Megan Nicholls Racing Preview: Royal Ascot Day 2 Tips
WEDNESDAY RACING TIPS
Ascot 2.30 – Queen Mary Stakes
Zelaina (2/1 fav), for Karl Burke and Wathnan Racing, was the top-priced filly during the Goffs UK Breeze Up sale at Doncaster (£650,000).
I loved her when I saw her then. She comes from Kilminfoyle, a vendor that has produced some seriously smart horses over the years.
She is fast and was impressive on debut at Nottingham and is taking the same route as Karl Burke’s winner of this last year, Leovanni, and is owned by the same connections.
Zelaina can repeat that success. She will see out the stiff 5f very well. On her breeze, her gallop-out time was exceptional, and I think she will stay the 6f.
This is a very talented filly and she will take all the beating.
Megan’s Tip: Zelaina WIN
Ascot 3.05 – Queen’s Vase
This is a very open race.
I didn’t have a particularly strong fancy here, so I’m going with Asmarani (6/1) each-way for Aga Khan, Francis-Henri Graffard, and Mickael Barzalona.
He is a son of Sottsass, who I think will appreciate the step up to 1m6f. He is yet to be out of the first two in only a couple of starts, but the form looks pretty strong. The horse that beat him in a Group 3 last time was unsold at 2 million guineas at the Goffs Kensington Sale on Monday.
The form is good and the horse is very talented. He will be a strong stayer.
The only concern would be if the ground is a bit too quick for him, but I’m going to take the risk, as he is untried on this sort of surface rather than not liking it.
Megan’s Tip: Asmarani EW
Ascot 3.40 – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes
Fallen Angel (11/4 2nd fav) is probably my bet of the week.
Cheekpieces are on for the first time and she’s a very talented filly.
She ran nicely on return in the Lockinge, where she looked quite big in the paddock beforehand.
She had grown over the winter but was holding plenty of condition, and I thought she would take a big step forward from whatever she did there. Karl Burke wasn’t afraid to admit that he felt as if it was a race she would really need. She ran well with plenty of credit before getting tired late on.
The cheekpieces create a nice angle, the stiff mile at Ascot suits, she is back against her own sex, and she will take a lot of beating here.
I’m looking forward to watching her run and, at the price, I think she’s one of the best bets of the week.
Megan’s Tip: Fallen Angel WIN
Ascot 4.20 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
I was a little torn here between Los Angeles (2/1 fav) and Anmaat (10/3 2nd fav), but I’ve gone with the latter, who is returning to a track he likes.
I thought he ran exceptionally well over in Ireland last time to finish behind Los Angeles. There wasn’t much between them, and it could be a similar story here.
With Anmaat coming back to Ascot where he put up a career-best at the end of last season, he could take a step forward from his return run, where Los Angeles had race fitness on his side.
Anmaat could be the one to improve the most of the two, as he handles this quick ground.
He’s very tough and the track is in his favour, so he could reverse the form with Los Angeles here.
Megan’s Tip: Anmaat WIN
Ascot 5.00 – Royal Hunt Cup
I have put up Greek Order (8/1) as one of my best handicap bets of the week.
His odds have shortened a lot from 50s into the current price.
Previously trained by Roger and Harry Charlton and owned by Juddmonte, he was a close second in the Cambridgeshire in 2023.
He went over to America, where things didn’t necessarily go as planned and he was purchased by what is now the Greek Order Partnership, and switched back to the UK under trainer Michael Bell.
This horse is a proper oil painting - absolutely gorgeous, and I’ve always loved him.
The return to the UK and the straight stiff mile will suit him, and he has a big chance with Christophe Soumillon in the saddle.
The other horse I like here is Ralph Beckett’s Qirat (10/1), who has blinkers on for the first time and Colin Keane in the saddle.
He was narrowly beaten at Ascot on his return in the Victoria Cup in May. He loves this quick ground.
I think he will have taken a step forward from that return because he is a big, strong, burly horse. He carries a bit of condition. The blinkers are an interesting addition and I think he will run very well in this big field.
A good gallop and the straight track suits him.
Megan’s Tip: Greek Order EW; Qirat EW
Ascot 5.35 – Kensington Palace Stakes
It’s pretty boring, but I’m going with the favourite Rainbows Edge (10/3 fav), who was a winning tip when winning at Ascot last time.
She did it quite impressively, having to squeeze through quite a small gap before quickening up well and won going away.
She has top weight but she is a group filly running in a handicap and there is still more to come, so I am sticking with her here.
Julia Augusta (18/1) could be the each-way one.
She ran nicely on her return at Epsom when she was a bit fresh in the early stages of the race and therefore got a little tired late on.
She has run nicely enough at Ascot before, albeit on the round track. The straight mile might suit her better and she could outrun her odds.
Megan’s Tip: Rainbows Edge WIN; Julia Augusta EW
Ascot 6.10 – Windsor Castle Stakes
I’m going with Rogue Supremacy (11/2) - another horse who was sold at the Breeze Up sales.
He came from Tally-Ho and is by Mighty Spirit, who is a mare I have actually ridden on the track, which makes me feel very old! She was a pretty talented sprinter.
This horse was a very short-priced favourite when winning at Wetherby impressively. I think he will stay further, so a stiff 5f will once again suit him well.
He has a very solid chance.
Because it’s a big field, I’m putting two up here. Each-way, I’m going with Utmost Respect (14/1), who was second on debut at York when having a bit of a rough passage through. He was a bit keen, he got a bump, and looked green. But he ran with a huge amount of credit.
He can step forward and will have learned a lot from York. Providing he gets a smoother time of things, he can outrun his odds.
Megan’s Tip: Rogue Supremacy WIN; Utmost Respect EW
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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation