The word from those present on day one of a fantastic Royal Meeting suggested the ground on the far side of the track on the straight course was a shade quicker than on the nearside, and that ties in nicely with both intended selections in one of my favourite races on the Flat calendar, as the two I was hoping to back in the 30 runner Royal Hunt Cup (4.25pm Wednesday) are both drawn high and as such may hold a slight advantage against those jumping from the lower numbered stalls.
The one-two-three all came from single figure stalls in 2009, with winner Forgotten Voice (albeit from a 12lb higher mark) and third Mia’s Boy back to do battle this time around. My hunch is a similar bias may be played out on the other side of the track here.
Best odds on all Wednesday’s Royal Ascot Races
First up I’ll be backing Andrew Balding’s precociously talented but utterly fragile Riggins to gain the big race success I’m confident he can get under his belt in the hands of Jimmy Fortune.
The six year old Cape Cross gelding could still be creeping happily under the radar on an official mark of 100, and I’m of the opinion Ascot’s stiff mile could well bring out a sparkling display from a horse who could yet turn out to be a real star for his opportunist new trainer.
I say opportunist becuse Riggins only made the track five times in four years (three of hich he won) with former master handler Luca Cumani, and was picked up for a bargain fee of under £20,000 in the summer by the forward thinking Balding.
Granted there was a danger this fella would never recover his mojo and might well have racked up more vets bills than prize money, but they straightened him out and immediately saw a return on their investment when he ran on strongly to go down by a narrow margin in a very competitve race at Newmarket on Guineas Saturday (the winner of that race has also gone in again since in a strong contest at Epsom).
With a decent preparation and a good draw in stall 22 this may be the day he delivers a big one on only his seventh racecourse appearance.
The other one I like in the race is another who has a slightly unusual profile, in that he too has recently changed trainer and has immediately prospered despite moving away from a super elite stable.
Tryst has form at the track and is now in the care of French based trainer John Hammond after leaving Sir Michael Stoute.
The winner of the three runner Prix de Graslin at Nantes a month ago on his first run for his new trainer he’s got a next to no weight, is lightly raced, handily drawn in 29, and has Hayley Turner assisting in the saddle.
Both look worth a squirt each way.
If day two of this amazing occasion is anything like as good as the opening salvo then we’re in for a treat. The unbreakable Goldikova was my personal highlight on Tuesday, but Canford Cliffs turn of foot to see of Dick Turpin will live long in the memory too, as will the second coming of Equiano.
The meeting is a predictable high point on the calendar for my relentless pal Lord Culcheth – never happier than when striding into the Royal Enclosure with his name emblazoned on his official badge, eyeing up some champagne addled cougar to chew on while he picks his placepot selections in his mothbitten top hat and tails.
He phoned me on Tuesday afternoon to explain he’d fled the course before the Windsor Castle Stakes so he could cram in a quick round of golf on a ‘guest’ membership at Wentworth.
How on earth he’d managed to obtain such an invite is beyond me, but the sight of him wildly hacking at the ball as he drunkenly tried to tee off still clad in his topper and tails should ensure no such invite is forthcoming any time in the near future.
My other bet on Wednesday has to be a few quid on Champion Stakes winner Twice Over in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at 3.50pm.
Only just beaten in this a year ago he went on to win the bog one at Newmarket, as well as run a highly creditable third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.
Things didn’t altogether work out in the Dubai World Cup, but Henry Cecil has freshened him up and he’ll be a danger to all in what looks a seriously tight renewal of this valuable prize.
Good luck!
Wednesday’s best bets at Royal Ascot:
3.50 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes – 10 Twice Over (win) @ 5/1 (Stan James, Ladbrokes, Coral or William Hill)
4.25 – Royal Hunt Cup (H’cap) – 12 Riggins (each way) @ 16/1 (Coral) (n.b. Totesport are paying the extra place each way 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4-5 and go 14/1)
4.25 – Royal Hunt Cup (H’cap) – 29 Tryst (each way) @ 16/1 (Boylesports, Skybet or Victor Chandler – all 3 pay 5 places)
Tags: 16th june, bets best, odds, riggins, royal ascot, twice over, wednesday
