Wednesday, 15th June 2022
Today is Day 2 at Royal Ascot – but we’re already ahead of the game here on ATC….
I always go out with my picks 24-hours ahead of time – in an effort to beat the market to the punch and to try and bag the best of the prices about my selections….
I sent out my advice for Day 2 of the meeting yesterday. If you missed it, you’ll find it here….
Today the focus is on tomorrow’s Day 3 card….
Mark Johnston has a decent record in the King George with five winners and six placers from his last 61 representatives….
He makes a point of targeting this race annually – but never as he does this year with just a single participant….
You’d have to be telepathic or clairvoyant to figure Mark Johnston out – and I imagine the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree with Charlie Johnston. The single runner might signal unbounded yard confidence or a paucity of other realistic options. Your guess is as good as mine….
Whatever, the 33s, 28s & 25s about ACHNAMARA is too big in my book – and he’s a lively dark horse….
He turns up tomorrow on a bit of a form roll having won well at Beverley before finding just one too good at the very death over the extended 14f trip at Doncaster last time….
Back down to 12f on fast ground on a mark of just 90 there could well be plenty more to come from this Johnston inmate in a race the yard lays its 3yo staying handicappers out for….
Each-way backers take note: Sky Bet are 1/5 the first 7. bet365, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, Boylesports & Betway are 1/5 the first 6.
John Gosden hasn’t quite managed to win the Britannia in recent times but he’s gone close on multiple occasions – and not always with the yard’s number one contender….
Franke Dettori is on Saga – and that one looks to be the primary bullet this time around. SPINAROUND is the second stringer under Robert Havlin – but I’m not going to let that put me off taking the 25s….
Dettori can’t ride both horses and the Kodiac colt won’t be turning out to make up the numbers. He’s in the field on merit and his last time out win at Chelmsford – just a fortnight back – was comfortable and there is still more improvement to come from a horse running into the form of his life….
Despite one reader shouting and bawling and gnashing his teeth yesterday because I put up two horses for this afternoon’s Royal Hunt Cup, I’m going the same way here….
I may well be a ‘mug’ – but these big fields are like two handicaps rolled into one and my preference (in some of the races at least) is to back two to win rather than one to place. I guess some punters would back both horses each-way….
It’s up to the individual. But I don’t think I’m committing a criminal offence in putting up JIMI HENDRIX as a second arrow in tomorrow’s Britannia….
He gets in right at the bottom of the weights for Ralph Beckett and is another who arrives in a vein of improving form….
He went through the line strong at Haydock last time and he stays really well – which will be a basic requirement tomorrow afternoon. The 20s is attractive enough….
Each-way backers take note: The bookies are 1/4 the first 4 across the board right now. That’s tight and if you’re backing each-way, you might want to hold fire and wait for the enhanced deals to go up – assuming they do….
OUZO is the pick in the Buckingham Palace Stakes….
He joined Jamie Osborne from Richard Hannon last month and the new outfit got a tune from the 6yo first time up at Sandown – where he was narrowly beaten by Rebel Territory in a handicap run in a hot time….
That pair had the rest of the field 5+ lengths in arrears and I reckon that’s pretty good form….
Ouzo is also well-handicapped on a mark of 94. He was 4th of 30 in last season’s Royal Hunt Cup off a 6lb higher mark – just not able to find more in the final stages of that race….
If this drop back to the 7f (it’s his first go at the specialist trip for a long while) is just that bit more suitable then he’s weighted to go very close….
Osborne is fitting first-time cheekpieces tomorrow – to help with concentration – and the horse is nicely drawn in stall 27. Ouzo has plenty going for him at the general 25s….
Each-way backers take note: bet365 & Skybet are 1/5 the first 7. It’s 1/5 the first 6 generally….
Nick’s Dark Horses….To recap on my idea of the dark horses capable of running big races at tasty prices in the big handicaps tomorrow afternoon…. In the King George (3.05 @ Ascot)….
In the Britannia (5.00 @ Ascot)….
In the Buckingham Palace (6.10 @ Ascot)….
Advised prices are correct at the time my column is submitted for publication. But prices are subject to fluctuation. There’s nothing I can do about that. Be sure to consult Oddschecker – you may find a quote better than advised…. |
That’s all for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with my take on the Day 4 handicaps….
Until then. Stay tuned – and enjoy the racing….
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