Our resident tipster Ben Morgan gives his picks for day two day at Royal Ascot
2.30 – Queen Mary looks a little Spicy
There has been a lot of hype around the favourite, Zelaina, in recent weeks, and this has consequently led to a few fillies arriving here under the radar.
Given there is so much value around, I’m going to have a couple of punts at goal, and first up is SPICY MARG.
You can question the form of her debut win at Newmarket given it was a four-runner event, but she certainly passed my visual test and she shapes like a horse who will love the fast pace that they will undoubtedly go here.
Michael Bell isn’t renowned for his two-year-olds, but he is more than capable of finding one now and then and if this filly can lay up early on, I don’t think many will be coming home stronger than her.
One at a larger price and drawn closer to the favourite is VIAMARIE, who only boasts a Kempton novice win to her name.
I think connections may have suffered a hold up as she was due to run in Lily Agnes at Chester, but was a late withdrawal; however, I think she could play a part in this.
She beat trees at Kempton but did it impressively and is certainly bred to be a two-year-old so could well have more to offer now faced with a good pace to aim at. I don’t think she should be 40/1.
3.05 – Beckett looking for a hole in one
This isn’t my sort of betting event this time around and on the face of it, I don’t think this is a vintage renewal. I wouldn’t be afraid to look at one at a price and a horse like PINHOLE looks good enough for me.
Bred out of the blue, he certainly wouldn’t have been suited by being off the pace around a course like Chester last time out but he did however plod on to take a respectable 4th.
That turned out to be the hottest Derby trial anywhere on these shores so you can probably mark that performance up slightly.
The step up in trip around a more conventional track should see him in a better light and again 18/1 looks too big in an open race.
3.40 – One Look is all it takes
Paddy Twomey doesn’t bring runners to Royal Ascot for the sake of it and I think he has a great chance of landing some Royal spoils with ONE LOOK.
A filly who burst onto the scene on debut has taken her time to find her way to the top table but a narrow defeat by the classy Porta Fortuna last time out shows the level of form she is now capable of and a repeat of that run here should see her go close.
4.20 – Anmaat to be played late in Prince of Wales
I suggest this race will be set up to draw the finish out of horses like ANMAAT as team Ballydoyle will undoubtedly make this a good test which will suit Los Angeles.
However, I am more than hopeful that those tactics won’t affect the classy selection and he can gain another Group 1 success.
He is 1 from 1 here and that victory came in last year’s Champion Stakes where he looked out of this world scything through the pack in the final furlong to get up and beat Calandagan.
That is rock solid form and he boasts a rock solid profile so at 7/2 he looks the obvious play here for me.
5.00 – Ryan to get the river rolling
I hate backing the favourite in a race like this but I can’t get away from THE LIFFEY here who looks absolutely primed for this.
A former Aidan O’brien inmate, he has been snaffled up by new connections and sent to son Joseph who looks to have nominated this race from some way out.
A nice pipe opener over 7f last time where he stayed on nicely would have teed him up for this test and with Ryan Moore booked to do the steering I think that tells you all you need to know about what connections think of his chance. Barring traffic problems, he shouldn’t be far away.
5.35 – Arolla to land the dollar
You do see some random results in these races and there is often a filly lurking down the bottom somewhere but I’m not so sure this year.
My eye is drawn to the girls at the top of the racecard and in particular AROLLA.
Harry Charlton’s filly ran a blinder last time out at Musselburgh in what I thought was a good race for the grade. That run would have blown away the cobwebs and put her spot on for this.
She does have a lot of weight but I’m not sure whether it will be enough to stop her as she might still be one step ahead of the handicapper.
6.10 – Stand back, there is a Hurricane coming through!
A strongly run 5f might just be HAVANA HURRICANE’s optimum trip after seemingly outstayed over 6f at Epsom last time out.
He ran a phenomenal race that day having stumbled out of the stalls and forfeiting countless lengths to his rivals and eventual conqueror Maximised.
He still came into the race on the bridle and did look the most likely winner at one point which is testament to his ability.
A similar run on debut suggests he might do the same here but a stumble out of the stalls might just suit here as I think they’re going to go lickety split and he can pick up the pieces late on.
One at a bigger price who has impressed me so far is the battle-hardened ARDISIA who has the benefit of Oisin Murphy onboard. Hugo Palmer’s tough youngster is experienced having ran 4 times already and on all four occasions he has impressed me. He will probably be a big price because he looks ‘exposed’ but in reality I don’t think he is and his experience might just give him the advantage late in the piece.
