2022 Royal Ascot Friday Preview and Tips – DS
2022 Royal Ascot Friday Tips
We finally got a winner on the board on Day 3. The Ridler landed the Norfolk in great style and Paul Hanagan won’t give a shite that he has been banned for 10 days and either do I. We were out of luck for the rest of the day but a 50/1 winner ensured we finished in front. Hopefully, Day 4 is even better, check out Dave Stevos’ 2022 Royal Ascot Friday tips below.
2.30 – Albany Stakes (Group 3)
The one that looks a shade overpriced in this 6f sprint for the fillies is Believing. Trained by the upwardly mobile George Boughey, this daughter of Mehmas ran a cracker on her debut at Newmarket (6f gd/fm). Mawj, who is the 11/4 second fav here, ran out an easy winner by 4.75L but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Saeed Bin Suroor’s charge enjoyed a dream passage up the inner. Believing, on the other hand, found all sorts of trouble in running between the 2f and 1f poles and by the time she forced her way into daylight, the bird had flown.
A week later she headed to Wolverhampton and won, despite losing a heap of ground at the start. She hung left too but she still managed to get the job done, scoring by almost 2L in the end. Now, there are obviously risks attached to this filly given her antics at Wolverhampton last time. However, she didn’t look as quirky over the straight 6f at Newmarket and Ascot should suit her better.
At Newmarket this filly would have finished a while lot closer to Mawj with a clear passage. In fact, she might have even beaten her. On that run there is no way that Boughey’s charge should be nearly 10 times the price of Bin Suroor’s filly. James Doyle retains the ride and at odds of 25/1, Believing is the e/w selection.
2022 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Believing e/w @ 25/1 (4 places)
3.05 – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
20 go to post in this 6f Group 1 for the 3yos and I am going to back a couple in it. The first one I am interested in is Miramar for C&Y Lerner and Ronan Thomas. By Profitable, this filly had solid if not spectacular form as a 2yo. She raced mostly on soft/heavy ground but good ground was always likely to show her in a better light on breeding. Her dam’s sole win came on the best ground she raced on and she is a half to two fast ground winners. Profitable’s progeny tend to prefer sounder surfaces too.
The first time she ever got good ground was in a Group 3 at Chantilly last time out (5.5f gd/fm). Unsurprisingly, she produced a career best under Ronan Thomas to score readily from Caturra. The way she finished off and travelled suggested that a stiffer test might suit even better and she gets that here. Caturra has since finished a close 3rd in the Scurry so that form is solid and at 40/1, hopefully Thomas can steer Miramar into the money.
Huge Price
The other one I am backing for small stakes at a huge price is Gis A Sub. We backed this horse a couple of times last season. The run that makes him of interest in this was his superb effort in the Gimcrack at York. I don’t think it was a coincidence that this was the last time this horse got his favoured good to firm ground. He ran a massive race, beat just 1.75L by Lusail into 2nd. A length behind in 3rd was Twilight Jet, a general 9/1 shot for today’s race.
Since then, Gis A Sub has had three runs. He flopped on bad ground on his final run of 2021 in France. On his return at Hamilton the ground was easy and he clearly needed the run but he wasn’t disgraced behind Mitbaahy and Edward Cornelius. His last run at Haydock was piss poor but he didn’t get to the front as he likes. In the first time blinkers and back on good to firm for the first time since York, Gis A Sub could surprise with a big run for in form Danny Tudhope at odds of 100/1.
2022 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Miramar e/w @ 40/1; Gis A Sub e/w @ 100/1 (both 5 places)
3.40 – Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes Handicap (Class 2)
Jamie Osborne is always a trainer to keep a close eye on in these big handicaps. He relies on Gold Maze here and Saffie Osborne takes off 3lbs. Rated 95, this horse was formerly trained in Ireland by Jessie Harrington. After a fine effort in a Dundalk G3 she moved to Roger Varian’s. His two runs for him were poor and he moved to Jamie Osborne in the off season.
The 5yo son of Golden Horn made his debut for his new stable over today’s C&D. In that handicap he was held up on the inner in midfield. As they turned for home, he was still travelling okay but Osborne never really got the clearest of runs. Eventually the gap opened and Gold Maze kept on very nicely for 5th, 6L behind the winner but only a neck off 3rd.
On that evidence it looks like Osborne has sweetened this lad up. Given it was his first run back, he should be much fitter and sharper today. The quick ground is in his favour and while stall 12 isn’t ideal, it could be worse. At odds of 33/1, Gold Maze is the each way selection.
