2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips by Dave Stevos
2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips and Preview
Berkshire Shadow ensured we got off to a solid start at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. Our e/w NAP Lucky Vega also placed but Poetic Flare was the star of the show. He absolutely demolished them and he is some horse. Hopefully we can nick another winner on Day 2, check out our 2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday tips below.
2.30 – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
American trainer Wesley Ward has won this with some fast fillies in recent seasons. He has taken three of the last six renewals and Frankie has ridden the last two, including Campanelle in 2020. This time John Velazquez gets the leg up on the Ward filly Twilight Gleaming. Frankie is riding Artos for another US trainer, George Arnold II. Those two fillies are at the top of the market and they both look to hold every chance.
However, with extra places on offer, I am going to look for a bit of each-way value instead. The one I like at a decent price is Crazyland for Crouch and Cox. By Kodiac, this filly won very takingly on debut at Windsor (5f gd/fm). Connections wasted no time in stepping her up in class after that win. She justified their decision by nicking some precious black type in a Listed heat at York.
The winner, Nymphodora and the 4th, Mas Poder, reoppose here and there was only 2L between the three of them. Nymphodora just got first run on Crazyland and Hector Crouch was unable to close the gap. This time Crouch will hopefully keep tabs on that filly and I believe she is capable of getting much closer to her if he does. She is closely related to Queen Of Bermuda, a fast G3 winning 2yo, so hopefully, she can follow in her hoofsteps and also win a Group race. At odds of 25/1, Crazyland is the each-way selection.
2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Crazyland e/w @ 25/1 (5 places)
3.05 – Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
This 3yo only Group 2 is run over a trip of 1m 6f and 14 will go to post. In recent years Ballydoyle have dominated and Santiago’s 2020 victory was their fourth win in six years. Aidan runs three this year and his son Joseph runs two. Wordsworth heads the market with Ryan Moore booked and the son of Galileo has obvious claims. Ruling is also an interesting contender for Joseph. Oisin Murphy rides and while he is a maiden after three runs, he ran a lovely race over 12f in a Listed heat last time, shaping as if further would suit. Joseph’s other runner, Benaud, should also enjoy this trip but the ground is a huge worry for him.
At double figure odds, Taipan could go well now upped in trip. Foley and Harrington combine with this son of Frankel and he has been crying out for a step up in distance. On his last three starts in Group 3 company over 10f he has been doing his best work at the finish. He has missed the break on each of those runs too and I am hoping the blinkers sharpen his concentration from the stalls today.
Looking at the dam side of his pedigree, you would think this horse hasn’t a hope of getting 14f. His half-brother was a 6f G3 winner as a 2yo and his dam was a Listed winner over 7f. However, Frankel is a big stamina influence and it looks like he has been more influential than the dam. He ran a fine race in the G3 Ballysax behind Bolshoi Ballet on good ground and with conditions to suit, Taipan is the each-way pick at 10/1.
2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Taipan e/w @ 10/1 NAP (4 Places)
3.40 – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
This 8f Group2 is for fillies and mares only. Unfortunately, the cat is out of the bag as far as Lady Bowthorpe is concerned. William Jarvis’ stable star pushed the mighty Palace Pier all the way at Newbury last time. Unfortunately, we will likely never get double figure odds about her again. The daughter of Nathaniel is a quality performer and she was a course winner last season on the round course. She travels through her races extremely well and then quickens late on, usually putting the race to bed.
The only potential problem is if the race is run at a muddling pace. Lady Bowthorpe is by far at her best when there is a strong early tempo and that isn’t guaranteed. We were on Agincourt in this last season at 40/1 when she missed out by a whisker. Things didn’t go to plan in three subsequent starts and she was then put away for the winter.
David O’Meara’s mare had a wind op during the off-season and she made her return at Goodwood (8f gd/fm). She was beat just a head in that Listed contest and she should come on plenty for the run. The daughter of Declaration Of War is hard to win with and if she gets there too soon, she usually gets headed late on. Hopefully, Danny Tudhope can deliver her at the right time today and nick some place money for us at 18/1.
2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Agincourt e/w @ 18/1 (4 places)
4.20 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
The first Group 1 of the day on Wednesday is the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. A trip of 10f awaits a field of seven and the bookies make it a three horse race. Love heads the market for Moore and O’Brien. This Galileo filly swept all before her last season, landing a trio of Group 1s, including the 1000 Guineas. She is rated 122 and she gets a 3lb weight for sex allowance.
Lord North is rated 1lb higher so on the figures, Love is slightly favoured. It doesn’t always work out like that though and Lord North was mightily impressive when winning this race last season. He clearly likes Ascot and he won his last start in Meydan easily, despite bursting a blood vessel.
