WELL DONE to all the Ascot Racecourse team as the first day of Royal Ascot 2020 was a tremendous success.
It was great to see everyone getting involved with Royal Ascot At Home.
Let’s look forward to another top class day at Royal Ascot 2020.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
1.15 Ascot – Silver Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap) 1m
Ouzo was really eye-catching on seasonal debut at Newmarket when a neck second to Bell Rock for Unibet Ambassador Richard Hannon. He completed at hat-trick last season and deserves his place at the head of the market.
Unibet 7/2 win
Red Bond is a very interesting as an each-way selection, as he is totally unexposed on turf. This will only be his second career start (ran perfectly well Doncaster only go last season), very consistent, improving and stays a bit further than a mile, which will help. Good third on his reappearance at Newcastle and should go well for shrewd trainer Keith Dalgleish.
Unibet 20/1 each way
1.50 – Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) 1m 1f
The Frankel colt Juan Elcano can step up on his excellent fifth in the 2,000 Guineas, the first Classic of the season. Juan Elcano was right up there throughout, and it was impressive the way he stayed on towards the finish so the extra furlong will suit. The Ballydoyle team have put a pacemaker in and that will only favour Juan Elcano, whose trainer Kevin Ryan nominated this race straight after the 2,000 Guineas.
Unibet 3/1 win
2.25 – King George V Stakes (Handicap) 1m 4f
Convict for the William Haggas team needs to get his toe in and it looks like we will get more rain ahead of this contest, which will really suit, as if there’s one horse in here crying out for one mile four furlongs it’s him. Half-brother to yard’s good stayer Hamish, he hosed up at Newmarket on final start of last year (second thought good enough for the Lingfield Derby Trail, fourth won a minor race off 71 last week) and is a Group horse in a handicap.
Unibet 6/1 each way
3.00 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) 1m 2f
Lord North (nap) will have to put in a career best performance here against such a strong field, however he still looked very progressive when taking his first Group race at Haydock on seasonal debut beating Elarqam by a short head. He looked like he was idling in front on that occasion and looks sure to come on for the run for the John Gosden yard.
Lord North last season cruised to victory in the Cambridgeshire Handicap when he travelled like a dream and importantly in his favour he has won on all types of ground.
Unibet 15/2 each way
3.35 – Ascot Royal Hunt Cup Handicap 1m
Bell Rock was tried in Listed/Group 1 company last year and that gives you an idea what the Andrew Balding team thought he was capable of. He looked a different horse on seasonal debut after being gelded at Newmarket, picking up Ouzo, who had gone clear. A five-pound penalty to carry but again, we could be looking at a Group horse.
Unibet 6/1 each way
4.10 Windsor Castle (Listed) 5f
Tactical can strike for the Andrew Balding team, who have been going so well since racing’s resumption.
Tactical finished just behind Get It when third at Newmarket but he looked the one that would come on most for the experience and I expect him to reverse that form.
Unibet 6/1 each way
