2025-06-20

Megan Nicholls Racing Preview: Royal Ascot Day 4 Tips

FRIDAY RACING TIPS

Ascot 2.30 – Albany Stakes

I drew this up between Gold Digger (17/2) and Green Sense (15/2).

Gold Digger was seriously impressive at Yarmouth and I expect her to improve plenty for that as she showed inexperience yet still won with loads left in the tank. I know connections think plenty of the second Awaken (28/1) so it looks pretty solid form.

I was surprised at Green Sense’s price as she wasn’t far behind Lady Iman and I think Lady Iman is probably the best two-year-old filly around, so to get as close to her as Green Sense did was a very good run.

She looks the value play in a race BetMGM is paying four places each-way.

Megan’s Tip: Green Sense EW

Ascot 3.05 – Commonwealth Cup

This looks like a really hot Commonwealth Cup with lots of strength in depth.

I do think Shadow Of Light (5/4 fav) is the class angle. His form is above and beyond the rest of the field and while he drops down to six furlongs, he was a pretty speedy two-year-old.

In an ideal world, he would probably have preferred slightly softer ground, but I don’t see the quick ground being too much of an issue and we know his third in the 2000 Guineas is top-class form.

I know they are one and two in the market, but I did think Babouche (9/2) was his biggest challenger. She’s drawn next to him and was impressive back up to six furlongs on quick ground.

These conditions look ideal for her and I can see her giving the favourite a proper race of it.

Megan’s Tip: Babouche EW

Ascot 3.40 – Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes

I think Almosh'her (7/2) has got a really good chance in this.

He’s up five pounds for the win at York and he seems a horse that only wins by what he needs to, so while he’ll need to improve again, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was plenty more to come.

He’s drawn wide but that’s not necessarily a bad thing over this trip and I can thoroughly see the case why he’s been so well-backed.

The horse who finished second to him last time, Stressfree (11/1) looks an obvious each-way play. He’s ultra-consistent and should run another solid race.

The other to consider is War Rooms (7/1) for last year’s winning connections who looks likely to go well back down to 1m4f. He’s talented and the yard obviously know what is required to win this.

Megan’s Tip: Almosh'her WIN; Stressfree, War Rooms EW

Ascot 4.20 – Coronation Stakes

It was hard not to be impressed by Falakeyah (3/1) at Newmarket last time and she looks a seriously talented filly.

She steps up in grade but looks to have lots of speed so I don’t see the drop back to a mile being too much of an issue.

Her trainer, Owen Burrows, always seems to come away from these big meetings with a winner and I can see Falakeyah delivering that. I’m hoping she could be top-class and I expect her to take plenty of beating here.

At an each-way price, Chantilly Lace (20/1) might run a bit better than her odds suggest.

She ran nicely in the Guineas on her seasonal reappearance where she did little wrong for a horse with so little experience.

She’s entitled to improve plenty from that and the race she won as a novice has proved a good prep for this in the past.

Megan’s Tip: Falakeyah WIN; Chantilly Lace EW

Ascot 5.00 – Sandringham Stakes

Six places each-way for punters here and this looks very tricky, despite the fact we’ve got a 3/1 favourite.

First one I’ll back is Oolong Poobong (12/1), who was impressive at Haydock and Ed Bethell had a winner here a couple of seasons ago with a similar type of profile. She’s a strong traveller and I don’t think the mile at Ascot will be a problem.

The other is Betty Clover (9/1), who always runs her race and the form of her second two starts ago at Goodwood reads very well with Crimson Advocate winning the Duke Of Cambridge on Wednesday.

Megan’s Tip: Oolong Poobong, Betty Clover EW