Out of interest would many people here have much interest in Royal Ascot this week?
Love the racing mate as you know, really enjoyed day 1 just over £1000 up so far but a few of my main fancies got stuffed, got away with it really. Thought Able Friend in the first and Round Two in the Coventry with Gleneagles as the nap of the day.
Luckily did a 2x2x1 bet
Miners Lamp 7/4
Mighty Missile 6/4
Buratino 8/1
Round Two 9/4
Gleneagles 4/7
4x £50 trebles, cost £200 won £1944 and change.
Also got a nice touch on a Willie Mullins horse I've had my fingers stung a few times on already this year in the Ascot Stakes. Had £225 win Clondaw Warrior. Strangely didn't fancy Washington D.C at all, ended up with 3rd 4th and 5th in that race, thought after Round Two's run and looking at the times maybe it was weaker than I'd first thought. Listening to Ryan Moore afterwards though even he was surprised just how bad Round Two was, so will wait for that to get softer going and might give it another chance.
In the Kings Stand I went for Sole Power, just didn't have the finishing kick of old, think it needed more cover and a few more around it to bring out the best put perhaps time is catching up with him now.
Tomorrow seems a decent day.
I've been burned by Ivawood a few times already but tomorrow is surely his best chance of winning, 7f seems perfect and I'd have to side with him. In the Queen Mary the jockey bookies by Wesley Ward looks like he's out to bag that, a friend has tipped me Besharah but I'll be siding with the ward pair, probably split stakes, Bruised Orange put up a time even quicker than his horse in the Coventry over 4.5f so I'd expect that to go off like a scolded cat and perhaps this one might stay out the trip.
Duke of Cambridge I think Integral is too short but still would fancy her, she's not got too much in hand on a strict line of form through Night of Thunder and both Euro Charline and Cladocera could give her something to think about but I think Ascot on fast ground is ideal for her so I'd be sticking her in my accas tomorrow.
Prince of Wales, absolutely love Free Eagle and will be hammering that horse, love his Forgotten Rules too in the gold cup later in the week if it runs (ground worries) never forget saying that was the best bumper horse I'd ever seen to a friend haha.
Royal Hunt Cup, probably a 25/1 shot will win but my 3 against the field are GM Hopkins/Spark Plug and Ayaar, all have a very similar line of form and I was really impressed with Spark Plug last time. Probably would just side with that one if a gun was put to my head but a very trappy race with stakes kept minimal.
The Sandringham, well the favourite Always Smile could be anything but going up 11lb for it's last run (next 2 have won since) seems a big ask to go into a massive handicap like this. At 5/2 that's a shocking price, so while I think it's the best chance at 5/2 I might just watch this one and go with Jellicle Ball E/W at 11/1. I thought it ran a cracking race first time out. In the Guineas it got no kind of run, slowly away and I can forgive that run. Last time out was too keen and at 11/1 again with Moore on top could be value but it's speculative rather than confident.