Jane Mangan
Jane Mangan’s William Hill blog: Royal Ascot 2026 Day One Best Bets
William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan is back with her best bets on the opening day of Royal Ascot.
Royal Ascot, Tuesday
The Queen Anne Stakes (2.30pm) is a deeper-than-usual renewal. There’s a strong contingent from Godolphin, alongside last year’s winner Docklands and the likes of More Thunder and Zeus Olympios. However, I can’t see past Notable Speech. He’s a five-time Group One winner with over £2.7 million in prize money. He really impressed me in the Lockinge, having already won both the 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes as a three-year-old. For me, he’s the best miler of his generation and I hope he can confirm that in the Queen Anne.
The Coventry Stakes (3.05pm) is a race in which Aidan O’Brien has an excellent record, winning two of the last three renewals with River Tiber and Gstaad. He is doubly represented once again, but I like the British challenger Cut A Dash. I was really impressed with him on debut. He looked very green that day and I expect plenty of improvement from him breaking from stall 19. He’s full of speed, being by Starspangledbanner, who was exceptional at this track. He’s the one for me in the Coventry.
The King Charles III Stakes (3.40pm) features the last two winners of the race in American Affair and Asfoora. International challenger Overpass will likely start favourite. He’s a 10-time winner from Australia and has amassed more than $7 million in prize money. That said, I like the British to defend their title, and I’m with Night Raider. He has improved since being gelded over the winter and is two-from-two since the procedure. I think he is a future sprinting star. He’s a six-time winner for Karl Burke, including when successful in the Temple Stakes last time out, and he’s the one for me.
The feature race on Day One is the St James’s Palace Stakes (4.20pm), where Bow Echo seeks to follow in the footsteps of horses such as Coroebus and Poetic Flare by winning both the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas and this race. He was very impressive when beating Gstaad on good-to-firm ground, conditions like those he is likely to encounter here. Gstaad subsequently advertised the form by winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Aidan O’Brien is doubly represented with Gstaad and Puerto Rico as he looks to reverse the form, but I believe Bow Echo is the best three-year-old miler in Europe and can further cement that reputation.
The Ascot Stakes (5.00pm) has been dominated by National Hunt trainers in recent years, most recently by Henry de Bromhead, whose Ascending was victorious last season. Reaching High looked very unlucky not to get involved in this race last year when repeatedly denied a clear run along the rail. He hasn’t been seen since, but he returns in the Royal colours for Willie Mullins from the same handicap mark and is of major interest. The lack of a recent run is not a concern given the trainer, and I think he can provide Mullins with a historic royal winner.
The Wolferton Stakes (5.35pm) sees me side with Haatem. A Jersey Stakes winner at this meeting as a three-year-old, he has produced consistently solid form for the Wathnan Racing team. He had a pipe-opener at Goodwood last time that should have left him spot on for this assignment, and I think he can make it back-to-back victories in the race.
The Copper Horse Stakes (6.10pm) closes the opening-day card and I fancy Valiancy. He’s a four-year-old who I believe remains ahead of his mark of 98. He received an 8lb rise for winning at Hamilton last time on similar ground, but stepping up to a mile and six furlongs could unlock even more improvement. William Haggas may have a horse of Group race quality running in a handicap, and I expect the increase in trip to bring about further progress. He has more potential than many of his rivals and is the one for me.
