Three Group One races will take place at Ascot on Tuesday 20th June
Army Ethos, Cadillac and Vauban feature in our Ascot day 1 selections
Expired
Day one of Royal Ascot. (Getty)
Ascot Day 1 Tips
Royal Ascot 2023 Day 1 Schedule
Race 1 - Queen Anne Stakes Tips
Race 2 - Coventry Stakes Tips
Race 3 - King's Stand Stakes Tips
Race 4 - St James's Palace Stakes Tips
Race 5 - Ascot Stakes Tips
Race 6 - Wolferton Stakes Tips
Race 7 - Copper Horse Handicap Tips
The moment many flat racing fans have been waiting all season for has finally arrived. Royal Ascot 2023 is about to start!
The weather gods haven't been particularly kind on day one's attendees, with a significant deluge of rain scheduled to hit Berkshire on Tuesday morning. With the going likely to ease significantly from it's current description of good-to-firm, here are our best bets on day one of Royal Ascot.
The bookmakers have priced this race up as if there are only three runners who can win, leaving plenty of promising juveniles sitting on appealing prices. I've found a couple that I want to back each-way, starting with ARMY ETHOS for last season's winning combo of Hollie Doyle and Archie Watson.
Army Ethos made no mistakes on his stable debut at Ayr, making all and kicking clear after the two pole to win by over three lengths. Watson's juvenile is by Shalaa, who relished soft ground during his career, so Tuesday's forecast won't worry the Army Ethos team.
Drawn on his immediate inside is WATCH MY TRACER. George Scott's youngster copped a tricky draw in stall one at Yarmouth on debut, so to see Danny Muscutt's mount work his way into the race and put away a decent rival in El Bodon was rather impressive.
Like our first selection, there's plenty in Watch My Tracer's breeding to suggest he'll enjoy cut in the ground. Scott's juvenile is by a top sire in Dandy Man and both of his half-siblings won on soft ground. Watch My Tracer will be my second selection at 66/1.
Whenever the ground is soft, my eye is always drawn to CALLING THE WIND. I've backed Richard Hughes' seven-year-old in plenty of high-profile staying races and, although he's only returned winning prize money on one occasion, I'm going to the well once again.
Calling The Wind registered yet another high-profile placed effort in the Chester Cup last time out, running up to an RPR of 107 off a mark of 100. That was the 13th race in a row where Calling The Wind has run up to a triple-figure RPR, and the handicapper responded by dropping his official rating by a pound down to 99.
Having gone close behind Stratum in the last two editions of the Queen Alexandra Stakes, Richard Hughes has decided to give this handicap a go instead and leading apprentice, Billy Loughnane comes in to take three more pounds off Calling The Wind's back.
Calling The Wind wins the Goodwood Handicap in 2021. (Getty)
On the back of an impressive handicap victory at Epsom last time out, this could be the right time to side with CADILLAC. George Boughey's recruit still had plenty of work to do turning for home at Epsom, but Cadillac ate up the ground on the uphill run to the line and eventually won by around two lengths.
While in the care of Kevin Philippart de Foy last season, Cadillac was backed into favouritism for this contest and ran a solid race to place second. Being drawn low in stall four isn't ideal on the round course, but Boughey has booked New Zealander James McDonald to take the ride and his record his at Ascot is excellent.
The bookmakers are running scared of Willie Mullins in this card-closing handicap, listing his two runners as the clear first and second favourites. Ryan Moore's mount, VAUBAN is particularly popular in the betting and the case for the favourite is a fairly straightforward one.
Vauban won three Grade Ones during his juvenile season over hurdles. Although he didn't manage to win last season, Mullins' star ran with great credit behind State Man on three occasions, while also finishing fourth in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
As a four-year-old, Mullins mentioned Vauban as a potential Melbourne Cup horse, before deciding not to run his youngster during the 2022 flat season. Vauban now makes his first start on the level on British or Irish soil and, given he's rated 160 over hurdles, this opening handicap mark of just 101 looks very lenient.
Verdict
Royal Ascot Day One Tips:
1: Vauban Copper Horse Handicap Tips @7/4 at QuinnBet - 15 Units
2: Cadillac Wolferton Stakes Tips @11/1 at Betgoodwin - 5 Units
3: Ascot Stakes Tips Calling The Wind @12/1 at bet365 - 5 Units
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