Royal Ascot preview: three tips including a 40-1 shot for the Royal Hunt Cup
Flat season 2022: bets 9, 10 & 11
Trainer Owen Burrows experienced the highs and lows of racing in one day last Friday. First his stable star Hukum gave the Lambourn handler his first Group 1 winner in the Dahlbury Coronation Cup at Epsom.
But by the time Burrows was back in his stables, he learned his five-year-old horse had received a potentially career-ending injury during the race and would not see a racetrack again this season.
I hope that Burrows, who trains a small but select team, is back on a high by the final day of Royal Ascot – June 18 – when his talented sprinter MINZAAL runs in the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
Minzaal ran superbly at Ascot in October when, despite a slow start, he finished third to Creative Force in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.
Don’t forget too that as a two-year-old he lifted the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York with something in hand. Owen Burrows has been thrilled with the horse on the gallops recently and so Minzaal can improve on his modest seasonal debut at York last month when third to Highfield Princess.
Back Minzaal at 14-1 each way, which is widely available. I suspect William Haggas’s filly Sacred may be the biggest danger, dropped in trip. Like Minzaal, Sacred is four and with her best days ahead of her.
Staying with Group 1 sprint races at Royal Ascot, the King’s Stand Stakes on the opening day, June 14, has an international flavour with top horses trained in the US, Australia and the Czech Republic due to take part.
But I prefer to go for a horse at bigger odds from slightly nearer to home. MOONEISTA is trained by Jack Davison in Co Meath, but she is an improving filly who would be a shorter price if from a more fashionable yard.
Back her each way at the generally available 16-1, in a race in which King’s Lynn would be a timely and popular winner for her owner, The Queen.
Finally, I can’t resist a bet at a big price on the Clive Cox trained ARATUS in the Royal Hunt Cup on Wednesday, June 15. This horse was three wins from three runs last season before putting up two more average performances this season.
But there were excuses for both his runs this year: in April he pulled too hard in a farcical three-runner race at Leicester and at Ascot last month he was drawn on the wrong part of the track in the Tote Victoria Cup.
Stepped up to a mile for the first time, Aratus can show much better form at Royal Ascot next week, given a better draw. Take the 40-1 each way with Ladbrokes and Coral in an hugely open 30-runner handicap.
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One for the horse tracker
There were several horses who caught the eye as unlucky in running at Epsom last week, including Emily Upjohn in the Cazoo Oaks, Westover (my tip for the race) in the Cazoo Derby and Grenoble in the Cazoo Handicap. But since they all came close to winning after being hampered in running, none will have gone unnoticed by keen-eyed ITV viewers. Instead, my horse tracker suggestion is Thegreatestshowman who was an eyecatcher for me when seventh in the Simpex Express Dash over five furlongs. Trained by Amy Murphy, who is better known for her talents as a jumps trainer, Thegreatestshowman was slowly away but made significant late ground to be beaten less than five lengths. This six-year-old gelding will be even better when competing in a five furlongs contest over a stiffer track or an easy six furlongs race.
Bets record for the 2022 Flat season
Pending:
1 point each Moneista at 16-1 in the King’s Stand Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Aratus at 40-1 in the Royal Hunt Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Minzaal at 14-1 in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Gulliver at 33-1 in the Wokingham Handicap, ¼ odds, 4 places.
Settled:
1 point each way Arcadian Sunrise Cup at 16-1 in the Chester Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. 4th. + 3 points.
1 point each way Morph Speed at 25-1 in the Chester Cup, ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Auditor at 16-1 in the TRU7 Handicap, 1/4 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Moss Gill at 12-1 in the Temple Stakes, 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Caradoc at 11-1 the Cazoo Handicap, 1/5 odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Westover at 20-1 in the Cazoo Derby, 1/5 odds, 3 places. 3rd. + 3 points.
1 point each way Changingoftheguard at 9-1 in the Cazoo Derby, 1/5 odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
2022 Flat season running total – 4 points.
2021-2 jumps season + 77.95 points.
My gambling record for the seven years: I have made a profit in 12 of the past 13 seasons. To a 1 point level stake over this period, I have made a profit of 460 points. All bets are either 1 point each way or 2 points win (a "point" is your chosen regular stake).