After a thrilling opening day at Royal Ascot 2022, we’re back for day two – and our top team of tipsters have returned with their best bets for Wednesday’s action.
Matt Chapman, Ruby Walsh, Jason Weaver, Mick Fitzgerald and Rory Delargy have been studying the form, crunching the numbers and generally waffling away for the ITV tellybox races on day two of the biggest racing Festival in the Flat racing calendar.
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The action gets underway at 2:30pm with the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, however, all eyes are on the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at 3:40pm, which is the first £1m race of the meeting.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Bay Bridge is the favourite to scoop the mammoth prize pot on Wednesday afternoon. The four-year-old takes on the likes of Japanese runner Shahryar, as well as State Of Rest and Lord North.
We’ve also got the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (4:20pm), which will see Saffron Beach take on Mother Earth and Bashkirova over a mile.
They’re the stand-out names but for all the cheeky each-way bets and dark horses in the handicap just scroll down to our pundits’ selections below.
They’ve studied the form so you don’t have to.
Matt Chapman
Ruby Walsh
Jason Weaver
Mick Fitzgerald
Rory Delargy
Matt Chapman
The US raider LOVE REIGNS will revel on the fast conditions. I suspect she will be very hard to catch under the excellent Irad Ortiz.
Ruby Walsh
Dramatised was very impressive last time but I like Lady Tilbury who came home really well at Tipperary. I’ll chance the Irish runner.
Jason Weaver
Dramatised showed an electric change of gear when winning on her racecourse debut 47 days ago at Newmarket, posting an impressive speed figure in the process.
Mick Fitzgerald
MARIA BRANWELL looks an each-way player at the prices. She won nicely despite showing her inexperience at Sandown. That performance was all the better because it was against the colts.
Rory Delargy
DRAMATISED was massively impressive when beating Malrescia at Newmarket on debut. She’s going to be hard to beat.
Matt Chapman
NAHANNI never got involved in the Derby where he was sweaty and dwelt at the start. In the end he ran on well for seventh and that suggests this trip will be right up his street.
Ruby Walsh
Nahanni’s Derby chance was blown before the start and he then missed the break. He can bounce back to form here.
Jason Weaver
The Godolphin runner Hafit comes in here as top-rated in the race and is sure to be overlooked in the market as Nahanni is the stable’s first string.
Mick Fitzgerald
HAFIT ran very well at Newbury with cheekpieces on behind Walk of Stars and then finished third to Martel in Listed company at Longchamp.
Rory Delargy
NAHANNI was the most upset by the fireworks before the Epsom Derby. He did his best work at the end after missing the break and can get some compensation now.
Matt Chapman
I’m all over Japanese star SHAHRYAR who has a great chance to make all the running. It’s going to take a massive effort from anyone to go past him and that includes hot favourite Bay Bridge.
Ruby Walsh
This could be a tactical enough affair but I’ll side with State of Rest who got a little caught out of his ground at the Curragh. He can make amends now.
Jason Weaver
The Japanese raider Shahryar brings in some fantastic home form and put up another sparkling performance in Dubai on World Cup night. The ground will suit him but the others have questions to answer on it.
Mick Fitzgerald
SHAHRYAR was very impressive on World Cup night in Dubai and there was no fluke about it. Bay Bridge could be a star but I’d like to see him back up his Sandown win first as that was way better than anything he’d shown before.
Rory Delargy
I’m a big fan of Bay Bridge. To win by the margin he did at Sandown is a sign of an exceptionally good horse and while this is a step up in class, he’s more than ready for it.
Matt Chapman
MOTHER EARTH will be hard to stop against her own sex and she gets 5lbs from Saffron Beach who beat her at HQ last October after Mother Earth had beaten her in the 1,000 Guineas last May.
Ruby Walsh
I was just really taken by BASHKIROVA at Epsom. She was impressive, ran strongly to the line and can step forward again now.
Jason Weaver
Primo Bacio has a wonderful late change of pace that can see her run a huge race at big odds on this surface as she bids to turn the form around with Bashkirova, who subsequently won at Epsom.
Mick Fitzgerald
Mother Earth wears cheekpieces now for the first time to help her focus and they can make the difference this time as she looks to beat Saffron Beach – who she beat in the Fillies Classic last year – but beat her at HQ in October.
Rory Delargy
SAFFRON BEACH has shown herself on every occasion – except the 1,000 Guineas last season – that she’s a better filly than Mother Earth. She’ll confirm that again now.
Matt Chapman
Last year’s runner up Astro King is going to be hard to keep out of the frame again in a race where Paddy is paying 7 places!
Ruby Walsh
The way BLESS HIM will be ridden and his style of racing could see him sneak into the each-way places.
Jason Weaver
Given a stronger pace to aim, Fantastic Fox can be expected to thread his way through the field late on and hit one of the 7 places Paddy is paying at least. Percys Lad was arguably unlucky last time and still has a bit of wriggle room off his mark of 96.
Mick Fitzgerald
This is a mad dash up the straight but Dark Shift has what it takes. Astro King ran a hell of a race last year to finish second and it would be no surprise if he went well again.
Rory Delargy
Dark Shift has a good record on the straight track at Ascot already and he got into this race courtesy of a comfortable win in a decent race at Nottingham last time.
Matt Chapman
I’ll have a few quid each-way here on CHATEAU who won well at Beverley on his latest start and would have been much more impressive with a clearer run. An improver.
Ruby Walsh
Little Big Bear takes up most of the market and this 5f trip will suit him. There’s not value as we don’t know how good those he beat at Naas are but he’s my fancy.
Jason Weaver
The Ballydoyle runner Little Big Bear is a massive brute of a juvenile with naturally electric pace. It could be a very good week for the Aidan O’Brien/ Ryan Moore combo.
Mick Fitzgerald
LITTLE BIG BEAR looks the perfect fit for this race having finished second on debut and then won easily at Naas on Royal Ascot Trials day there. Chateau also impressed me when getting up close home at Beverley, overcoming trouble-in-running from what looked an impossible position.
Rory Delargy
I like Chateau in terms of what they’ve achieved so far but Little Big Bear on paper is probably the one to beat. Take your pick at the prices.
Matt Chapman
SERENADING is just the type Jamie Spencer will love riding. The mare has been consistent without winning this season and stays this trip strong, so hopefully she comes with a flying late run.
Ruby Walsh
I’ve no fancy in this race and would suggest you watch for any market moves.
Jason Weaver
Technique had some very good form in the book last season when placing lots of times in decent company. Benoit de la Sayette’s 5lb claim should come in very handy.
Mick Fitzgerald
Angel Power last won in Italy two years ago but has been keeping very good company since. She’ll love the ground and jockey Harry Davies takes off a very valuable 5lb.
Rory Delargy
Irish raider Haziya has gone forward in her last couple of starts and has a nice, low draw too. I see her staying out of trouble and she’s the obvious one for me in the lucky last.
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