Armory is the other main contender according to the bookmakers. Rated 120, the son of Galileo went close in an Aussie G1 back in October. He then swatted Sangarius aside on his comeback at Chester. He may just need a slight ease in the ground but he has had a recent run. So, he at least brings race sharpness and fitness into this contest.
The most likely one at bigger odds is Audarya. We were on when she won at the Breeders’ Cup and she will relish the fast ground. However, she needed a couple of runs to hit top form last year and with just 2 places on offer, I am going to sit this race out. No bet.
2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: No Bet
5.00 – Royal Hunt Cup (Class 2)
A massive field of 30 horses will rattle down the straight mile at Ascot in this year’s Royal Hunt Cup. I am going to back a couple in this and the first recommended bet is Bugle Major. This horse was bought by Richard Hughes for £90k at the sales back in March. He races off a mark of 98 today and he could be well treated if the form of his last French run is taken literally. He chased home Magny Cours in a 9f conditions race on the all weather at Chantilly, finishing just 1.25L behind him off level weights.
Magny Cours subsequently placed in a Meydan G1 and then went close at Listed and G3 level at Longchamp. He is rated 115 and the 4th home in that Chantilly race was Lord Achilles, another horse that has gone on to show solid form at pattern level behind the 122 rated In Swoop. Bugle Major ran poorly on his UK debut at Newmarket but that was a mickey mouse affair in comparison to this and it was likely a prep run. This son of Mizzen Mast is 2/3 on good ground, a strongly run mile should suit and at odds of 50/1, back him e/w.
Hortzadar Could Go Well
Three of the last four winners have been drawn 21 or higher and since 2010 only two winners have come from single figure stalls. Hortzadar is drawn in stall 18 and if he can reproduce his Lincoln run off a pound lower mark he could be competitive here. Last time out he chased home our selection Corazon Espinado at Epsom when ridden aggressively by Oisin Murphy. He is a better horse when held up for a late run though. The booking of Jamie Spencer suggests that will be the plan.
The 6yo son of Sepoy has run poorly on three previous visits to Ascot but he had excuses. He has done most of his winning on turning tracks but his run at Doncaster showed he can be effective on a straight track. That effort also showed he is capable of hitting the frame off his current rating and at odds of 40/1, a small each-way interest is advised.
2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Bugle Major e/w @ 50/1; Hortzadar e/w @ 40/1 (both 6 places W Hill)
5.35 – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
As ever, the 5f Windsor Castle stakes looks an absolute minefield. After Berkshire Shadow’s win in the Coventry, Amazonian Dream could be worth chancing at monstrous odds. Trained by a shrewd handler in Rod Millman, this son of Bungle Inthejungle is arguably unlucky to remain a maiden after three starts. He was only 0.5L behind the Coventry winner on his debut at Newbury (5f gd). He was then far too free when beat into 2nd next time at Nottingham (5f gd/sft).
Last time out he was coming with what looked like might be a winning challenge but he got squeezed out at a vital time and could only finish 4th. I think a strongly run race will enable him to settle better and Rod Millman wouldn’t be running him unless he thought he could be competitive. His half-sister Savannah’s Dream was 2nd to Ardad in this race in 2016 so hopefully, Amazonian Dream can run equally as well at odds of 40/1.
2021 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Amazonian Dream e/w @ 40/1 (5 places)
6.10 – Kensington Palace Stakes Handicap (Class 2)
The finale on Day 2 at Royal Ascot is an 8f handicap for the girls. A field of 18 will go to post and the one I’ll be taking a chance on at a monster price is Separate. Now trained by Julie Camacho, this 4yo daughter of Cable Bay was kept very busy as a 2yo and her best effort came when finishing a close 3rd behind Rose Of Kildare in a Newmarket G3. She finished off the season rated 98 and she found things tough during her 2nd season.
Her best run last season came at Haydock in a Listed heat. She was beat just 4L by Under The Stars but her form tailed off on her final three outings. Her owners took her out of Richard Hannon’s and she had her first run for Julie Camacho at Nottingham in a fillies’ handicap off 88. She finished really well on the quick ground to nick 3rd, 3L behind the impressive winner Lights On. Michael Stoute’s filly was in off 85 that day and today, she is 13lb higher.
Separate was miles behind the same rival last time at Ascot but she hated the soft ground. The handicapper dropped her 1lb for that run so she is a stone better off with Lights On now. Her best runs last year off higher marks would put her right in the mix here and the faster the early pace is, the more it will suit. Back on her favoured ground, Separate is worth chancing each way at odds of 66/1.
