by Xpressbet
June 19, 2023
At The Races Royal Ascot Preview & Betting Guide FREE DOWNLOAD.
The Lineup
9:30 am ET | Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes
10:05 am ET | Group 2 Coventry Stakes
10:40 am ET | Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes
11:20 am ET | Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes
12:00 pm ET | Ascot Stakes Handicap
12:35 pm ET | Wolferton Stakes
1:10 pm ET | Copper Horse Stakes Handicap
The Incentive
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The Americans
While the Group 1 Queen Anne doesn’t have an American-based runner in the Royal Ascot opener, the presence of two-time Breeders’ Cup race winner Modern Games gives it a highly familiar feel. The 2021 Juvenile Turf and 2022 Mile winner is being pointed at a Mile title defense for Santa Anita this fall. The Charlie Appleby trainee was runner-up in Keeneland’s Maker’s Mark Mile this spring in his fourth North American foray, having also won the Woodbine Mile in Canada last September. As for the American-based reps on Tuesday at Royal Ascot, trainer Wesley Ward sends Fandom to the Coventry Stakes and Twilight Gleaming to the King’s Stand. The freshman colt Fandom debuted a winner at Keeneland by nearly 7 lengths in a turf sprint and is cross-entered Wednesday at Royal Ascot. Ward will make an eleventh-hour decision where to run. Twilight Gleaming also exits a Keeneland turf sprint win in the Giant’s Causeway Stakes and has scored victories in 6 of 10 starts. The 4-year-old was runner-up in Royal Ascot’s Queen Mary in 2021.
The Main Event
Tuesday’s Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes drew nine 3-year-olds for the day’s fourth of seven races. The British bookmakers are bullish in the matchup between Chaldean, ridden by Frankie Dettori, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Paddington with Ryan Moore up. English Two Thousand Guineas winner Chaldean has won five of seven starts as is by the legendary Frankel. Jockey Dettori has had recent success in this race with victories in 2016, 2018 and 2020. Paddington is the Irish Two Thousand Guineas hero and has tasted defeat just once in five tries, his debut at Ascot last September. O’Brien and Moore have had St. James’s Palace winning efforts in recent years, taking the 2015 and 2020 versions. Both Chaldean and Paddington are trading around 2-1 and 9-4 with the UK books.
The Tips
Here are the top picks in each race, courtesy of the UK’s At The Races Preview & Betting Guide handicappers.
Race 1 | #12 Inspiral
Race 2 | #3 Asadna
Race 3 | #12 Highfield Princess
Race 4 | #1 Chaldean
Race 5 | #5 Bring on the Night
Race 6 | #12 Poker Face
Race 7 | #7 Vauban