Our tipster looks through every race on the card at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
The eyes of the world will be on Royal Ascot for the opening day of the 2025 meeting on Tuesday 17th June, with seven races scheduled to get the week underway.
Here, we look at the horse racing betting markets for each and every race on Day 1 at the Royal meeting, with a NAP of the day and several each way selections at nice prices – hopefully there is a winner or two in the list below!
2:30 Queen Anne Stakes – Rosallion (NAP)
As Richard Hannon says, this is the time for ROSALLION (NAP) to go big or go home. This race has been his big target for some time now and he ran a credible race in the Lockinge Stakes, finishing just a couple of lengths behind the re-opposing Lead Artist.
In fact, the top four in the betting for this race filled the first four spots in that Group One at Newbury but Rosallion is the best of them for me. If Sean Levey gets him into a good rhythm early on, he could prove too classy for his rivals.
3:05 Coventry Stakes – American Gulf (E/W)
The Coventry Stakes can throw up a big priced winner (we all remember Nando Parrado in 2020, right) but I’m looking closer to the head of the market this year. However, AMERICAN GULF is currently a 8/1 chance so there is some juice in backing him each way.
Impeccably bred, he is a half-brother to no less than 13 winners on the flat – including several Group winners. The yard have won this race on three occasions (1991, 1994 and 1998) so they like to target the race. He was eye-catching when winning at Windsor a fortnight ago and he well and truly fits into the ‘could be anything’ bracket.
3:40 King Charles III Stakes – Believing (WIN)
I find the sprint division a difficult one to weigh up at times but BELIEVING may be the most consistent horse in the field and I’m going to side with George Boughey’s mare. She has finished in the first three in 19 of her 25 starts, winning on seven occasions.
She is a Group One winner and she has Ryan Moore – fancied to be Royal Ascot leading jockey once again – in the saddle. All signs point towards a big run and she gets my vote in the King Charles III Stakes.
4:20 St James’s Palace Stakes – Field Of Gold (WIN)
Short enough in the betting but FIELD OF GOLD will take some beating in the St James’s Palace Stakes for me. Colin Keane was brilliant on him in the Irish 2000 Guineas and I’m confident this son of Kingman can reverse Newmarket form with Ruling Court.
He should be fine with the quicker ground and he is clear of his rivals on ratings – although the Godolphin horse is just 2lbs inferior according to official figures. However, Field Of Gold is regarded by many as the banker of the week and he’ll have no excuses in a field of just seven runners.
5:00 Ascot Stakes – Leinster (E/W)
We’ve got a competitive field for the Ascot Stakes and LEINSTER is the one I’ve landed on for Joseph O’Brien. He ran a huge race in the Chester Cup given how free he was and he can reverse form with East India Dock if Declan McDonogh can get him settled.
He’s unexposed at the trip – with all but one of his career starts over 1m4 or shorter – but we know he stays after that Chester run. The yard have had six winners from 42 runners over the past fortnight so they’re running well enough and Leinster is a huge price to run a big race on Tuesday evening.
5:35 Wolferton Stakes – Haatem (E/W)
Wathnan Racing can get on the Royal Ascot winners board in the Wolferton Stakes and they have four of the 16 runners in the race. The one I’m keen to side with is the Richard Hannon-trained HAATEM, who will have the services of James Doyle on board.
The best horse in the race on official ratings, Haatem’s form ties in with the likes of Rosallion, Dancing Gemini and Notable Speech so I’ll be keeping a very close eye on the Queen Anne Stakes. If those three fill the places, Haatem could be a market mover on Day 1.
6:10 Copper Horse Stakes – French Master (WIN)
Word on the street is that FRENCH MASTER has been targeted at this race for some time and he should have lots of improvement in him. A decent winner at Goodwood on his last start, he is up just 4lbs for that success and he can certainly cope with that rise in the weights.
Willie Mullins has won this race in each of the last two years and Charlus poses an obvious threat if he brings his A-game. The master of Closutton has booked Ryan Moore for the ride and it looks between the two at the head of the market to me.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at time of writing*
