Royal Ascot selections Thursday 19th June
A really varied card to enjoy for Thursday at Ascot. Of course the Gold Cup takes centre stage, but for betting purposes there are two really good handicaps that I am going to concentrate on.
Ascot 3.05: Daiquiri Bay
The King George Handicap is always a fascinating puzzle given the majority of horses are both potentially ahead of their handicap mark and thoroughly unexposed at the 12f distance. The one I most fancy though is DAIQUIRI BAY from the Alan King yard previously successful in this race.
He has had the statutory three runs to qualify for a handicap mark and although a rating of 39 is tough enough, I think he has more to offer now upped in distance. He was beaten under a penalty at Doncaster last time, but was not given a hard race and shaped very much as if an extra 2f would suit.
He found plenty from the rear of the field to win at the big Chester meeting last month, and had shaped well on his only start as a juvenile at Newbury. His dam Strawberry Martini won over as far as 2m in her career, whilst sire New Bay was a top 12f horse, so stamina should be his forte.
Ascot 6.10: English Oak, Akkadian Theatre, Gleneagle Bay
I like the look of the final race on the card as there are three that standout from the remainder.
Although his form has been modest at best since storming home to win this very race twelve months ago, there are good reasons to think that ENGLISH OAK can bounce back here.
He has a good wide draw just like last year, encounters the same fast ground and is back to a mark just 1lb higher than twelve months ago. Of course he has been very disappointing this season, hence his declining rating, but I am hopeful that the application of headgear will buck his ideas up. Jockey James Doyle had the pick of a few Wathnan runners and keeps the faith with Ed Walker’s gelding.
AKKADIAN THEATRE showed up well in a few good big field handicaps last season, though he can hardly be labelled as a consistent sort. That said he has built up a good record at Doncaster, a track that favours hold up horses, and he followed up a win there last summer with victory on his previous start eleven days ago. He looked to win with plenty to spare on that occasion so is capable of defying a 6lb rise.
He is a good horse when he gets a strong pace to run at and has already done well here when second in a competitive handicap at this trip last September. The booking of Billy Lee is interesting and is another to be drawn near the stands side.
However if I had to pick one it would be GLENEAGLE BAY who I fancied for the Victoria Cup here over the same course and distance last month and was possibly a slightly unlucky loser. He travelled beautifully throughout the contest, but ended up being force to make his challenge wide and away from his main challengers.
He ended up third but beaten only by the minimum distance and there is surely a big race in him. He is building up a strong record in these big handicaps having been caught on the line in the Champions Weekend handicap at Leopardstown last season and he shaped well on seasonal return on ground probably too soft in the Irish Lincolnshire. I think he will be much more at home on the fast ground here.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Daiquiri Bay – 3.05 Ascot – 25/1 Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – English Oak – 6.10 Ascot – 11/2 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 6)
0.5pts each-way – Akkadian Thunder – 6.10 Ascot – 14/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 6)
1pt each-way – Gleneagle Bay – 6.10 Ascot – 6/1 Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 6)
