Our top tipster Daryl Carter kicks off Royal Ascot with four selections on Tuesday afternoon. Check out his thoughts on each of the quartet below, and why not sign up to bet365, which is offering £50 In Free Bets to new customers, when you sign-up and bet £10.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
3.05 Ascot – PERSIAN FORCE (1.5pt win, 3/1 generally)
This is a cracker, but very few of these have clocked a good time figure, and on that basis, it may pay to keep faith with the impressive Brocklesby winner PERSIAN FORCE. He was extremely impressive on debut in a race that has worked out well, and his easy victory at Newbury was no more than a prep run for this contest. Still, the form of the Newbury run through the second ties in with some of the best sprint Juvenile form of the season.
There’s a good chance you will want to be drawn high again this year with this field likely to be spread across the track, and we are yet to see the best of him. Richard Hannon has expressed that this is one of the best horses he has had for some time, and given his firepower, that could be significant. His form, time figures, and visual impression have all confirmed he is a Group1 performer in the making, and he is favoured to score here.
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4.20 Ascot – MALJOOM (1pt each-way, 12/1 bet365, 10/1 generally)
I was a huge fan of MALJOOM from the moment he made an unorthodox debut at Doncaster when extremely green at the rear of the field and then showed a blistering turn of foot to get up on the line after having to weave through a field of horses. It was a much more polished performance second time when easily taking care of Saga at Kempton despite not having a race run to suit, and he took a huge step forward when scoring impressively in the German 2,000 Guineas.
He was slowly away in Cologne but showed pure power to catch the runaway leader from an unpromising position further back in the field, and he hit the line hard, having plenty in hand. It was an excellent performance, and he has been underestimated at double-figure odds. Where the ceiling lies with him is impossible to guess, and he has achieved a rating 2lbs higher than what Coroebus did after three starts (him having the winter to mature also). He looks excellent each-way value in this contest, and I am excited to see how he fares in this company.
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5.00 Ascot – BRING ON THE NIGHT (1pt win, 9/2 generally)
There are certain races where I want to be with a Willie Mullins runner, and this Ascot Stakes is certainly one of them. And it would be no surprise to see this runner go off closer to 11/4 than his current 9/2. Willie Mullins has landed three of the last seven runnings of this contest, and he was unfortunate in this race last year, while in 2018, he had four of the first five home. He knows how to ready one for this, and BRING ON THE NIGHT, who was let down by his jumping over hurdles – but clearly thought highly enough of to run in the Supreme Novice Hurdle on just his second start for the yard – has won twice on the level in France including over 1m4f on heavy ground. He has an abundance of stamina which is unlikely to prove his undoing. Willie Mullins having one representative in this contest is a hint in itself, with form figures of 112 when doing so, and this mark of 93 (given the runner-up Salesman has recorded RPRs of 103 and 109) could underestimate him on the bare form.
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5.35 Ascot – CERTAIN LAD (0.5pt each-way, 33/1 generally)
This is wide open, and I can’t help but feel CERTAIN LAD is wildly overpriced after a very promising comeback run when chasing home the very smart Solid Stone in the Group 2 Huxley Stakes on the back of a 532-day break at Chester. The third Megallan won next time out, taking the scalp of Modern News and Mutasaabeq to give the form a boost, and he is certainly entitled to improve on that effort. He was fast on the upgrade prior to his absence, having taken his form to a new level, including when a 66/1 second in the John Smith’s Cup at York before landing Group honours at the same venue under today’s rider Hollie Doyle. A repeat of that effort when having Lord Glitters, Zabeel Prince and Pogo in behind wouldn’t leave him much to find in this company. There are very few improvers in this contest, so he is well worth chancing at the odds from a good draw in stall one.
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Daryl Carter’s Best Bets
3.05 Ascot – PERSIAN FORCE (1.5pt win, 3/1 generally)
4.20 Ascot – MALJOOM (1pt each-way, 12/1 bet365, 10/1 generally)
5.00 Ascot – BRING ON THE NIGHT (1pt win, 9/2 generally)
5.35 Ascot – CERTAIN LAD (0.5pt each-way, 33/1 generally)
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