Jane Mangan’s William Hill blog: Royal Ascot 2025 Day One Best Bets

William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan is here with her best bets on the opening day of Royal Ascot 2025, including three Group One contests.

Ascot, Tuesday

The Group One Queen Anne Stakes (2:30pm) opens proceedings for what promises to be a brilliant five days of action at Royal Ascot. There’s a real mix of depth and quality in the field, and I like Rosallion. A dual Group One winner at three, having landed the Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes over this course and distance, he returned after an 11-month lay-off in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. He shaped as though he would come on for the run when finishing third behind Lead Artist, and on that form, he has Notable Speech covered. This is a strong renewal, but I believe he possesses the star quality in the field and will prove it here.

The Group Two Coventry Stakes (3:05pm) is a real head-scratcher. There’s little collateral form to assess among the 21 runners, but I’m going to side with Military Code. He really impressed me at Newmarket on Guineas weekend, and he backed that up with a strong showing at Ascot. He looks a horse full of potential, already precocious enough to be winning at this stage in his career. While there is plenty of untapped promise on show, with several unexposed, lightly raced types, Military Code’s form stands out as the pick of the bunch.

A huge field lines up for the Group One King Charles III Stakes (3:40pm) over the flying five furlongs. Of the 23 runners, I like Asfoora to make it consecutive victories in the race. Henry Dwyer has brought her over from Australia, and now aged seven, she wears blinkers for the first time. She beat Regional in this race last year and, while this may look a stronger renewal, I think she’s well up to the task. We know how formidable the Australian sprinters can be when they arrive at Ascot, and with Oisin Murphy retaining the ride, I expect her to lead them home once again in the King Charles.

The Group One St James’s Palace Stakes (4:20pm) is a race Aidan O’Brien has won nine times, but I don’t think he’ll make it 10 this year, despite launching a three-pronged attack. Field Of Gold will establish himself as the best three-year-old colt over a mile. He was the best horse in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas, and he proved far superior to anything he faced in the Irish equivalent. I believe he could be the best miler John Gosden has trained since his sire Kingman, who won this race in 2014. For me, it’s Field Of Gold to reign supreme.

Could we see a Royal winner in the Ascot Stakes (5:00pm)? Reaching High made a very promising stable debut for Willie Mullins when finishing second in a lady amateur riders’ race at Leopardstown. It wasn’t the strongest of races, but it was well documented beforehand that he would come on for the run. He was a decent handicapper for Sir Michael Stoute, and running here off a mark of 94, he must be of interest. With Ryan Moore taking the ride for Willie Mullins and the Royal Family, I’m backing Reaching High to soar to victory in the Ascot Stakes.

The Wolferton Stakes (5:35pm), over 10 furlongs, is an intriguing contest. I think last year’s English and Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Haatem didn’t have the run of the race against Quddwah at Longchamp last time out. He’s likely to benefit from a step up in trip this time, and he’s the pick of James Doyle from the Wathnan Racing quartet. I think he’ll take a lot of beating here.