Expert tipster Andrew Mount is going big with his opening day Royal Ascot selections – all four selections are available at BIG ODDS!
Andrew finished 2nd in the Best Free Horse Racing Tipster at the SBC awards, further emphasising his tipping knowledge and proving how much of a credit he is to our excellent team.
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Posted: 2.20pm June 19th (Odds correct at time of writing)
3.40 Ascot – MITBAAHY (1pt E/W – 20/1 BetUK, 18/1 generally) + HAPPY ROMANCE (0.5pt E/W – 50/1 generally)
MITBAAHY, fifth in the Temple Stakes last month, looks worth a punt in the King’s Stand. Roger Varian’s four-year-old has four and a half lengths to make up with Dramatised on their Haydock running but he was badly berthed in stall 3 of 13 that day (first four drawn 10, 12, 13 and 11) and he emerged best of those to race down the centre of the track. Best late off a strong pace, he has plenty of form over a stiff 5f and is an each-way price.
HAPPY ROMANCE, just behind Mitbaahy in sixth place when also poorly drawn in stall 2 in the Temple, ran a stormer in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at this meeting last year, finishing seventh of 24 from a poor low draw when a 25-1 chance. She’s arguably best over that longer trip but did win over a stiff 5f in a field of 16 at Bath on her penultimate start and the faster they go in the early stages, the better her chance.
4.20 Ascot – GALERON (0.5pt E/W – 40/1 generally)
GALERON proved that his 150-1 fourth to Chaldean in the 2000 Guineas was no fluke when finishing three and a half lengths behind Paddington in the Irish equivalent, doing well to finish so close on a track that made life extremely difficult for his running style. The 16-1 shot was ridden patiently that day whereas the four that finished in front of him received the comments ‘soon prominent’, ‘prominent’, ‘soon led’ and ‘in touch with leaders’. Similar tactics will be ideal today and he can sneak into the frame.
6.10 Ascot – RAYMOND TUSK (0.5pt E/W – 33/1 generally)
Four-year-olds usually dominate the 1m4f Howden Handicap at Newmarket and horses from that age group ran one-two in this year’s renewal on May 6th. Both raced prominently and the eyecatcher was Alan King’s eight-year-old RAYMOND TUSK, who fared best of the older brigade and best of those ridden patiently. Stablemate Tritonic emerged best of those aged five plus when runner-up in the Howden last year and he was a winner at Goodwood next time out. Raymond Tusk hasn’t always been the easiest to catch right but he’s run some good races at Ascot before, finishing second at 20-1 to Dee Ex Bee in the 2019 Sagaro Stakes, seventh at 40-1 to Stradivarius in the 2019 Gold Cup, second at 25-1 to Quickthorn (now rated 15lb higher and due to go up more after last Saturday’s York win) in the 2021 Duke Of Edinburgh and seventh of 16 when 33-1 for the Cooper Horse Handicap last year. He was only beaten by four lengths after challenging late/wide when the inside route was favoured and he’s worth chancing off a 4lb lower mark.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
3.40 Ascot – MITBAAHY (1pt E/W – 20/1 BetUK, 18/1 generally) + HAPPY ROMANCE (0.5pt E/W – 50/1 generally)
4.20 Ascot – GALERON (0.5pt E/W – 40/1 generally)
6.10 Ascot – RAYMOND TUSK (0.5pt E/W – 33/1 generally)
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