The next five days are set to showcase the best of British flat racing. With pageantry and glamour in the stands, the galloping action on track is set to delight and thrill.
GG tipster Joe Napier has picked out our Royal Ascot Tuesday tips. He has selections in four races.
Royal Ascot Tips (Tuesday 16 June)
British flat racing’s premier festival begins on Tuesday, with the top hats and tails emerging from wardrobes up and down the country. Joe has four tips at the track, including a two-point win selection in the penultimate race.
2.30 Ascot – Opera Ballo (1pt win – 7/2)
Notable Speech remains the class act, but his Royal Ascot record thus far is chequered. Similarly, stablemate Opera Ballo is now rated on the same mark and could be more progressive. Charlie Appleby has not excelled at Royal Ascot in recent years, but he looks to have prepared the selection ideally for a challenge in this Group 1. He has now won his last three since a defeat by Zeus Olympios at Newmarket last September. They include a comfortable top level breakthrough in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan over 1m1f. That success proves he stays further than 1m, so will be suited by Ascot’s stiff finish. He saw the 1m trip out extremely well last time out at Sandown, when putting in a career best in the Group 2 Mile. That was a Group 1 in all but name and he routed his rivals from the front. Although he was potentially slightly flattered given many of his rivals were making their returns, he was still impressive. A positive ride under Billy Loughnane, who partnered him to win on debut, could make him tough to pass.
5.00 Ascot – Tim Toe (0.5pt e/w – 25/1)
Henry De Bromhead won this a year ago and Tim Toe looks an unexposed type ready to spring. He comes into this 2m4f contest off a very unconventional preparation. His win at Listowel last time out came over only 1m, but he won a 1m7f bumper at Thurles in March 2025. Subsequent efforts over hurdles were respectable for this jumping yard too. However, since the spring, he has won twice on the flat from three starts, and was third in between at Killarney over 1m6f. That was a slowly run race and he is entitled to reverse from with winner Kizlyar here. With Derby winning jockey Ronan Whelan aboard, he smacks of a thorough stayer now given the opportunity.
5.35 Ascot – Galen (2pt win – 8/1)
Ready preference is for last year’s runner-up Galen for Joseph O’Brien. The five-year-old had been an easy winner of a Group 3 to begin 2025. As a result, he carried a 5lb penalty in this contest, but nearly defied it. He was beaten less than a length by Haatem, but races off level weights this time around. Continuing under that penalty ensured he struggled in Group races for the rest of the Irish flat season last year. However, with that removed, he was a close second in Bahrain’s Group 2 International Trophy. He then boldly took on Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup, running very respectively in fourth. He ran no race in Saudi Arabia in February, but that is easy to forgive based on his profile otherwise. O’Brien’s charge goes well enough fresh and this may have been a long-term target back in Britain.
6.10 Ascot – Sing Us A Song (1pt e/w – 8/1)
Wathnan Racing own the favourite here in Valiancy, but Sing Us A Song could also go very close. The son of Camelot was slowly away at this meeting a year ago, effectively blowing his chance in the King George V Stakes. That turned into a strong renewal of the three-year-old’s handicap and he ran on well through beaten horses. He then played up again at Glorious Goodwood, but his form since a gelding operation has been positive. A win at Haydock over 1m6f has been firmly franked, the runner-up going from strength to strength since. Indeed that horse, Klassleader, is now the Ebor favourite and beat the selection at York last month. That was still broadly a positive result for Sing Us A Song, who easily beat the rest. The handicapper may have let him off lightly with just a 2lb rise. The step back up to 1m6f should be in his favour too.
GG Lucky 15 Tips – Tuesday 16 June
2.30 Ascot – Opera Ballo (1pt win – 7/2)
5.00 Ascot – Tim Toe (0.5pt e/w – 25/1)
5.35 Ascot – Galen (2pt win – 8/1)
6.10 Ascot – Sing Us A Song (1pt e/w – 8/1)
GG Lucky 15 Tips – Tuesday 16 June