It’s Gold Cup Day and Dave Massey is back with his Royal Ascot 2026 Best Bets and fancies a young pretender to land the feature race on Ladies Day.
Dave Massey’s Huge Royal Ascot 2026 Best Bets
Tierra Del Toro is one of two Ralph Beckett runners here and he looked to be crying out for twelve furlongs when a 2½ length third to Lost Boys over ten furlongs at Newbury last time. Badly outpaced when the pace lifted, he stayed on in good fashion to nab third very late on, and you can only see improvement for this step up in trip.
Royal Ascot 2026 Best Bets: Blue Hercules (3:05)
At a bigger price, though, don’t discount Blue Hercules, who has caught the Trackside eye on more than one occasion in the paddock and looks a work in progress. You can see the progression with each start and he stuck on well to the task when second over 10f at Haydock last time. He needs another step forward here but that’s far from impossible now he goes up in trip (stamina on the dam’s side of the family).
Royal Ascot 2026 Best Bets: Caballo Do Mor (4:15)
Will Trawlerman be fit? This is his first start of the season and his record after a 100+ day break means he looks vulnerable here, for all he’s the stayer in the field. 7-2 would look an each-way gift if he’s ready to go, and we won’t know that until the day. So as it stands, the bet for me is Caballo Do Mar (4.15) each-way.
He’s one that Trackside found very early, although I’m still wondering how he got beat off 65 at Yarmouth when I had enough on to win a house. Proven over the trip, having won the Cadran at Longchamp last year, he’s a proven Group 1 performer and his chance appears to have been underestimated by the early markets. Yes, I’d have liked a bit more juice in the ground but he goes on quicker and his form is every bit the equal of Scandinavia this year.
Royal Ascot 2026 Best Bets: Pathein (4:50)
Pathein (4.50) fits the bill nicely here. Useful at two, finishing a 1¾ length fifth to Hankelow in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes on just his second start last year, that earnt him a high mark to kick off the year from and whilst there are lurkers that may be well handicapped, he ran a cracker under a big weight over 7f at Goodwood last time, getting little room at the 2f pole, but staying on well in the final furlong once out in the clear.
A step back up to a mile can only help him, you feel, and on the figures he’s got every chance of getting in the shake-up. Ought to get ignored in the market but I like him as an each-way poke here.
Royal Ascot 2026 Best Bets: Apiarist (6:10)
Apiarist (6.10) was eighth in this last year when he travelled as well as anything into the race, but possibly not asked for his effort until too late, and he comes here in good form after a very unlucky effort at Thirsk last time. Jack Callan went for a rails gap that closed as soon as he went for it and he constantly had to nudge his way to the outside to get out, by which time it was too late.
All the same, he flew home once in the clear to be beaten two lengths and looked dead unlucky not to go close. He was a good third on his only other C&D effort, last October when he was once again described as an “eyecatcher” by Timeform; one of these days it’s all going to drop right and he’s going to win one of these big-field handicaps. It could be this one.
By Dave Massey
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