Paddock judge and racing expert Dave Massey is back each and every day of Royal Ascot 2024, giving his best bets and expert advice for all 5 days of the royal meeting
Royal Ascot 2024 – Illinois (3:05 Ascot, Queens Vase) – Back
The talk for this beforehand has been of Highbury, one of Aidan’s four runners for this year’s Queens Vase. It’s not hard to see why, given his 7½ length demolition job in a Leopardstown maiden last time out, and in a good time figure too. The second, Himalayan Heights, improved to win a Tipperary maiden on his next start, and similarly third home Vice President was only just touched off in another quality Leopardstown maiden too, so the form stacks up.
However, let’s not get too carried away here – it’s all maiden form and whilst the promise of better is clearly there, I’d rather row in with the proven Group form of the yard’s Illinois, particularly with the promise that this step up in trip will see him in an even better light.
A length second to Los Angeles in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud at two, he looked badly in need of the run on his seasonal debut at Leopardstown (in heavy ground) but left that form behind when second to Ambiente Friendly in the Lingfield Derby Trial, not looking entirely at home on the track either. All the same, that form was franked when the winner only found City Of Troy too good in the Derby, and this stiffer track should play to his strengths.
Royal Ascot 2024 – Laurel (3:45 Ascot, Duke Of Cambridge Stakes) – Take On
Finding something to take on today was hard enough, given plenty of the races are 5-1 the field. I half-considered lumping Auguste Rodin and Inspiral together and laying the pair at long odds-on for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes as both are entirely capable of throwing a poor one in, but in truth, what are you left with? Whilst you’d struggle to call the rest of them moderate, none of them has form that matches up to the big two, so that becomes a hard call to make.
Instead, I’ll lay Laurel small at around the 11-4 mark in the Duke Of Cambridge. Not seen for over a year now, she still has a little to prove on rattling quick ground, and for all she (just about) has the best form in the race, stall 1 won’t be any great help, and Ryan Moore will need a bit of luck in the home straight if she’s caught in the pocket.
Royal Ascot 2024 – Fantastic Fox (5:05 Ascot, Royal Hunt Cup) – Each Way
I’d half an eye on Fantastic Fox for this after his eyecatching effort over 7f here in the Victoria Cup earlier in the season where, for much of the contest, he looks outpaced and with two furlongs to go, looks more like finishing nearer last than first. However, the big gear kicks in at the furlong pole and he starts passing horses for fun late on, beaten a shade over two lengths in finishing eighth.
It was a similar story at Epsom last time out too, as he wasn’t going anywhere quickly in the straight (only had a couple behind him with two furlongs to go) but once again stayed on to good effect late to finish fifth, beaten 3½ lengths and looking like he had a bit more left in the tank. This strongly-run mile ought to be up his street and it isn’t hard to see him running through beaten ones late to grab some place money, at worst. He should go well for a yard among the winners at present.
Royal Ascot 2024: Wednesday Tips
3.05 Illinois – Back
3.45 Laurel – Take On
5.05 Fantastic Fox – Each Way
By Dave Massey
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