Royal Ascot - Day 2 - Wednesday 16th June

[alexmac]

2.30 – Jersey Stakes This race looks to be between 2 horses, both with excellent chances of winning this heat. Shakespearean has to be respected, especially with Ascot specialist Dettori on board, but the selection here is the Irish raider Free Judgement. Canford Cliffs has won this afternoon in excellent fashion, and can now be described as being a true Group 1 winner. Last time out, Free Judgement ran a 3 length second to Canford Cliffs in Ireland. If he can step up from that performance then he has got to be respected here. Although he is being dropped in trip for this one, he does look to possess a bit of pace, and that should help him here in this decent looking Group 3 event. The Godolphin horse has got to be feared however, and at 5/1, the selection seems to be something of an E/W bet to nothing. Bet – BACK FREE JUDGEMENT E/W 3.05 – Windsor Forest Hannon and Hughes had a great first day at Ascot, but the vibes about STRAWBERRYDAIQUIRI are strong, and she can get the better of Shamwari Lodge. With 5 wins from 7 career starts, the selection is a highly progressive filly, who is visably improving with each of her starts. She does need to be pushed along a little bit, and in Ryan Moore she has the best jockey in the business for the type of ride she requires. She is a joint favourite at the time of writing, at 7/2, but in my opinion, that price will contract, and it could well be worth taking that price this evening. Bet – BACK STRAWBERRYDAIQUIRI 3.50 – Prince of Wales Wednesday’s feature race can go to TWICE OVER. He is a bit of a globe trotter nowadays, with a really good 3rd at Santa Anita in the Breeders Cup followed by a slightly below par run in Dubai in the World Cup. However, he has ran well over this course and distance in the past, including when 4th in last years renewal of this race. With the excellent Tom Queally onboard, he should take a good deal of stopping in this high class race. The vibes about Byword are strong, but for me he is far too short a price, and the readily available 5/1 about Henry Cecil’s charge is worth taking. Bet – BACK TWICE OVER 4.25 Royal Hunt Cup If there was a prize for the hardest race to solve at the Royal Meeting then this would be odds on to get it. With 30 going to post, you are going to need a huge amount of luck in running to get a winner here, but I would like to think that Luca Cumani’s ACROSTIC could take all the beating. He has decent form in big field handicaps, at 1st class venues including York and Sandown. He is from a stable that is bang in form, and has a recent run under his belt that should see him bang in form for this one. It is worth noting that Mull of Killough is likely to go off the favourite, and has a very good chance of taking a place, after running with credit on a number of occasions already this season. It is however, a total minefield, with any number of horses being capable of getting the breaks in the right places, at the right times. Acrostic should put in a bold show however, and at 10/1, an E/W bet is in order. Bet – BACK ACROSTIC E/W 5.00 Queen Mary Stakes Another very trappy looking contest, and one in which a number of horses have a very decent chance of prevailing. Preference goes to MOONLIT GARDEN. She has just had the one run to date, and that was a very impressive win at the Curragh, over 6 f in which she was not pressed at all. She should have a great deal more to come after that debut, and should very much be up there with the favourites in this one. Bet – BACK MOONLIT GARDEN 5.35 – Sandringham The day can be bought to a close with another winning filly in the form of SAFINA. Timepiece is sure to be popular due to connections, but she was very disappointing last time out, whereas Safina can only be praised for the way she won a fillies race at Chester when being sent off the odds on favourite. She does seem to be a very icely bred filly, with a great deal of potential, and she should be taken to get this one ahead of both Timepiece and Pollenator. She is lightly raced, and with the trainer/jockey combination that won the Derby incharge it is sure that she will be fit and ready for this test. Bet – BACK SAFINA

[chris34]

Re: Royal Ascot - Day 2 - Wednesday 16th June 3.05 Ascot Strawberrydaiquiri is a horse I have fell in love with she is highly progressive and a fantastic attitude which she showed again at newmarket last time out when getting up to win on the unfavoured far side after the second had got away on the faster insider rail nothing else got into, just as good on faster ground and this trip is no problem. And as an added bonus to anyone that loves horse she is an amazing horse to look at beautifal! 1pt win strawberrydaiquiri 4/1 corals 4.25 Ascot I feel Smokey Oakey has a bigger chance than his 66/1 odds suggest, he shaped extremely encouraging in the lincoln this year and finally starting to slip back in the weights to a competitive mark, just 2lb higher than his win in the lincoln in 2008, probably better on soft ground but could be dangerous to dismiss on account of just that aslong as the ground doesnt dry out too much! 0.25pt e/w smokey oakey 66/1 sj