Horse Racing Tips: Rory Delargy's best bets for day 2 at Royal Ascot

Rory Delargy’s Royal Ascot Tips

14:30 – Born To Rock
15:05 – Tamarama
15:40 – Grand Dame
16:20 – Luxembourg
17:00 – Perotto
17:35 – Chesspiece & Sumo Sam
18:10 – World of Darcy

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

14:30 – Born To Rock

I’m not one to go mad on the juvenile contests here – there are a phalanx of professional punters who now specialise on the breeding, sales and timing angles with these, and that’s not my forte. I was very taken by Born To Rock at Yarmouth, and she would be my pick, but I’ll probably just play the exotics here, with Got To Love A Grey and Gaiden, first and third in the Marygate at York, both worth considering. The latter kept on strongly having been caught out initially and looks likely to be suited by Ascot.

15:05 – Tamarama

This race was a boilover last year with 40/1 shots first and second and a 25/1 chance third, but all were drawn very wide, and that is an angle to take heed of at 1¼m and 1½m here. The obvious pick with that in mind is Tamarama who made all over this trip at Kempton last time, and again has Frankie Dettori in the saddle. Ralph Beckett’s filly is effective on turf and looks to be blooming at the right time. Stall 19 sounds a nightmare but is probably a blessing, and Dettori can either dominate or slip into a prominent position without worrying too much about traffic.

15:40 – Grand Dame

Jumbly could well win this, and the noises about her are positive, but she is not clear of her rivals on form considerations, and she looks a tad skinny to me, a comment which applies in spades to Prosperous Voyage, who rather fell in at Epsom last time after missing the kick. That pair take up too much of the market by my reckoning, and I’m taking a chance on the progressive Grand Dame who could easily turn out the best of this lot. She was ahead of Prosperous Voyage in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on her final start at three, and she took most of the season to mature, making it likely that she will progress again as a four-year-old.

There is a concern that she might not be 100% fit on her return from a break, but Inspiral bolted up at this meeting last year after a similar layoff, and John Gosden doesn’t get much wrong with his fillies.

16:20 – Luxembourg

Luxembourg is the one to beat assuming that Ryan Moore tries to control the race from the front, and he can confirm Tattersalls Gold Cup form with Bay Bridge. It’s possible that William Buick will seek to pester him on Adayar, and that would temper confidence a little, but on balance I’m happy to side with the Ballydoyle horse, who could still progress further given he had an injury-interrupted campaign last season.

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17:00 – Perotto

Perotto has long been my pick for the Hunt Cup, but it appears I’m not alone and his price has tumbled in the last week or so. The far side was also favoured on Tuesday, so there is a slight doubt about the draw, but drying ground should see that bias reversed (stand side was officially quicker before the rain), and this former Britannia Stakes winner is very well handicapped on old form for Marcus Tregoning.

When he won the Britannia, he weaved through to lead over a furlong out and is likely to be coming from off the pace again, with plenty of that to aim at on the stands side. He was largely kept to quick turf by Tregoning, so drying ground is a positive after the Tuesday downpour. He’s finally dropped below the mark he won off in the Britannia, and caught the eye staying on from a poor position in the Victoria Cup. It’s possible that he will be on the wrong flank again here, but I’ll have to take my medicine if so.

17:35 – Chesspiece & Sumo Sam

Chesspiece won well in a hot York handicap in the colours of Godolphin subsidiary Rabbah Bloodstock, and has now come under the banner of the “boys in blue” themselves. I thought he looked a smart prospect there and he is just about the pick with his draw looking ideal – this intermediate trip sees the first turn come up quickly, and you don’t want to be caught too wide.

The other one I’ll have an interest in is likely front runner Sumo Sam, who has disappointed twice since a good second to Running Lion in the Pretty Polly Stakes. To my eye she is an out-and-out stayer, and dictating a slow pace for superstar Al Asifah at Goodwood last time was no good to her at all. She might be left alone in front here, and if this doesn’t come too soon after Goodwood, she is capable of springing a massive upset.

18:10 – World of Darcy

World of Darcy ran well behind smart stablemate Elite Status in the National Stakes at Sandown last time despite not getting the best of runs, and he can improve again. He’s got a very high draw to overcome, but the only concern on that front is that he has nothing to his left, and he could duck that way leaving the stalls, as juveniles tend to. If he doesn’t, then I expect him to run very well, and he seemed to relish the stiff finish at Sandown, so should again be doing his best work to hopefully grab a share of the loot.