2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Preview & Tips – DS
2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips
Just one place to show for our efforts on Tuesday, but it was a lovely one. Annaf nicked third at 80/1, proving he is a stakes sprinter. Mooniesta struggled, maybe the rain was to blame. Checkandchallenge was left with too much to do and I was surprised to see Berkshire Shadow ridden so positively. The same sentiment applies to Galeron. Hopefully Day 2 goes better, check out our 2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips below.
2.30 – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
Since 2013 only one horse from a single figure draw has won this sprint. A high draw is preferable and usually, the market has been a pretty good guide with just two winners in that period at odds bigger than 8/1. Wesley Ward has won this four times since 2009 and he is represented by Bundchen here. She was beat on her debut at Keeneland but she has a nice draw in stall 22 and it would be no surprise were she to go well at around 12/1.
At huge odds, Launch could go well for Adrian Murray and Kevin Stott. Bucanero Fuerte ran a blinder for Murray in the Coventry on Day 1 and this horse has already got placed G3 form in the locker. On debut at Cork on heavy ground she found just Bated Moon too good, going down by 0.5l. She turned that form around emphatically second time up on better ground in a G3 at Naas (6f gd).
The 6f trip probably stretched her stamina that day and this drop back in trip should suit. She is by first season sire Omaha Beach, a 6f G1 winner on dirt and her dam is a half to the dam of G1 winner Silver State. The two horses that beat her at Naas are just 8/1 for the Albany and she was bang there with the two of them a furlong out. She has a nice draw in stall 27 and at odds of 50/1, Launch is the e/w selection.
2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Launch e/w @ 50/1 (5 places) NB
3.05 – Kensington Palace Fillies’ Handicap (Class 2)
Off a mark of 99 Villanova Queen could be very nicely treated on her handicap debut. Trained by Jessie Harrington, Colin Keane gets the leg up with stable jockey Dusty Foley out with a broken collarbone.
By Mastercraftsman, this 4yo filly had some solid form as a 3yo, including a 1.5L 2nd to Irish Guineas winner Homeless Songs at Leopardstown (7f gd). There must have been something amiss next time at the Curragh because she was off for a year after that run. On her return at Tipperary (7.5f gd) she showed that she retained her ability with a 0.5l win ahead of Casanova.
Next time at Leopardstown she was disappointing but the ground was heavy. On her last outing in a Listed heat at Naas it looked like she wasn’t off a yard judging by how she was ridden. Scott McCullagh found every bit of trouble possible but when he did finally find daylight, she flew home and ran through the line strong. The step back up to a mile on fast ground should really suit so at odds of 16/1, Villanova Queen is the e/w selection.
2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Villanova Queen e/w @ 16/1 (5 places) NAP
3.40 – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
Surely Random Harvest is overpriced for this mile G2 for the fillies. Trained by Ed Walker, Saffie Osborne rides and she gets a great tune out of this horse. Already a G3 winner for this jockey, the daughter of War Front has surely been trained for this race. Her Ascot form is mustard and she should be piping fit after two prep runs at Newmarket and behind Prosperous Voyage at Epsom.
She was only 0.75l behind Prosperous Voyage last time and she is 3lbs better off here. As if that wasn’t enough, she has a great record at Ascot. Her course form figures read 213, including a close second in handicap company at this meeting last season. Admittedly, all three of those runs came in handicaps but she has proven in the last six months that she is a stakes filly.
There isn’t a lot of early pace in this race so Random Harvest’s prominent racing style is a positive. The two market leaders, Jumbly and Prosperous Voyage, do not look bulletproof and there isn’t a whole lot of depth in this race. Random Harvest is a consistent, improving animal who will love the track and ground and at odds of 25/1, she is the e/w pick.
2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Random Harvest e/w @ 25/1
4.20 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
A small field of six will line up in the stalls for this 10f Group 1. Luxembourg heads the betting for Moore and O’Brien after his 0.5l defeat of Bay Bridge at the Curragh last time (10f gd). The runner up perhaps was a shade unlucky and there should be very little between them again today.
