Phil Agius
Show Bio
Royal Ascot is one of the biggest weeks in the British horse racing calendar. Every race is being broadcast live on NBC Sports, with the remaining action from Wednesday to Friday being shown on Peacock and the final day on Saturday available on both Peacock and NBC.
Elite horses from across Europe and worldwide stables have gathered at the famous track, with a number of American contenders taking their chance, although Golden Pal disappointed after a slow start on Tuesday.
Here at Pickswise we will be providing free picks and predictions for every single race, so let’s see how our experts see the second day’s racing going. Odds shown are a guide for information only.
Race 1 (Queen Mary Stakes): Dramatised (11/4), 9:30 am ET
Race 2 (Queen’s Vase): Nahanni (4/1), 10:05 am ET
Race 3 (Prince of Wales’s Stakes): Bay Bridge (11/10), 10:40 am ET
Race 4 (Duke of Cambridge Stakes): Saffron Beach (11/4), 11:20 am ET
Race 5 (Royal Hunt Cup): Legend Of Dubai (15/2), 12:00 pm ET
The well-bred LEGEND OF DUBAI can defy an 11lb rise in the handicap for his impressive Newmarket success. Dark Shift, who has a good record at Ascot, looks a danger in this huge 30-runner field, and Astro King and Totally Charming are respected, along with Desert Peace and Intellogent.
Race 6 (Windsor Castle Stakes): Little Big Bear (9/4), 12:35 pm ET
Six of the last 10 runnings of this race have been won by horses starting from a draw of 18 or higher, but stall 1 was successful in 2016 and 2021, so a low gate number may not be a huge worry. U.S. trainer Wesley Ward’s Seismic Spirit seems likely to set out fast, as he did when only just caught on his debut at Churchill Downs. Ward has won this race twice and this year’s challenger is respected, as is Chateau, who has not had a clear run in either of his first 2 races. LITTLE BIG BEAR has impressed in his first 2 runs, especially when winning easily at Naas last month, and he could be the answer in this one. Others to consider are Bolt Action, Far Shot, Knebworth and Union Court, who are all unbeaten, while Jumbeau is the most interesting of the horses at much bigger odds.
Race 7 (Kensington Palace Stakes): Haziya (9/2), 1:10 pm ET
A lot of horses have chances in this race but HAZIYA and White Moonlight stand out as the most progressive contenders. Preference is for Haziya, who has a better draw and whose 3rd place at the Curragh last time out shows she can cope with the demands of a big field. State Occasion could go well at bigger odds, while Improvised has potential if her stamina holds out as she races beyond 7 furlongs for the first time.
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