Royal Ascot: Day 1 Best Bets

Four of the five Classic contests may be in the record books for another year, but next week sees the single biggest flat festival of the season as the Berkshire venue of Ascot plays host to its most famous meeting. Kicking off on Tuesday 14th June, and spread over the course of five days, the magnificent Royal Ascot meeting attracts the best of the British and Irish runner’s, in addition to a cast of international stars.

Of the eight top class Group 1 contests spread over the course of the meeting, no fewer than three take place on the opening Tuesday, with two of the shortest priced favourites of the meeting lining up in the Queen Anne Stakes and St. James’ Palace Stakes. Baeed and Coroebus will most likely take some stopping, but don’t offer much appeal from a betting perspective. The rest of the card does however look a little more open, with a couple of runners at slightly bigger prices catching our eye.

Royal Ascot 2022 New Betting Sites & Betting Offers

Coventry Stakes: Force to Floor Rivals

Our first bet of the day comes in what looks like a cracking renewal of this 6f contest for the juveniles. With three wins in the space of the past ten years, anything hailing from the yard of Aidan O’Brien merits the utmost respect here. The Ballydoyle maestro has four entered at the time of writing, with the four-timer seeking Blackbeard topping the pile. By strong speed influence No Nay Never, the likely mount of Ryan Moore is greatly feared.

The one for us though is the Richard Hannon representative, Persian Force. Sired by Mehmas who was second to the sensational Caravaggio in this contest back in 2016, he may just have the talent to go one better than his father. Scintillating in landing the Brocklesby on his first start over 5f, he showed this step up in trip to be no issue when pulling clear at Newbury last time out. With that Brocklesby form receiving a number of boosts, he looks the one to be on.

• Heading - Persian Force @ 3/1 with 10Bet

King’s Stand Stakes: Hills to Repel Foreign Raiders

We have a strong international flavour to the big sprint contest on the opening day, with a pair of superstar speedsters from the USA and Australia currently dominating the market. US handler Wesley Ward is no stranger to Royal Ascot success, and it is his representative Golden Pal who heads the betting. A seriously quick horse, he will most likely be clear as they head into the final furlong but was mown down close home by The Lir Jet in his only previous effort here, and will have a whole host of highly rated sprinters charging at him once again here. Undoubtedly talented, he just looks short enough at the prices.

The presence of Golden Pal and the dangerous Aussie raider Nature Strip at the head of affairs does however lend a nice each way shape to this race. The one to carry our cash at a big price is the Charlie Hills trained Equilateral. This seven-year-old will be making his first start in over a year here, but that needn’t be too much of a concern with the horse boasting a record of four wins from five starts following a break of 100 days or more. A Group 2 winner out in Meydan last season and finding only Battaash too good on his most recent crack at this race, he sees out this 5f very well and can prove a big threat on the run to the line.

• Heading - Equilateral each way @ 33/1 with Sporting Index

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