The second day of Royal Ascot follows an opening day which featured a remarkable 50/1 opening winner. Once again, there are so many open contests on day two, as punters seek the value.
Matty Sutcliffe has plenty of tips to follow on Wednesday. He has six tips for you to follow.
Royal Ascot Tips (Wednesday 17 June)
Royal Ascot is underway in glorious sunshine and splendour. Matty has six tips to follow across five races at the big meeting.
14:30 Ascot – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) (Class 1) (2yo) – Velozee 20/1 1pt EW 5 places
This looks a red hot renewal of the Queen Mary with eighteen of the twenty-eight runners winning last time out. However, I’m quite keen to side with one beaten last time out in Velozee, and she’s priced incorrectly due to that.
The daughter of Sioux Nation was a 92,000 EUR purchase from Goffs as a yearling last September and looked talented when winning at Cork on debut in April. She was slowly away and ridden in rear under Billy Lee, but came there strongly on the near-side displaying a good turn of foot to win by a short head.
The third was beaten a length by Victorious next time out, and the sixth has since won a valuable contest at Naas. Velozee then went to the Curragh for a Listed contest and she looked much more street-wise. She was ridden prominently upsides 4/7 favourite New Yorker, and she easily swept that one aside, travelling notably stronger than the field. She picked up in excellent style, pulling three and a half lengths clear of What A Girl Wants.
The second was only beaten a neck in that aforementioned contest at Naas next time out. That Listed race has been a good pointer for Ascot, last year’s second, True Love, won the Queen Mary, the 2024 forecast were close up in the Norfolk, the 2023 runner up won the Norfolk, and the 2022 winner was close up in the Coventry.
Things didn’t go to plan when ridden to get the trip at Naas next time out over six furlongs, thus this drop back in trip on a sounder surface can suit with a favourable high draw with Billy Lee favouring her over York winner Big Negotiator.
15:05 Ascot – Queen’s Vase (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo) – Limestone 7/2 1.5pt WIN
New Bay colt Limestone looks to be well suited to this extra distance and can continue his unbeaten streak this season.
He demonstrated ability when third to Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini on debut, finishing a length behind subsequent three time Group 3 placed Endorsement. He was behind Endorsement next time out, before getting off the mark in a 17k prize at Listowel.
He was well backed on debut upped to ten furlongs at Cork in a first time tongue tie, and he improved on that drastically to take a listed contest when further up in trip to 1m5f.
That was a puzzling race, as he initially made the running but off the bend, McMonagle was happy to be passed by two runners and he then found himself behind three once the pace lifted, initially looking as if backpeddling.
I thought it was a remarkable performance to regather momentum, producing a smart turn of foot to swoop by and win comfortably. He had a Derby entry and Joseph O’Brien mentioned the Grand Prix de Paris immediately after, so he’s evidently well regarded and it’s further interesting that Carmers won that Listed contest at Navan prior to winning the Queen’s Vase last season.
15:40 Ascot – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (4yo+) – Snellen 16/1 1pt EW 4 places
The progressive Blue Bolt is the obvious contender in here after reappearing with a listed success at Goodwood, but she has come up short over a stiff mile twice in better company and I’m happy to take her on.
Gavin Cromwell rarely lets his small but select Royal Ascot string down, and Snellen seems to grow an extra hand when coming here. The Expert Eye mare won the Chesham on her second start in 2023, and while she hasn’t quite gone on since, she produced a career best effort when a length second off near top-weight in the Kensington Palace Fillies Stakes here last season over course and distance.
She backed that form up winning a Group 3 contest at Leopardstown, coming from rear to gamely fend off the 110 rated Purview, now rated 118 after bolting up in listed company last time out.
She couldn’t back that up when upped in trip at the Curragh, but she returned this season with an eye-catching effort over seven furlongs, not knocked about under Gary Carroll to finish third. The winner has since gone in again, and she’s of major interest now stepped back up in trip at a track she has a fine record at.
