Royal Ascot selections Friday 19th June
I am concentrating on the two handicaps on Friday for day four of Royal Ascot. We had a cracking Thursday with wins for Enceladus (advised 17/2) and Moonfall (advised 12/1) whilst Elarak was placed for the each-way bet (SP 12/1).
Ascot 3.40: Plage de Havre & Insanity
Joseph O’Brien has dominated the middle distance handicaps this week, but might have to give best to a couple of English trained rivals here.
PLAGE DE HAVRE readily landed the Old Newton Cup at Haydock last summer and was saddled with an 11lbs rise for that. That win turned out to be his last outing of 2025, so we have had to wait and see whether he was up to that rise. It would be harsh to judge him on his comeback over 10f in a listed race at Kempton, where he was well beaten.
However his last start, back in handicap company at York showed he is up to the rise, having taken third place behind Klassleader. He seemed to lose his action late on, otherwise he would have been a lot closer, and hopefully he is at peak fitness for today. He has actually been dropped a pound for that run which is a little bonus.
INSANITY has built up a solid record around Ascot and it is easy to see him make the frame again once more. He comes into this race having had an easy build up, racing just the once when a staying on second over 10f at Pontefract. On all known form he is better at this distance.
In three runs at Ascot he has a win, a second place and a third place so this configuration clearly suits and he seems happy on all going, but fast ground does seem to suit ideally. Trainer Alan King is already off the mark for the week after Daiquiri Bay’s win.
Ascot 6.10: Westport & Calico Blue
A typically trappy finale so two bets at low stakes are recommended.
WESTPORT is unbeaten in three starts, all in novice company, so it is guesswork as to whether his handicap mark of 95 is generous or not. He was actually dropped a pound after his Hamilton win, but he showed enough pace on that occasion on his first try at 5f to think he has the pace to win over this stiff track.
His two earlier wins came at 6f, but I like the combination of pace and finishing burst this gelding has shown to date. George Boughey has shown again this week how adept he is at getting his 3yo’s well handicapped to win at this meeting.
CALICO BLUE shaped well on his reappearance at Sandown in April, and again looks the ideal type for a stiff 5f here.
He was running on strongly up the hill that day and will surely have come on for the run too. He was campaigned at 6f last season, but his two wins in novice company both came at Chester where the emphasis was on speed, so it makes sense to try him at 5f for now.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Plage de Havre – 3.40 Ascot – 10/1 Bet365, William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Insanity – 3.40 Ascot – 14/1 Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 5)
0.5pts each-way – Westport – 6.10 Ascot – 18/1 Betfred, William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 6)
0.5pts each-way – Calico Blue – 6.10 Ascot – 14/1 Skybet, Paddy Power (1/5 odds 1st 6)