2022 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Gold Maze e/w @ 33/1 (6 places)
4.20 – Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
I tipped up Rolling The Dice last time out at massive odds. She could only manage 6th but she fell out of the stalls and it was a miles better run than her finishing position suggests. I am not putting her up today as this is a far deeper race but she is capable of beating a few of these home if she puts it all together. However, the one I am going to back is Sandrine.
By Bobby’s Kitten, this filly won the Albany last season over 6f (hvy). She proved she was no mudlark by following up in the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge on good to firm. She then capped off her campaign with fine efforts behind Zain Claudette in a York G2 and an excellent 3rd behind Tenebrism in the G1 Cheveley Park (6f gd/fm).
Balding decided to step her up to a mile on her return at Newmarket in the 1000 Guineas. She ran a massive race in 5th, beat 2.75L for the win by Cachet and 0.75L behind Tuesday who was in 3rd. The winner had the benefit of a previous run so I would expect Sandrine to close the gap, if not turn it around, on this occasion. Inspiral could prove to be too good but at odds of 14/1, Sandrine is worth backing e/w.
2022 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Sandrine e/w @ 12/1 NAP
5.00 – Sandringham Stakes Handicap (Class 2)
Off a mark of 82, Invigilate is a fascinating runner from stall 29. This daughter of Acclamation is a full sister to the high class performer Expert Eye. She showed definite promise on her first two runs at Newmarket when 5th and when 3rd at Chester. She made it 3rd time lucky on her last run of 2021 in a Leicester novice (7f gd/fm) scoring by 1.5L from Kick On Girl. Stoutre’s charge landed a novice next time and while the form isn’t overly strong, Invigilate did it well.
She made her return in a filly’s handicap at Nottingham (8.5f gd) off a mark of 82. She ran a cracker under a tender ride from Richard Kingscote, beat just 1L. The 3rd home won next time out, the 4th went close and they both re-oppose here. Invigilate has a feather weight today and Jimmy Quinn comes in for the ride. He is 10/66 when riding for Stoute with another 30 top 4 finishes. Hopefully he can improve on that excellent frame hitting strike rate on Invigilate at odds of 20/1.
2022 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Invigilate e/w @ 20/1 (7 places)
5.35 – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)
At odds of 22/1, Savvy Victory looks massively overpriced. We backed him for a handicap ante-post earlier this week but his stablemate ran instead and finished a fine 4th. The fact that Sean Woods swerved that race to come here instead suggests that he thinks this horse is better than a handicapper.
We backed this fella last time out at Newmarket when Rab Havlin rode. It was only a six runner race but Havlin found all sorts of traffic problems. Ottoman Fleet eventually won by 1.75L but if Savvy Victory had a clear passage, I am convinced he would have gone very close to beating that horse. He also has 12L to find with Changingoftheguard on Chester running but the ground was far too soft for him that day.
Grand Alliance was beat 16L last time out, Dark Moon Rising was beat 7.75L and Lysander is unproven on good to firm ground. Savvy Victory will love the underhoof conditions, he was desperately unlucky last time and he should not be 11x the price of the Appleby horse. Even with just six runners, Savvy Victory is well worth backing e/w at odds of 22/1.
2022 Royal Ascot Friday Tips: Savvy Victory e/w @ 22/1
6.10 – Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes Handicap (Class 2)
We backed Amber Dew at massive odds last time at York (6f gd) and she ran an absolute belter. She bounced out, went to the front and she was still there travelling well at the 2f pole. When Jack Duern pushed the button 1f out she hit the front and it was only in the last 100 yards that she gave way.
On that evidence the drop back to 5f is sure to suit and she comes into the race in good form. She has only ever had two runs at 5f and one of those came in a Newmarket novice. In that race she ran a cracker to finish a close 4th behind the multiple Group placed Desert Dreamer (now rated 103). On her only other 5f run at Nottingham she finished 2nd with the now 99 rated Symphony Perfect almost 2L behind.
She has a wide margin handicap win to her name over 6f, beating Flash Betty by 6L off 74. She went close at Southwell over 6f off 82 on her first start for Dixon and then she ran in a couple of Listed contests before pitching up at York. I think this filly has the potential to rate far higher than 84 in the future and given the speed she showed over 6f last time, hopefully she makes a bold bid here at odds of 80/1.
