Bets 18/06/2013 - Royal Ascot Day 1

We have arrived. Tom Pricewise Segal from the Racingpost has gone for 6 selections today:

Trade Storm -2.30 Ascot -1pt each-way at 14-1 generally

Pearl Secret - 3.05 Ascot - 1pt win at 14-1 with Coral (12-1 generally)

Sir John Hawkins - 4.25 Ascot - 1pt win at 6-1 generally

Big Easy - 5.00 Ascot -1pt win at 14-1 with Ladbrokes (12-1 generally)

Mubaraza - 5.00 Ascot - 1pt win at 11-1 with bet365 and Ladbrokes

My Catch -5.35 Ascot -1pt win at 20-1 with Ladbrokes (16-1 with Hills)

The bookies could take a pounding if the favourites oblige today and I’ve been pretty bland and followed most of them.

Ascot 2.30 – Queen Anne – As much as I want to I just don’t see the point taking on a horse rated 10lb higher in a G1. There’s talk about the straight course, drop back in trip and different ground, but Animal Kingdom Evs is a class horse. In my opinion there can surely only be one horse in this race that can beat AK and that’s one of my favourite horses; Elusive Kate, the closest bet to Excelebration/Cityscape and therefore Frankel. Betting without he is Elusive Kate is 10/3. Ladbrokes are really short about Declaration of War 9/1. They are 11/2! Ballydole connections.

Ascot 3.05 – King’s Stand – If Shea Shea 2/1 was not in this race would be exciting from a betting perspective, but he is and I just don’t see the point in taking a horse that freaking quick on. On bare stats he thumps Sole Power but when you watch the videos he destroys Sole Power so would be surprised if tables were turned and that rules out most of them on that formline alone. Swiss Spirit was very unlucky last time out

Ascot 3.45 – St James Stakes – I just can’t take Dawn Approach 6/4 on.

Ascot 4.20 – Coventry – Read a decent article by Pyman about the profile of horses that win this and it all points directly towards Stubbs 3/1. Looks straightforward enough and will no doubt continue to improve. If Riverboat Springs was not so hard to get going I’d be all over him cos he has some serious pace, but I think his optimum might well be further. Still might be worth a bet in the without Stubbs market.

Ascot 5.00 – Ascot Stakes - Hobbs has sent out 3 winners out of the last 5 runners. Big Easy 14/1 is one of the best if not best hurdler in this. He stays. He’s got a fair bit of pace and WTD is taking off a decent 5lb. As I’ve written this over the last few hours, he’s been backed into 10/1. I could back many others but I’m sticking to one and also Midnight Oil 10/1.

Ascot 5.35 – Windsor – No need to get involved in this. But will stick with the International theme and tap Ogermeister 7/1. Be interesting to see how Wilshire Boulevard 11/1 gets on. Ladbrokes are 7/1. Maybe they have whispers from Ballydole

So my front line is fairly obvious – Kingdom, Shea, Dawn, Stubbs, Easy and Org.

Reserve line is harder but – Elusive Kate, Swiss Spirit, Magician, Riverboat Springs and Midnight Oil.

Will probably hit an O'brien Acc too especially those two slashed by Ladbrokes