Betting Update; Angus’ Best Bets – Royal Ascot Tuesday

June 18, 2007 - PRLog -- 14:30 (Coventry Stakes) – Luck Money 2pts e/w

As always with the Coventry there are plenty of reputations on the line from some classy looking individuals, so much will depend who’s up for it on the day. The O’Brien team have landed this race four times in the last 10 years and send over Henrythenavigator, who is being billed as one of their best chances of the whole meeting, but for me, although he could be hard to beat, represents no value whatsoever.

Another trainer that knows what it takes to win this prize is Paul Cole, and although you could argue his string these days is not as strong as it used to be he holds every chance with the exciting looking Luck Money. He landed what looked an above average maiden at Newmarket on his first and only start back in May, and given the expected improvement and time to prepare for this he looks better value than the market leader.
Of the rest don’t be surprised to see Walter Swinburn’s Lindoro go well at a nice price, after winning a fair maiden at Goodwood last time out.

15:05 (King’s Stand Stakes) – Tax Free 3pts e/w
All the talk here is for the Australian raiders, and looking at their form and the fact Takeover Target won this race last year it will take a special effort to keep them out of the winners enclosure. However this race has been a bit of a graveyard for the favourite in recent times, with no jolly winning in the last 10 runnings. Based on this and the fact Dandy Nicholls is a man always to fear in any sprint race I think his Tax Free has enough improvement in him to land the Group Two prize.

For me he’s come on from last season, where he might have struggled in this class, but after winning three on the bounce this term he’s now on a four-timer and the way he saw off one of Ireland’s leading lights in Dandy Man suggests he’s on a upward curve.

15:45 (St James’s Palace Stakes) – Cockney Rebel 3pts win
No surprises here but it’s hard to see past the dual Guineas winner Cockey Rebel. Runners in the Irish version, that he took last month, have a superb record of following up here.

He’s advertised the talents of his less well-known trainer Geoff Huffer, and I suspect that if he were trained by one of the more fashionable yards he’d been a lot shorter than the odds on offer here. Of the rest Dutch Art will bid to put his career back on track after coming third to my selection in the English Guineas, but for me at a better price He’s A Decoy could be the one to follow Cockney Rebel home after running well for most of the way in Ireland last time out behind my pick.

16:20 (Queen Anne Stakes) – Cesare 3pts e/w

After returning from stud duties this race depends on how last years 2,000 Guineas winner George Washington returns to the track. If this talented, but quirky sort, comes back anywhere near that form he’ll have no problems landing this, but around the even money mark he looks on the short side for me with so many question marks hanging over his head.

So with the dead eight the best thing to do here is look for an each-way selection, with the added bonus that if there are any negatives in George Washington’s return we could easily find the winner too.

One trainer that has a Royal Ascot record out of the top draw is James Fanshawe. Since 2003 his 20 runners here have all reached the frame bar four, which is an astonishing statistic. Based on this Cesare looks great value to continue this trend and follow up his win here at the Royal Meeting in the Royal Hunt Cup.

16:55 (Ascot Stakes) – Princelet 2pts e/w
Run over 2m4f this is a great spectacle at the Royal Meeting and often attracts plenty of the jumps trainers as their bid to taste some of the glory at the flat boy’s biggest meeting.

Course form and stamina are very important in lasting out the trip, and with only a handful falling into those categories we can use this angle to find the winner. Leg Spinner will be interesting from the Tony Martin yard, and is sure to have plenty of support coming from a shrewd yard and being the only distance winner in the field. However Nicky Henderson loves to have the odd runner here and his Princelet, who won here back in May, has been laid out for this and is the selection.

He’s still relatively unexposed having only raced nine times in all his starts on the flat on over jumps and with useful Irish jockey Fran Berry booked this consistent sort looks sure to run a big race.

17:30 (Windsor Castle Stakes) – Drawnfromthepast 2pts e/w
Trainer Jamie Osborne took this race back in 2001 with Irony and can do so again with Drawnfromthepast. He came on a bundle for his opening run by beating a Mark Prescott hot-pot at Brighton a few weeks back and if he continues going in that direction will hold every chance here.
It’s also worth noting that his chance will be further enhanced if Yem Kinn goes well in the Coventry, as my pick finished behind him on his first start.

•   All prices correct at time of writing.

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ABOUT EASYODDS.COM

Easyodds.com is a comprehensive sport betting service that helps you find the BEST ODDS on offer from leading bookmakers, betting exchanges and spread betting firms and then helps you place your bet at the BestPrice.

FREE to register!
www.easyodds.com

Andrew Newton
Managing Editor
020 7691 0660

Website: www.easyodds.com/compareodds/horseracing/ro