Royal Ascot 2026: Arc winner Daryz headlines day two of the meeting

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz is the star attraction on day two of the Royal Ascot meeting and ITV Racing commentator Richard Hoiles has given his thoughts on the day’s action for Betway.

Large fields are the order of the day on the second day with the current 142 slated runners the most for over 30 years.

This is on top of the titanic clash of Daryz and Ombudsman in the feature race, with Minnie Huak lurking in the wings.

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Another Queen Mary for Karl Burke?

The curtain raiser is the Queen Mary Stakes, a five furlong dash for the two-year-old fillies.

American supremo Wesley Ward is back at his favourite hunting ground but Hoiles is siding with the home crowd.

“Something likely has to give here on the stats front as the two most successful trainers in the race, Karl Burke (2/12 A/E 1,67) and Wesley Ward (4/17 A/E 1.47), both have other less favourable stats to overcome.

“Burke saddles Wild Blossom (14:30 Ascot) who having been purchased from the Breeze Ups.

“She showed push button acceleration to win at Carlisle where the stable often introduce decent juveniles (45/162 A/E 1.36).

“She also won the same race Venetian Sun won before her success in the Albany last year.

“The stat she has to bust is a strange one in that her sire Mehmas is 0/76 with runners at Royal Ascot, which given his decent reputation as a sire is a bit of an outlier.

“She will also encounter very different ground to Carlisle where the ground was clearly soft even though it was not officially adjusted until later on in the card.

“Ruiva is the Wesley Ward representative and underfoot conditions will be different for her as well as she won on dirt at Keeneland on her debut.

“The concern here is her sire Munnings is 1/46 with turf runners in the UK and Ireland, though Kimari did place second in both this and the Commonwealth Cup for the stable having also made her debut on dirt.

“Of the two, Wild Blossom gets the vote on the grounds that her form is a bit easier to assess in comparison to her rivals than a US juvenile race on dirt!”

Limestone the NAP

The Queen’s Vase is always a good marker for the St Leger later on in the year.

Hoiles has named his NAP of the week for this race (his best selection), with a view to the Classic.

“A respite from the large fields and one of the best bets on the card in the progressive Limestone (15:05 Ascot) for Joseph O’Brien.

“He got a well judged ride at Navan last time, his rider allowing him to drift back as others pressed on.

“Before proving very strong at the finish over 1m 5f and he should be able to confirm the form with Asakir

“He looks a very straight forward ride, will stay, and can show his credentials to be a leading St Leger candidate here.

“Very much the one to beat and my personal nap of the week.”

No blues at Ascot

The Duke Of Cambridge Stakes always provides clues to the Group One filly and mare races later on in the year.

As such, Hoiles has sided with a filly with proven Group One form.

“Blue Bolt 5/2 (15:40 Ascot) looks the one to beat here after a solid victory in Listed company at Goodwood on her return to action.

“Having given away first run to the second horse Kon Tiki that day in a race that developed into a 3f sprint so was value for more than the winning margin.

“She had ended last season with an excellent second in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes where she was ahead of Cathedral who rates one of her major dangers here.

“She did remarkably well to last home as well as she did after sitting too close to a blazing pace in the Dahlia at Newmarket, where she was picked off by Jancis.

“Blue Bolt is very progressive and seems versatile as to the ground, and with the very keen Falakeyah likely to set the pace things should set up for better than they did at Goodwood.”

READ ALSO: Royal Ascot 2026: Docklands, Overpass and Gstaad to star on opening day

Daryz headlines Royal Ascot

The feature race of the day, Price Of Wales Stakes, is blessed by the star attraction – Daryz.

The Arc winner has since won two Group Ones in France en route to this race.

Daryz faces last year’s winner Ombudsman in a clash of the titans.

So, which one will Hoiles side with?

“The big clash on Day 2 is between last year’s winner Ombudsman and Arc winner Daryz (16:20 Ascot), whom connections have been happy to drop down in trip with this season.

“Ombudsman was well suited by a very strong pace last year.

“Even though he proved himself a smart performer at York later on that season, he may have more on his plate here with Daryz.

“His performances in the Ganay and Prix Aga Khan (formerly the D’Ispahan) have shown he can cope well with 10f.

“The one slight caveat with all French horses at Ascot is they can find the ground faster than they have encountered before and that is the main concern.”

Royal Hunt Cup clues

The Royal Hunt Cup is one of the principal handicaps at the Royal Ascot meeting.

It is notoriously difficult to predict but Hoiles has a plan to crack the code.

“A couple of the placed horses from last year’s Balmoral look over priced in Ebt’s Guard (17:00 Ascot) and Holloway Boy.

“Both race off a couple of lbs higher but such is the compacted nature of this handicaps.

“With only a stone covering the whole field, the task of those off the highest marks may be a lot easier.

“They are drawn on opposite sides of the track and it is probably the best strategy just to split stakes between the pair.

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“Ebt’s Guard career form at Ascot reads 3100132 and he ran well at Newbury last time.

“Holloway Boy first rose to prominence with a bang at this meeting in 2022.

“When he became the first juvenile in over 25 years to win at Royal Ascot on his debut when landing the Chesham at 40-1.

His track stats read 145022 and Jack Nicholls has been booked to take 5lb off.

“In terms of making a single selection the larger price tilts the scales in favour of Ebt’s Guard.’

Nightfall’s return

Another handicap in the form of the Kensington Palace Stakes, also over the straight mile course.

As with the Royal Hunt Cup, it can also be a punter’s nightmare but Hoiles spotted one that has gone under the radar.

“It could be worth remembering that Miss Nightfall (17:35 Ascot) was sent off favourite for this race last year and lines up off exactly the same mark this time around at a double figure price.

“Her mark suffered post Ascot for finishing close up in Group race at Doncaster and she was rather in the ‘Twilight Zone’ between Group races and Handicaps for the second half of the season.

“Now back at the mark of last year she can make her presence felt.”

READ MORE: Royal Ascot Race Times 2026: Full Schedule, TV Coverage and Prize Money

Wallace’s Windsor Castle?

The final race of the day is the two-year-old, over six furlongs.

These races are difficult at the bets of times but a regulation change has really changed things up.

“A new look to the race this year with an increase in trip and a qualifying criteria for the sire, so past history is of minimal use.

“Alfred Wallace (18:10 Ascot) like many from the yard progressed well from his debut when landing a run of the mill maiden at Thirsk over 7f.

“He had shown some promise behind Night In Vegas (runs in the Coventry on Tuesday) here at Ascot and the fact he will stay the trip well could be useful off the likely strong gallop.

“His dam won the Falmouth and was second in the Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting.

“And being by Dubawi he certainly has an eye catching pedigree to accompany his dashing grey looks.”

You can read Richard Hoiles’ thoughts on the second day of Royal Ascot on his Betway blog.