Adayar is a course winner over 12f and he finished 0.5l behind Bay Bridge over C&D in October. He can’t be discounted and My Prospero is another one with pressing claims. If Mostahdaf puts his best hoof forward he could run a big race but with just two places on offer, this is an easy one to swerve. No bet.
2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: No Bet
5.00 – Royal Hunt Cup Handicap (Heritage)
Thirty runners in what will be a proper battle charge down the straight mile at Ascot. Usually, a high draw is preferable as only three horses have won from single figure draws since 2010. Charlie Hills has won two of the last four renewals and he relies on Wanees this year. He is hard to fancy on recent form and the first time blinkers will need to spark a revival.
I’m going to back two horses in this race, one that races prominently and one that will be held up. In stall 28, Point Lynas is of interest for Ed Bethell and Tom Marquand. We were on him at the Dante Meeting at York when he was chinned by Croupier. A couple of weeks later he again went close in a Nottingham handicap off 95 and he races off the same rating here. He is due to go up to 98 so he is 3lbs well in and it is hard to understand why he is as big as 33/1.
Hold Up Horse
In case they go too quick early and set it up for a closer, I’ll also be having a small bet on Aerion Power. Trained by Michael Stoute, it looks to me like he has been lined up for this race. He didn’t run terribly when finishing 11th of 29 off 97 in the Britannia here in 2021 and with Harry Davies’ 3lb claim, he is in off 5lbs lower.
Harry Davies has a solid strike rate when riding for King Power. He has won five races from just 21 rides for them and he has finished in the first four a further seven times. Richard Kingscote rode this horse in a lesser race last time at Sandown and his mount stayed on very well in the closing stages having been left with too much to do. He should be doing his best work at the finish again here and at odds of 33/1, he is worth backing e/w.
2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Point Lynas e/w @ 33/1; Aerion Power e/w @ 33/1 (both 6 places)
5.35 – Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
The worst Group 2 of the week? Possibly. Fourteen will go to post in this 14f race and apart from the favourite Gregory, there doesn’t look to be any potential superstars in the field. To be fair, plenty of them are lightly raced and pretty unexposed but the fav is one of just two previous stakes winners along with Ballydoyle’s Peking Opera. Their wins came at Listed level and they should both be bang there at the finish.
Circle Of Fire has run well in Listed company the last twice, over 10f and 12f. On both occasions he shaped as though in need of further and he could well improve plenty for this longer trip. The one that appeals at a price as a potential improver at this trip is Hadrianus. Mark Johnston won this race a couple of times in the past and his son Charlie will be very keen to follow in his footsteps.
Bred To Stay
This horse is bred to stay. He is by Galileo and his full brother Pons Aelius won over two miles at Goodwood last week. Gregory proved too quick for him over 11f at Goodwood last time and while he may not reverse that form, he should finish closer over this extra three furlongs. I’d imagine the plan will be to try and run the finish out of his rivals, hopefully Hadrianus can make a bold bid at odds of 18/1.
2023 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tips: Hadrianus e/w @ 18/1 (4 places)
6.10 – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
The last race of the day is another sprint for the 2yos, this time over the minimum trip. This is going to be an absolute burn up and in the hope that the pace collapses late on, I’ll take a punt on Ganesha at big odds. By Showcasing, this colt is trained by Phillip Makin. He made his debut at Hamilton and despite being taken off his feet early, he won pretty cosily in the end.
The form of that maiden has worked out pretty well. The runner up Swordplay won his next start quite comfortably and the fifth, Professor Tickle, also landed a maiden next time up. It was fast ground at Hamilton and by the time of this race it should be pretty quick at Ascot.
His dam was Listed placed as a juvenile and she won a G3 as a 3yo so he is bred to be precocious. Showcasing is a good source of smart Juveniles and he sired the 2018 winner of this race, Soldier’s Call. If he was trained by a more fashionable handler he’d probably be shorter than 40/1, hopefully he can stay on late to land the e/w money.
