The 2024 Royal meeting continues on Wednesday 19th June
Birdman, Real Gain and Gabaldon feature in our day one selections
Expired
Royal Ascot. (Getty)
Wednesday's Tips
Royal Ascot 2024 Day 2 Racecard
Royal Ascot 2024 Day 2 Tips
2:30pm Ascot - Queen Mary Stakes Tips
3:05pm Ascot - Queen's Vase Tips
3:45pm Ascot - Duke Of Cambridge Stakes Tips
4:25pm Ascot - Prince Of Wales's Stakes Tips
5:05pm Ascot - Royal Hunt Cup Tips
5:40pm Ascot - Kensington Palace Stakes Tips
6:15pm Ascot - Windsor Castle Stakes Tips
Just one Group One race will be run on Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot, with Auguste Rodin now topping the betting for the 2024 Prince Of Wales's Stakes. The card on day two kicks off with four pattern races, before moving into handicaps after the Group One feature.
Here are my best betting tips on day two of Royal Ascot...
Make Haste looked fantastic when scoring on debut at Naas and Diego Dias' filly deservedly tops the betting. Gavin Ryan's mount does, however, have 25 rivals to contend with here, including precocious talents from England, Ireland and America.
I really liked the look of XANTHE (20/1) when she made a winning debut here at Ascot in May. Richard Hannon's filly was one of the smallest in the field, but travelled nicely into contention and outfought Reposado in the closing stages to claim a narrow victory.
The form of that maiden has been let down a bit since, but I still think this daughter of Earthlight was good value for her victory and course form is never a bad thing around Ascot. Xanthe will be my sole each-way selection in a thoroughly open contest.
3:05pm Ascot - Queen's Vase Tips
Aidan O'Brien runs four in the Queen's Vase, as he looks to match Sir Henry Cecil's record tally of eight wins. Ryan Moore has opted to ride Illinois and he rarely gets it wrong when given the choice in a Group race. Illinois is surely Aidan's top contender.
I'm going to take Ballydoyle on with BIRDMAN (5/1), who comfortably saw off second-favourite Highbury when making a winning debut at Cork in April. Jessica Harrington's star then made it two-from-two in the Yeats Stakes over 13 furlongs at Navan, where Shane Foley's mount still seemed to have plenty left in the tank as he saw off two rivals rated close to 100.
Free Eagle's progeny do their best work on nicer ground and Birdman's low, fluid action suggests that Wednesday's going will be ideal. He remains open to a vast amount of improvement.
3:45pm Ascot - Duke Of Cambridge Stakes Tips
Laurel has a 400-day absence and stall one to overcome, but she does have Ryan Moore in the saddle and the market vibes have been strong. Rogue Millennium was my selection when she won this contest 12 months ago and returns to Ascot on the back of a luckless third on her first start for Joseph O'Brien.
At a more tempting price, I'm going to side with ROYAL DRESS (12/1), who has improved massively since a hood was applied. James Tate's filly scored in the Conqueror Fillies Stakes as a 33/1 outsider on her reappearance at Goodwood, and was badly inconvenienced a couple of times when third behind Breege in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes last time out.
Despite running extremely well in both races, I'm not sure Royal Dress relished the cambre of the course at either Goodwood or Epsom. Both of her three-year-old wins came on galloping tracks and she has run very well on faster ground on a couple of occasions. Ben Coen's mount offers plenty of each-way value at 12/1.
Visit our Prince Of Wales's Stakes Live Stream page if you plan on watching any of Wednesday's races on a mobile device.
Runners spread out across the track in the Royal Hunt Cup. (Getty)
5:05pm Ascot - Royal Hunt Cup Tips
Four-year-olds have won this handicap in eight of the last ten years. In the past eight years, four-year-olds have occupied the first three places on five occasions, so backing younger, less exposed types is clearly the way to go.
William Buick rides new Wathnan Racing purchase REAL GAIN (12/1), who relished fast ground when bolting up in a handicap at Newmarket back in September. Richard Hughes' four-year-old couldn't see out nine furlongs on soft ground on his final three-year-old outing at Group Three level, and met with traffic when fancied in the Spring Cup on his sole start this term.
Hughes has had 60 days to prepare Real Gain for the Hunt Cup and he'll be delighted that the ground has come up favourably quick. With just six career starts and three handicap outings under his belt, Real Gain has the ideal profile for this competitive contest.
Drawn on the opposite side of the track to Real Gain is another progressive four-year-old DAYSOFOURLIVES (20/1). Marco Botti's charge finished with a flourish to dead-heat with Ouzo over this course-and-distance in the autumn, before finishing third behind Metal Merchant on his final turf outing here at Ascot.
Luke Morris' mount has run two stormers at Newmarket so far this season, despite seeming like he didn't enjoy the undulations of the Rowley Mile. Returning to Ascot is certainly a plus and Botti has fitted a first-time visor to help Daysofourlives cope with this massive field.
5:40pm Ascot - Kensington Palace Stakes Tips
I haven't got a strong opinion on this fillies' handicap. At a crazy price, I'm going to have a small each-way wager on the returning BACK SEE DAA (40/1).
After some encouraging maiden efforts, Karl Burke's filly bolted up on her first start over a mile at Newbury back in June. Back See Daa hasn't been seen since a couple of narrow sixth-place finishes in hot races last summer, but she could be extremely well-handicapped if Burke has her ready to roll first time out.
6:15pm Ascot - Windsor Castle Stakes Tips
Richard Fahey has spoken about Shadow Army in glowing terms in the build-up to Royal Ascot and he now tops the betting. Aidan O'Brien's horses always seem to perform well in this sprint, so both Treasure Isle and Celtic Chieftain must be greatly respected.
I always back at least one of the US raiders at every Royal Ascot, and I fancy a big run out of GABALDON (12/1). Jose Francisco D'Angelo showed fantastic gate speed when winning on debut at Gulfstream, blisting through the first four furlongs of that contest, before holding the field at arm's length late on.
Emisael Jaramillo's mount still looked very green at points in that contest, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him make a beeline for the stand's rail from that high draw in stall 26. If Gabaldon breaks as well as he did at Gulfstream, he could be very hard to peg back.
One I wouldn't give up on is AVIATION TIME (33/1), who was beaten behind a 125/1 shot in the Hilary Needler at Beverley. Richard Hughes' filly broke well, but got hampered a couple of times as she attempted to make progress. James Doyle was forced to drop to the rear to find some room, and Aviation Time fair flew home to finish third.
Danny Tudhope was in the saddle when this daughter of Sands Of Mali made a winning debut over six furlongs at Kempton, and he returns to the saddle on Wednesday. Aviation Time has been drawn kindly on the stand's side of the track and her extra staying power could prove vital in the closing stages.
Verdict
Royal Ascot Day 2 Top Tips:
Best Bet1: Birdman 3:05pm Ascot @5/1 at BoyleSports - 10 Units
Best Bet2: Royal Dress E/W 3:45pm Ascot @12/1 at bet365 - 10 Units
Best Bet3: Real Gain E/W 5:05pm Ascot @12/1 at QuinnBet - 10 Units
Best Bet4: Gabaldon E/W 6:15pm Ascot @12/1 at bet365 - 10 Units
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