Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot Tips Day 2: Wednesday’s Best Bets & Predictions

3 hours ago

| BY Steve Mullington

William Hill News tipster Steve Mullington previews each race on Day 2 at the 2026 Royal Ascot meeting, so check out his best bets and tips on Wednesday’s action below.

With the runners and riders officially declared on Monday morning, it is now only a matter of hours until racing gets underway and the second day of the Royal meeting looks primed to bring plenty of drama and action.

Who is the NAP of the Day on Wednesday? Check out our Royal Ascot Day 2 best bet column!

Lucky Stable is a free-to-play racing game available every day during Royal Ascot. You can find it in the Lucky Stable lobby.

Just enter the Royal Ascot game and select “Reveal Stable” to draw five horses at random. You win a share of the jackpot prize if three (3) or more of their drawn horses win their respective races.

2:30pm – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2, 5f)

A maximum field of 28 fillies go to post in the Wednesday opener, and my each-way vote goes the way of the French raider DRAZINDA for the Francis Graffard stable.

A winner one month ago at Chantilly over their five-furlong sprint course, the Sioux Nation-filly did really well on debut to cope with the soft underfoot conditions, and she’ll be more at home with the drying conditions at Ascot.

3:05pm – Queen’s Vase (Group 2, 1m6f)

The Andrew Balding-trained GALIYAN (NAP) has been the subject of plenty of money in our ante-post horse racing odds for this race over the last few days, and it is easy to see why.

The colt won going away over a slightly shorter trip at Chester’s May Meeting and all the indications were that day that he would enjoy going further.

3:40pm – Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2, 1m)

FRIENDLY SOUL was unfortunate enough to be the horse that discovered Haydock’s “hole” whilst in the process of running a big return race after a long layoff.

The mare was well supported into favouritism that afternoon and given the fact that she is a course and distance scorer, she certainly comes here with a fighting chance of collecting the silverware.

4:20pm – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1, 1m1f)

I’m not normally one to listen to whispers, but at Chester the other day there were a few in the press room who were bigging up the chances of MINNIE HAUK (NB) in this 1m2f contest.

Last year’s Arc runner-up blotted her copybook at the Curragh last time, but with Aidan O’Brien not being unduly worried and saying to draw a complete line under that effort, she holds all the credentials to run a massive race here. Odds of around 8/1 in our sports betting look generous.

5:00pm – Royal Hunt Cup Handicap (Class 2, 1m)

Suffolk Stakes runner-up FIFTH COLUMN could well be a Group class horse masquerading as a handicapper and is on my punting radar as the potential winner of the Cup.

Representing the two powerhouses of Gosden and Godolphin, he’s certainly a top-class Kingman-gelding to have in your armoury in this cavalry charge.

5:35pm – Kensington Palace Stakes Handicap (Class 2, 1m)

At long odds, BETTY CLOVER has done enough for me to warrant an each-way play in this fillies’ handicap.

Her last couple of runs have been in Listed and Group 3 affairs and being entered into a handicap appears to be a shrewd move from Eve Johnson Houghton. At around 25/1 in the betting market, I’ll be taking a chance on her to reach the podium spots.