17:00 Ascot – Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) – Linwood 10/1 1pt 7 places + Checkandchallenge 20/1 1pt EW 7 places
Richard Hannon is yet to add to his father’s win in the race in 2008, but Linwood can put a stop to that after his impressive reappearance success after being gelded. The son of Inns of Court was off joint top weight there, and he made all with a relative amount of ease under Jamie Spencer.
Spencer excused confidence throughout, still firmly on the bridle a furlong out, and never looked like being passed. That form has worked out strongly, the second went up 4lbs after winning next time out in a handicap previously won by last year’s Royal Hunt Cup winner My Cloud.
The third and fourth bettered their finishing positions next time out, the seventh and eighth won well next time out, the eleventh was just touched off in the Suffolk Stakes handicap next time out and the thirteenth was beaten a length in a competitive handicap at York next time out, among others.
Hannon mentioned giving him an entry for the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan next time out and a Group 2 entry at the Curragh suggests they evidently think he can bely this mark of 108 in group handicap company.
I’d also like to chance Checkandchallenge, who’s suffered the last few seasons off a mark too high enough to perform in handicaps but justifiable enough to run in black type company. His winless streak dates back to November 2023, but he’s placed multiple times in similar company since and was only four lengths behind last years Queen Anne winner Docklands here.
His mark has finally dropped to a workable one, as he caught the eye behind Linwood when short of room in running at Newbury having began to make good late headway. It was a similar performance when beaten four lengths behind Classic back at Newbury, and he has a 5lbs swing in the weights with Indalo who was second there, and is the favourite for this contest.
He’s a horse who needs plenty of cover and to be delivered late, but that’ll suit from stall 30 if getting the gaps in running. He has some excellent course form, and now he’s dropped a further 2lbs he can be competitive under Rossa Ryan.
18:10 Ascot – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (2yo) – Boleto 20/1 1pt EW 4 places
Boleto has to step up on what he achieved when winning a moderate maiden at Pontefract on debut earlier this month, but I thought he did incredibly well to win given how green he was throughout.
The son of Wootton Basset cost £105,000 as a yearling, and initially broke well under Callum Rodriguez at Pontefract. However, he was nudged along just before the turn and looked somewhat clueless, drifting right off the bend and failing to regather his stride on a straight line. With that in mind, I thought he was strong value for the winning margin of a neck given the others were all seemingly more professional and stuck to the far-side rail.
He’s bred to be very smart, as his dam is a half sister to Coolmore’s Broome, Diego Velazquez and Point Lonsdale, all talented performers and two of them winners at this meeting.
Having stayed on strongly up the hill at Pontefract, this Ascot test can suit and if more streetwise this time then we can expect a big run for a yard who know what it takes to win sprints at this meeting.
Matthew Sutcliffe’s Tips for Wednesday 17 June
14:30 Ascot – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) (Class 1) (2yo) – Velozee 20/1 1pt EW 5 places
15:05 Ascot – Queen’s Vase (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo) – Limestone 7/2 1.5pt WIN
15:40 Ascot – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (4yo+) – Snellen 16/1 1pt EW 4 places
17:00 Ascot – Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) – Linwood 10/1 1pt 7 places + Checkandchallenge 20/1 1pt EW 7 places
18:10 Ascot – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (2yo) – Boleto 20/1 1pt EW 4 places
Matthew Sutcliffe’s Best Bets – Royal Ascot day 2
FAQs
What are today’s racing tips?
Matthew Sutcliffe provides his best bets at Royal Ascot on Wednesday 17 June.
When were Matthew Sutcliffe’s tips published?
Matty Sutcliffe’s racing tips were published at 3.03pm on Tuesday 16 June.
Who is Matthew Sutcliffe?
Matthew Sutcliffe is GGs newest contributor, often providing a value angle for his tips. He writes weekly columns for the weekend’s racing, as well as taking aim at ante-post markets at the Cheltenham Festival. Follow him on X: @MattySutcliffe
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