Horse Racing Tips: Mick Fitzgerald’s Royal Ascot fancies for Gold Cup day

It's Gold Cup Day and big Mick is backing Vauban in the Main Events at 16:25.

Royal Ascot Tips

14:30 Whistlejacket
15:05 Poniros
15:45 You Got To Me (each-way)  
16:25 Vauban (each-way)
17:05 Volterra (each-way)
17:40 Kings Gambit   
18:15 Northern Express (each-way)  

*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 Whistlejacket

The Norfolk Stakes over 5f starts the day and WHISTLEJACKET will be a huge player in this for Aidan O’Brien. He was beaten by Cowardofthecounty on soft ground at the Curragh on debut and that one ran respectably in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday. He subsequently beat the re-opposing Arizona Blue in a Listed Race at the Curragh again and with the quicker ground conditions, now looks the one to beat.

15:05 Poniros

The London Gold Cup at Newbury is always a great pointer for three-year-olds early in the season and usually throws up a Group winner or two. PONIROS was a good second in it this season to King’s Gambit (runs in the 5.40 today) and still looks reasonably well handicapped. He’s much better off at the weights with the re-opposing Persica (who bolted up at Epsom) while the third-place Chantilly, who had a run going into the Newbury clash, is among the market leaders.

15:45 You Got To Me (each-way)

Diamond Rain is a worthy favourite but the Lingfield Oaks Trial winner YOU GOT TO ME is a little bit of each-way value. She had the re-opposing Rubies Are Red and Danielle behind her that day was ridden differently when finishing fourth in the Epsom Oaks to Ezeliya. She can’t be discounted now at an each-way price.

‌16:25 Vauban (each-way)

The Ascot Gold Cup and while Kyprios is the most likely winner, my pick is VAUBAN (each-way). A top-class National Hunt horse a couple of seasons back, he has adjusted to life on the Flat with ease. He should improve from his seasonal appearance at York when second to Giavelloto, his first start disappointing in the Melbourne Cup. He was a run-away winner of the Copper Horse Handicap here last season over 1m 6f from his very talented stable-mate Absurde and looks an each-bet to nothing.

17:05 Volterra (each-way)

A 1-mile cavalry charge where connections look to have this in mind for VOLTERRA since he won a handicap at Newmarket last month. He went up 9lbs for that but the second, Skukuza, has won since. He’s lightly raced, has a good draw in stall 21, and can hit the places at least.

17:40 Kings Gambit

I would love to see Bracken’s Laugh deliver on his promise but KINGS GAMBIT is the pick. There was only a head between them on soft ground last season on soft ground in a Newbury Novice contest and there mightn’t be much between them again. King’s Gambit looked to have improved physically over the winter and won the London Gold Cup impressively. The 15:05 (above) could frank that form again, so he just gets the nod.

18:15 Northern Express (each-way)

A 29-runner 7f handicap to end the day and NORTHERN EXPRESS ran very well at York last time over a mile. He’s a little higher in the weights than when placed in this last season but ticks a lot of boxes at a nice each-way price.

Royal Ascot Tips

14:30 Whistlejacket
15:05 Poniros
15:45 You Got To Me (each-way)  
16:25 Vauban (each-way)
17:05 Volterra (each-way)
17:40 Kings Gambit   
18:15 Northern Express (each-way)  

*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.

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