ROYAL ASCOT: Wednesday Preview

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y main bet on Tuesday was a non-runner – at least better than backing a loser. Mecca’s Angel was a late withdrawal from the King’s Stand Stakes on account of the fast ground.

It wasn’t a bad start for the punters. The punters that back the favourites that is – it’s always a dangerous assumption to assume that all punters do so. Three market leaders obliged in the six races including the French trained Solow in the opener which saw my fancy Able Friend, “The Beast From The East”, flop badly.

Buratino was an impressive winner of the Coventry Stakes and Gleneagles landed the odds on good style in the St James’s Palace Stakes – his task made easier by the dismal failure of the French Guineas winner and second favourite Make Believe who ran a shocker and the fast ground was blamed.

Ascot are predicting sunny spells with a light breeze and a very pleasant 22c this afternoon with the ground remaining good to firm.

At the time of writing there are four non runners on today’s card:

3:05 5 Caledonian Gold 6 Cobana Sand
3:40 6 Evita Peron
4:20 1 California Chrome

Best bet on Wednesday could easily be Ivawood in the opening Jersey Stakes at 2.30.

The Richard Hannon trained runner has two excellent Guineas third-places to his name at both Newmarket and the Curragh – the form of which looks even stronger in light of Gleneagles win at the track yesterday. Ivawood takes a drop in class for this but does have a Group race penalty as he won two Group 2’s last year.

However, the drop back in trip to seven furlongs is a major positive as his Group wins both came over six furlongs and he has struggled in the closing stages of his one mile Guineas runs. At the Curragh he was still in front with a furlong to go and only overhauled close home.

At around 15/8, I don’t think he represents bad value at all and I can easily see him making all the running.

Michael Dods withdrew Mecca’s Angel yesterday but the stable can strike today with Easton Angel in the Queen Mary Stakes at 3.05. She is unbeaten in two races at Musselburgh and Beverley. This is a massive step up in class but the same goes for most of the field and she is the subject of a very good home report that I was privy to this week.

Disappointing to see California Chrome out of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes but as we saw yesterday it isn’t always easy for the overseas stars to shine here. Free Eagle needs to start making up for lost time but he remains a hugely exciting prospect who was good enough to finish third to Noble Mission in the Qipco Champion Stakes on what was only his fourth ever start.

So, three bets for me today.

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale of 1-50 points)

BACK IVAWOOD (2.30 Royal Ascot) for 8 points at around 15/8 with Star Sports

BACK EASTON ANGEL (3.05 Royal Ascot) for 4 points each way at around 6/1 with Star Sports

BACK FREE EAGLE (4.20 Royal Ascot) for 4 points at around 3/1 with Star Sports

RETURN SINCE START OF WORLD CUP: PROFIT 65.04 POINTS

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