Royal Ascot (Day One) Preview - 17/06/25

JN Value Betting
Jun 15
5 min read

Updated: Jun 17

BEST BETS:

POWER BLUE - 15:05 (COVENTRY STAKES) - 20/1 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.25PTS E/W (4 PLACES)

REGIONAL - 15:40 (KING CHARLES III STAKES) - 9/1 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (4 PLACES)

EAST INDIA DOCK - 17:00 (ASCOT STAKES) - 6/1 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (5 PLACES)

KING'S GAMBIT - 17:35 (WOLFERTON STAKES) - 9/2 (BET365) - 0.5PTS E/W (4 PLACES)

The 2025 Royal meeting gets underway at Ascot on Tuesday afternoon with five stacked days of racing ahead of us. Some of the best three year-old in the world take each other on in the feature race of the day, the St James's Palace Stakes, where Irish 2000 Guineas winner Field of Gold takes on his Newmarket adversary Ruling Court.

The meeting gets underway with the Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile, where last year's St James's Palace winner Rosallion takes on old rival Notable Speech, the Roger Teal trained Dancing Gemini and Lockinge Stakes winner Lead Artist. Richard Hannon's colt looks set to go off favourite, with him looking to bounce back from his third placed effort behind the aforementioned Lead Artist and Dancing Gemini last time out. He is my idea of the winner with that run in the Lockinge Stakes having tuned him up for this.

Attention then turns to the Coventry Stakes over six furlongs for the two year-olds where antepost favourite Postmodern heads a field of 21 runners for the Group 2 contest. Twelve of the runners come into this unbeaten, providing a tricky betting heat, with this race providing high priced winners in the past. I have turned my attention to the best form on offer in the field, which comes by way of the Joseph O'Brien trained Andab and POWER BLUE for Adrian Murray. Both of these horses were in the frame in the Group 3 Marble Hill stakes at the Curragh last month, the latter finished 3/4 of a length ahead of Andab, with the top three horses finishing well clear of the rest of the field. Andab looked appealing at his early odds of 16/1, however, he has halved in price to around 8/1, leading me to lean towards Power Blue at the prices. Adrian Murray's charge was just 3/4 of a length behind the antepost favourite for this race Albert Einstein, who has been ruled out of this through injury. That looks to be the best form line in the race with Aidan O'Brien labelling Albert Einstein "As fast a horse as we have ever seen work". That led him to being as short as 11/10 of this prior to his withdrawal, and I feel the 20/1 on offer for Power Blue looks appealing.

POWER BLUE - 15:05 (COVENTRY STAKES) - 20/1 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.25PTS E/W (4 PLACES)

The second Group 1 of the day is the King Charles III Stakes (formerly the King's Stand Stakes) where last year's winner Asfoora looks to retain her crown over five furlongs. She faces a similar challenge to last year with runner-up REGIONAL renewing their rivalry, alongside Al Quoz Sprint winner Believing. That pair finished second and fourth in this last year behind the Australian raider. There is every chance that Asfoora upholds the form of last year's success should she return in the same form. However, she is lacking a UK prep run this time around and I am keen to side with the runner-up Regional. This Group 1 winner has been one of the most consistent horses in the sprint division in recent seasons, and I feel he has what it takes to reverse the one length defeat to Asfoora last year. Ed Bethell's runner has been given a good draw for this contest with ten of the last twelve winners coming from stall seven or higher, his draw in seventeen should play into his hands.

REGIONAL - 15:40 (KING CHARLES III STAKES) - 9/1 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (4 PLACES)

Next up is the feature race of the afternoon where Field of Gold heads the field for the St James's Palace Stakes, with him being a short price favourite to overturn the 2000 Guineas form with Ruling Court. The former was an unlucky loser in the Newmarket Classic, and made amends when an emphatic winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh just three weeks later. The challenge outside of the 2000 Guineas form comes by way of the Aidan O'Brien trained Henri Matisse, who won the French version of the race last month, beating Jonquil by a head. Field of Gold looks set to go off an odds-on favourite and looks to take all the beating once again.

The first handicap of the meeting takes place next with the Ascot Stakes over 2m 4f attracts attention from the National Hunt world. Willie Mullins looks to hold the strongest hand in the field with the Royal owned Reaching High and Triumph Hurdle winner Poniros. These two runners bring eye-catching jockey bookings with Ryan Moore taking the ride on Reaching High, whilst William Buick being on Poniros. I was drawn to Chester Cup winner, and Triumph Hurdle third EAST INDIA DOCK for James Owen. He looked to relish every yard of the 2m 2 1/2f at Chester when landing their feature race, and the step up to 2m 4f could aid his chances even further here. He looked a handicap blot when winning at Chester, and has been put up 8lbs for that victory, so could easily have this mark within his reach.

EAST INDIA DOCK - 17:00 (ASCOT STAKES) - 6/1 (WILLIAM HILL) - 0.5PTS E/W (5 PLACES)

The Listed Wolferton Stakes is the penultimate race on day one, with a competitive race in store headed by Sons And Lovers for Joseph O'Brien and Ryan Moore. All sixteen runners are separated by just 6lbs on ratings, making this a tricky puzzle to dissect. I have sided with KING'S GAMBIT for Harry Charlton and Australian jockey James McDonald - who is widely regarded as the best jockey in the world, this son of Saxon Warrior was runner-up in the Hampton Court Stakes at last year's Royal meeting, proving a troublesome ride before scything through the field to just be denied. A return to ten furlongs could be the answer for King's Gambit, and although he appears to be the second string for Wathnan Racing, I feel the booking of James McDonald can only prove a positive. Another tick in the box for Harry Charlton's runner is the draw, King's Gambit is drawn in stall twelve for this contest, which gives him an advantage on other market rivals Sons And Lovers and Enfjaar given that all of the last twelve winners have been drawn in stall five or higher.

KING'S GAMBIT - 17:35 (WOLFERTON STAKES) - 9/2 (BET365) - 0.5PTS E/W (4 PLACES)

Wathnan Racing look to hold the key to the Copper Horse Stakes - the final race on Tuesday. They saddle favourite French Master who has won three of his five races. In what is only the sixth running of this contest, John and Thady Gosden will be hoping French Master can provide them a second success, having won the race in 2021 with Amtiyaz. They'll have to get the better of Willie Mullins who has landed the last two runnings with Vauban and Belloccio, and his runner Charlus will undoubtedly prove popular in the market, having won three of his four flat starts - all in France for Jean-Claude Rouget. Caballo De Mar runs for George Scott, and could be a market mover should East India Dock frank the Chester Cup form in the Ascot Stakes. Callum Shepherd's mount has won six of his last seven starts, only being denied by one length in the Chester Cup. He has climbed from a rating of 64 to 97, but he is upwardly mobile, and this could be well within his reach.