2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Preview and Tips – DS
2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips
Finally, it is here. The best week of racing you’ll find anywhere on Earth starts at 2.30pm on Tuesday afternoon. Dave Stevos has already put up three outsiders for Day 1, see them here. He also has a couple of dark horses for Day 2 and Day 3. Check out his 2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday preview and tips below.
2.30 – Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
In recent years we have been spoiled with relatively big fields in this 8f G1. However, this year sees just seven horses going to post, probably because of the presence of Baaeed. William Haggas’ superstar made it seven wins from seven on his return at Newbury in the G1 Lockinge (8f gd). He didn’t just win though, he did it extremely easily, beating Real World by 3.25L. Chindit was another 1.25L back in 3rd and it is hard to make a case for either of those horses turning the form around.
In fact, given that they were both race fit and Baaeed was having his first run back, you’d expect the gap to be even bigger. It looks a huge ask for Order Of Australia too on his first run of the year in a first time tongue tie. Sir Busker was 6L behind Baaeed in the Lockinge and he too had a run under his belt. We backed Lights On when he won on his return at Sandown. She gets weight from the boys but she’ll need to take another huge step forward to trouble the fav today.
Old Boy
That leaves us with the old boy, Accidental Agent. We were on at 33s when he won this race in 2018. He refused to race in 2019, the only time that has happened. In 2020 he ran a massive race to nick 5th, beat just 4L for the win. Last year he could only manage 7th but he was only 5.5L behind the winner Palace Pier and he was a length ahead of Order Of Australia. His two runs this season have been top notch in handicap company, including over 7f here in the Victoria Cup.
He finished 2nd in that contest, beat just 0.5L off 109. The step back up to a mile should suit him, as will the fast ground. Charlie Bishop rides for the first time this year and he has won five times on this fella. If he can repeat the level of form he showed in the Victoria Cup he is capable of beating a few of these.
He has already beaten Order Of Australia, he only has 1lb to find on the figures with Chindit and he is rated higher than both Sir Busker and Lights On. With just seven runners and only two places e/w, I was tempted to leave this as a no bet race. However, Accidental Agent at 66s is too big to turn down. He is worth backing e/w, but only for very small stakes.
2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips: Accidental Agent e/w @ 66/1
3.05 – Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
We are already on Show Respect for this race at 33s. His price is holding firm and hopefully he runs a big race. The market leader is Blackbeard and he ticks a lot of boxes. He has experience, he has won over 6f and his trainer has won this race multiple times in the past. The only worry would be whether he handles rattling quick ground. Both his turf wins have come on yielding/good to yielding but if he does act on it, he could be hard to beat.
One horse who is already proven on good to firm is Rousing Encore. Richard Fahey’s son of Acclamation came unstuck on soft ground on his debut. Next time at Beverley (5f gd) he left that form well behind. He hacked up by 3.25L and even though Paul Hanagan gave him one smack, he didn’t really need to. On his next outing Fahey stepped him up to 6f in a Class 2 at Pontefract and he was even more impressive.
This time he got to the front early, dictated and pulled clear to win by 2.75L from Breege. Hanagan was on board and again, he was a bit too eager to use his stick. I don’t think it is a coincidence that he ‘parted ways’ with Fahey just a couple of days later. Oisin Orr takes over on Rousing Encore and he’ll be keen to get a big race on the board for his new boss ASAP. I think this horse could have won his last two starts under hands and heels and he won a lot easier last time than Hanagan made it look. Fahey had the 3rd in this last year and the 4th in 2018. Hopefully Rousing Encore can run equally as well at odds of 22/1.
2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips: Rousing Encore e/w @ 22/1 (5 places B365)
3.40 – King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1)
The Aussies are very bullish about their big hope in this year’s King’s Stand. Nature Strip, a 7yo son of Nicconi, bids to follow in the hoofsteps of Scenic Blast and Choisir and he is 11/4 to get the job done. His last win came on heavy over 6f but he is even better on good ground so conditions will hold no fears. He likes to get on with things, as does Wesley Ward’s Golden Pal.
The speedy son of Uncle Mo was probably undone by the ease in the ground when going down by a neck to The Lir Jet in the Norfolk in 2020. Since then he has won six from seven with the only defeat coming in the Nunthorpe at York. Unlike at Ascot, he had his ground so it has to rate as a worry that his last two defeats have come in the UK.
Home Challenge
The home challenge will be headed by Twilight Calls, King’s Lynn and Man Of Promise, if the bookies are to be believed. King’s Lynn actually beat Twilight Calls a head at Haydock last time out but the Candy horse didn’t get the clearest of runs. However, he had ample time to reel the winner in and I wouldn’t be hugely confident that he’ll reverse that form with the Queen’s horse.
I have already put Mondammej up for this race at 66s. The ground should suit, he only has 2L to find with King’s Lynn and Twilight Call and things didn’t go smoothly for him at Haydock either. The other one that could go well at big odds is Tis Marvellous. This 8yo loves Ascot and his form figures over 5f here read 11444311. One of those 4ths came in this race in 2020 when he was just 3L behind Battaash and 1L off 3rd.
On his reappearance he finished well behind Khaadem and Existent but that was at Newmarket. This horse comes alive at Ascot and he gave Minzaal 3lbs and a 1L beating on his last start over today’s C&D. Tis Marvellous is versatile tactically, the ground is fine and given his course record, a small each way interest at 50/1 is advised.
2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips: Tis Marvellous e/w @ 50/1 (4 Places)
4.20 – St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
I have already recommended an e/w bet on Berkshire Shadow at 25s for this race. He is now 33s but I still see him running run a huge race. My reasons for fancying him can be accessed via the link in the intro. Coroebus heads the market and is odds on for the all-conquering Buick/Appleby combination. His Guineas win was very impressive and the son of Dubawi is a worthy jolly.
