Royal Ascot Day 2 tips: Gregory the one for Queen's Vase glory
- Royal Ascot Day 2: Best bet, each-way selection and treble including:
- Gregory to win the Queen's Vase
- Dunum each-way in the Royal Hunt Cup
After a brilliant opening salvo, Royal Ascot returns on Wednesday with more of the same stunning equine action, this time with the Prince Of Wales's Stakes as the centrepiece of a card that also includes the Queen Mary, the Queen's Vase and the Royal Hunt Cup.
Day 2 - Key info
First race: 13:30 Queen Mary Stakes
Feature race: 16:20 Prince Of Wales's Stakes
Day two at Royal Ascot is headlined by the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and a fascinating clash between the 2021 Epsom Derby winner Adayar, the 2022 Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge and the recent Tattersalls Gold Cup scorer Luxembourg.
The last-named is well-regarded by Aidan O'Brien and lived up to that hype at the Curragh last month as he fended off Bay Bridge late on in that Group 1.
Adayar was behind Bay Bridge here in October and it is a classic rematch between Sir Michael Stoute's charge and the Godolphin Derby hero now.
That trio look the ones to focus on in the feature race.
The Queen Mary kicks proceedings off as a flurry of talented fillies contest the five-furlong Group 2. There will be no hanging around there, or in the closing Windsor Castle Stakes where Charlie Johnston saddles Barnwell Boy to take on the Aidan O'Brien-trained Johannes Brahms.
John and Thady Gosden will be hoping the Queen's Vase goes the way of unbeaten Gregory in the penultimate race, while just before that is the Royal Hunt Cup, one of the most ferociously tough handicaps of the meeting.
Best bet of the day: Gregory to win the Queen's Vase (17:35) @ 7/4
Safe to say not everything went the way of Frankie Dettori on day one, but the soon-to-retire rider was still in good tune overall. He has plenty chances on Wednesday and perhaps none better than GREGORY in the Queen's Vase for John & Thady Gosden.
The Golden Horn colt looked good in his debut win at Haydock and connections wasted no time stepping him up into Listed company. They were rewarded with victory in the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood where Gregory was well on top at the line despite looking a bit green at one stage in the home straight.
His pedigree says this longer trip will be in his wheelhouse and, with more improvement to come, he is the one to beat in this staying test.
Best each-way bet of the day: Dunum each-way in the Royal Hunt Cup (17:00) @ 16/1
The Royal Hunt Cup is a fiendish puzzle for punters to solve but thankfully LiveScore Bet are paying SIX places as opposed to four and that is a major bonus.
Perotto is atop the market after showing signs of revival for new trainer Roger Varian but Irish raider DUNUM looks the value call for trainer Natalia Lupini with Wayne Lordan in the saddle.
The 5YO Ivawood gelding has done nothing but improve for this trainer and his form figures for the yard now read 11112-12 since May 2022.
The latest of those runs saw him inched out on the line in €60k Curragh handicap last month and while he is rated 4lb higher for this first start outside of Ireland, he may not be done improving and the typical nature of a Hunt Cup should be right up his alley.
Day 1 acca
Everybody loves a Royal Ascot accumulator and we will be pointing towards one on each of the five days this week. On day two, our treble pays over 61/1 return with LiveScoreBet.
A talented bunch of fillies contest the Queen Mary but perhaps at this stage it is RELIEF RALLY for William Haggas that is furthest forward. The Kodiac filly knew her job on debut when scoring at Windsor (5f, soft) and that form stands up well.
Since then, she has been to Salisbury and overcome the talented Juniper Berries (also runs here). Relief Rally travelled stylishly in that race and finished off strongly. This test looks ideal now.
There has been plenty support for Prosperous Voyage in the countdown to this race and the recent Epsom winner is respected but JUMBLY is the fancy on her second start for Joseph O'Brien.
She won the Valiant Stakes on the round course here last summer over this mile trip and changed hands afterwards for 1,250,000 gns. Her first start for the new team saw her finish second in a Curragh Group 2 last month and she can kick on from that.
Frankie Dettori suffered a bout of second-itis on day one but the great man is rarely one to keep down and GREGORY looks a good opportunity for him in the 1m6f Queen's Vase for John & Thady Gosden.
The son of Golden Horn is 2-2 so far, impressing in his debut at Haydock and with the way he powered home to win the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood last month. This extra distance should be perfect for him.
