and pushing for favouritism in the Gold cup later in the week. He’s not been seen since but with Ryan Moore booked and with Mullins having such a good record in this race of four winners from the last ten years as well as three runners up looks the the one to beat despite his skinny enough odds.

Law Of The Sea will appreciate a return to further here and can make the frame along with Ahorsewithnoname and were the ground to soften Zinc White becomes a major player.

 

BRING ON THE NIGHT 1 point win @ 85/40 BetVictor

 

5.35

 

There’s only 7lb officially between the sixteen runners and racing around a bend there’s going to be some hard luck stories for sure. Current favourite looks poor value to me as a horse who’s only won one of his ten starts and is officially rated in the bottom three of the entire field. Francesco Clemente looked wayward coming round the bend at Goodwood which probably cost him the race and he is preferred of the Gosden pair.

It would be no surprise to see William Knight’s Checkandchallenge run well as this represents a drop in class whilst back on better ground Poker Face can show his soft ground Chester run to be all wrong. A tough race.

 

POKER FACE 1 point each way @ 12-1 bet365 

 

6.10

 

Willie Mullin’s Vauban can give the Closutton maestro a winning first day handicap double (after Bring On The Night in the Ascot Stakes) by taking the 1m 6F Copper Horse Handicap. He’s rated (and deservedly so) 160 over sticks where he’s not far off the third best hurdler around but can race back on the level here off of 101 which makes him look chucked in. He’ll be hard to beat with Ryan Moore doing the steering. The best each way value may lie with Roger Varian’s Postileo although he will have to overcome the widest draw of all.

 

VAUBAN 2 points win @ 15/8 BetVictor

 

 

 

[LEE-GRAYS]

Going for chindit get is 🦷 in front