William Haggas will fire two bullets to try and upset the fav. My Prospero is the mount of stable jockey Tom Marquand. He is a 9/2 shot and he looked a promising sort when winning an 8f Listed heat at Sandown. It was just his third ever run and he beat a much more experienced sort in Reach For The Stars quite decisively. Yeah, it looked hard work at times but he is still learning his trade and I’d expect him to improve plenty for that experience.
Unbeaten
The other Haggas runner is Maljoom. This son of Caravaggio is 3/3 this season. Unraced as a 2yo, he won his maiden at Doncaster on debut in March (7f gd). Next up, he landed a conditions race at Kempton (8f). On his last start this horse landed a German G2 in Cologne (8f gd). Like his stablemate, this horse is completely unexposed and there could be any amount of improvement to come. Cieran Fallon picks up a great spare ride and it would be no surprise were he to go close at 11/1.
However, odds of 33/1 about New Energy look a bit too big. Sheila Lavery’s son of New Bay has bundles of ability. A 7f maiden winner on debut at the Curragh, he didn’t run to form subsequently at Leopardstown. His first 3yo run came at the same track and this time he ran a cracker behind Dr Zempf in a Listed contest (7f gd). Lavery kept him in Listed company and upped him to 8f for the first time at the Curragh on his penultimate start.
Huge Irish Guineas Run
In a race that lacked pace he tried to make all and those tactics didn’t work. It looked a mad decision to run in the Irish Guineas but New Energy finally had a race run to suit. He was dropped out, came scything through the field after the 3f pole and he was still swinging on the bridle 1.5f from home. Native Trail proved too strong but New Energy finished an excellent 2nd, beat just 1.75L.
He had Imperial Fighter 0.75L behind in 3rd and he was only 2L behind Coroebus at Newmarket back in October. Coroebus only had 0.75l to spare over Native Trail at Newmarket so, on a line through those two horses, New Energy hasn’t got much to find at all to get close to the favourite. The worry is the apparent lack of pace but if they go quick enough, New Energy is no 33/1 poke.
2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips: New Energy e/w @ 33/1 (4 places)
5.00 – Ascot Stakes Handicap (Class 2)
If ever a horse looked like it was being laid out for a race, it is Reshoun. I made the mistake of tipping him up for the Chester Cup last month. Given his owner I thought he would definitely be trying. However, he was dropped out wide and in rear from a great draw and he was never put into the race. Last time out at Haydock he was sent off at 66/1 (12f gd) and he outran those odds. He again was held up and travelled wide but he stayed on very takingly late on to finish 6L behind the winner.
He started off the season rated 99 and after three runs, he is now down to 97. That is the same mark off which he won this race last season. William Buick rode on that occasion and he had him a lot closer to the pace than he has been for any of his runs so far this term. It was good to firm ground, just like it will be on Tuesday, and this time Derby winning jockey Richard Kingscote gets the leg up.
Kingscote has had 30 rides for Marwan Koukash, landing 4 winners and 16 top 4s, a 66% frame hitting strike rate. He has a similarly excellent record when riding for Ian Williams (46 wins/101 top 4s from 248 rides). At odds of 16/1, Reshoun is the each way pick.
2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips: Reshoun e/w @ 16/1 (5 Places W Hill) NB
5.35 – Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
This Listed heat is restricted to horses that haven’t won a G1 or G2 since September 2021. We backed Aristia last time out at York (10f gd) and she ran a cracker. The daughter of Starspangledbanner tried to make all under Sean Levey and she only gave way late on to the winner, Lilac Road. She was only beat 0.5L though and it was a super effort on her first run of the season.
I was going to back her again but the presence of Majestic Dawn muddies the waters. He too is a horse that only has one way of going and with him in the field, Aristia is unlikely to be handed an easy lead. In fact, I think those two horses are going to turn this into a proper burn up and it could set up for a horse with proven stamina.
West End Charmer has form here over 12f and he ran a cracker behind Majestic Dawn at Goodwood on his return. This son of Nathaniel made all for his wins last season but his Goodwood run proved he can be ridden more patiently. He has 4L to find with the Cole horse but on this stiffer track and with Majestic Dawn likely to be pestered for the lead, I think West End Charmer will close that gap and he might even turn it around. Quick ground is perfect, the Johnston’s horses are flying and at odds of 16/1, West End Charmer is worth chancing e/w.
2022 Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips: West End Charmer e/w @ 16/1 (5 places B365)
6.10 – Copper Horse Stakes Handicap (Class 2)
At odds of 33/1, Island Brave looks a cracking e/w bet. He was 50s yesterday so someone obviously is thinking the same as me. Trained by Heather Main, long time followers might remember this fella hacking up for us in a 16f handicap here in August 2020 at 33/1. He was held up in rear by Martin Dwyer and he won easily in the end off a mark of 93.
Last season his best run came under Silvestre De Sousa at Haydock (14f gd/fm). He decided to make use of Island Brave’s stamina over the shorter trip and he rode him aggressively to score by 0.5L off 98. Over the winter this horse spent a few months in Dubai. He ran a couple of lovely races in G2/G3 company and while he didn’t shape too well on his return at Musselburgh, the ground was too soft for him.
This horse wants it like the road and he’ll have his optimum conditions on Tuesday. He is in off a mark of 98, the same rating off which he scored at Haydock. Last season he ran well in the Ascot Stakes over 20f off 100, he just didn’t stay the trip. He was also 4th in a 16f heat on unsuitably soft ground here back in August so he clearly acts on the track. De Sousa is 5/29 with 6 top 4s when riding for Heather Main, hopefully he enhances that record on Island Brave at 33/1.
