Royal Ascot - Day 2

In today’s blog:
Review of yesterday’s blog
Today’s Racing Selections from Royal Ascot
World Cup Specials

Review of yesterday’s blog
CANFORD CLIFFS win yesterday was a great result for the blog. I admit, I did advise that the odds of 9/4 available in the morning were not attractive, and suggested holding-off unless you could get 3/1. On the exchanges, 4.20 was offered just before the off (Betfair SP was 3.94). But look at this from my blog about CANFORD CLIFFS on 14th May… “I hope the horse goes for the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot rather than the Golden Jubilee sprint later in the meeting. He has the potential beating of both those that finished in front of him in the Guineas with stamina proven and speed to burn, and there’s nothing else in the race entries that comes close on known form.”

KINGSGATE NATIVE was never really travelling, but still ran well enough to suggest if he turns out on Saturday for the Golden Jubilee over 6f – a race he won 2 seasons ago - he will be hard to beat.
SLEEPY HOLLOW was always thereabouts in his race, but the winner (Junior) took the race apart and was never going to be caught.

Today’s Racing Selections from Royal Ascot
The second day at Royal Ascot, and it’s the opening race where the most likely opportunity falls. I’m going to leave the 30-runner Royal Hunt Cup, the 18-runner Queen Mary Stakes, and the 17-runner Sandringham Handicap well alone, and the Group 2 Windsor Forest looks very competitive.

Official ratings are always a great place to start and RED JAZZ comes out on top with an OR113. His 8th in the Guineas behind Makfi is the best formline in the race, and that was over a furlong too far for him. When beaten by Field Of Dream last time out the going was on the soft side of good and that found him out, on today’s quicker ground he’ll reverse that form. Free Judgement is another wanting a mile rather than today’s 7f, as does Meezan; and Shakesperian beat very little at Epsom and now has a 3lb penalty for that win. The fear is that the front-running RED JAZZ will set the race up for a strong finisher with pace but, as much as I look, I can’t find one.

I also like the Group 1 Prince Of Wales Stakes. This race has only fallen to a runner at odds longer than 5/1 just once in the past 10 years (and that was super-filly Ouija Board), so it pays to concentrate on the market leaders. Current 3/1 fav Byword has yet to prove he can stay today’s 10f trip at this level. The 3rd fav @ 6/1 Mawatheeq, looks like he wants 12f rather than 10f and this will be a stiff task anyway seeing as he hasn’t run since finishing 2nd in the Champion Stakes last October when beaten by TWICE OVER, today’s 2nd-fav @ 5/1. TWICE OVER needs “good” going and 10f. It was Good-to-Firm last year when, in this race, he was beaten just a length into 4th having led a 100 yards from the line. He’ll get the good pace he needs too. He’s the only “proper” Group 1 horse in the race, his win in the Champion Stakes being considered a “decent renewal, run at a very strong pace.” There are a couple of dark-horses such as Debussy and Allybar, but the step-up from Group 3 to Group 1 is a big one.

Royal Ascot 2:30 RED JAZZ – 0.75pt EW @ 15/2 (Bet365/Hills)
Royal Ascot 3:50 TWICE OVER – 0.75pt EW @ 5/1 (available generally)
Plus 0.50pt EW double
Total of 4pts staked

World Cup Specials
Yesterday, the World Cup Bank ended down £5.27, at a balance of £74.91 from a start of £100.00 (£10.00 staked per match). The late goal by New Zealand lost the blog a potential profit and resulted in a loss (-£5.50), and the draw between Ivory Coast and Portugal provided just a tiny profit (£0.23). We did well to avoid a correct-score bet on the Brazil game as there’s no-way I’d have gone for 2:1 and North Korea actually scoring a goal.

Day 6 starts with Chile v Honduras and this should be easy for Chile who have good experience playing “weak” teams having recently beaten Israel, Northern Ireland, Zambia and Trinidad without conceding a goal. The wager is Chile to win with £8.50 @ 4/6, and £1.50 on the draw @ 13/5 with Bet365.

The Spain v Switzerland game looks a straightforward win for Spain. The wager is Spain to win with £9.00 @ 2/7, and £1.00 “saver” on the draw @ 9/2 with either Bet365 or Betfred.

Then we have the first of the 2nd-round of games with South Africa v Uruguay. South Africa should not have won a point last Friday against Mexico. Uruguay should be well capable of winning this game. The wager is Uruguay to win with £8.00 @ 6/4 (this looks huge) with Bet365, and £2.00 on the draw @ 23/10 with the Tote.

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Thanks from Wayward Lad.