Royal Ascot Day 3 predictions: Trawlerman to land Gold Cup catch
- Royal Ascot Day 3: Best bet, each-way selection and treble
- Recommended bets include:
- Trawlerman to win the Gold Cup
- Involvement each-way in the Britannia Stakes
The third day of Royal Ascot 2024 takes place on Thursday. For casual fans, this is Ladies' Day with all the pageantry that brings. For racing purists, it is Gold Cup day.
The Group 1 feature for the best stayers is in the middle of a seven-race card, which also includes several Group races and a couple of big-field handicaps, including the unique King George V Stakes.
Here is everything you need to know for day three, including the day's best bets.
Day 3 - Key info
First race: 14:30 Norfolk Stakes
Feature race: 16:25 Gold Cup
While the Gold Cup may not be as important a race for horsemen and breeders as it once was, it remains a race of rare heritage. It is still the most prestigious race at Royal Ascot and one in which its winners are almost guaranteed a place in history.
The market for the race this year is headed by the 2022 winner Kyprios, who missed his title defence last year. He is an enigmatic figure, but his class is obvious in his record of ten wins from 14 runs.
The following Britannia Stakes (17:05) is a tough handicap for three-year-olds but is a great betting race. The Hampton Court (17:40) has attracted a couple of really promising types, while the Norfolk Stakes (14:30) could well feature the juvenile performance of the week.
Best bet of the day
Trawlerman to win the Gold Cup (16:25) @ 7/1
Kyprios has his own ideas about the game, which entices punters to take him on even though they will more often than not live to regret it. You would have got one over on him by backing Trawlerman in last year's Long Distance Cup at this course and the advice is to repeat the dose.
Trawlerman has run well in the Long Distance Cup, the nearest equivalent to the Gold Cup, in each of the last two years.
Unlike many stayers, he also suits fast ground perhaps even better than softer conditions. He has not been seen since March, but his run then was a perfectly serviceable third out in Dubai and he deserves to be seen as Kyprios' main threat.
Best each-way bet of the day
Involvement in the Britannia Stakes (17:05) @ 12/1
The Silver Bowl at Haydock is often a good trial for the Britannia and runner-up Involvement represents the form this year. It would be hard to say he shaped best at Haydock, but he came from an unpromising position and can be marked up on the result.
Involvement's dam was best on quick ground, so he should be OK on the firmer conditions forecast here.
He also travelled well at Haydock and the ability to stay on the wheel in front is vital in big-field handicaps on Ascot's straight course. His draw in 19 is more likely than not to give him chances and he rates as a solid each-way option in a competitive race.
Day 3 acca
Everybody loves a Royal Ascot accumulator and we will be pointing towards one on each of the five days this week. On day three, our treble pays 46/1 with LiveScore Bet.
This colt put up the pre-Royal Ascot juvenile performance of the year when winning a Listed race at the Curragh in early-May. The re-opposing Arizona Blaze was second that day and has since won a Group 3, but Whistlejacket beat him handily and hit the line like he could have done it all again.
You want to be drawn wide in the King George V and this progressive sort will break from stall 18. He was an easy winner over 1m3f on his last run and he still looks well treated up 7lb in the weights.
This Hampton Court looks an excellent running and London Gold Cup winner King's Gambit can beat French Derby second First Look. He had no right to run away with a competitive handicap like he did last time and could well end up a higher-end Group horse if that performance is any guide.
