Charlie McCann’s Horse Racing Tips For Thursday, 18 June - Royal Ascot
Charlie heads to Royal Ascot on Thursday for his best bet
It's a busy day of racing action in the UK and Ireland, and Charlie McCann is here with his exclusive free horse racing tips - only at FreeBets.com.
3:05pm Royal Ascot - Believed (Each-Way) & Al Azd (Each-Way)
The last three runners of the King George V Stakes (12f handicap for three-year-olds) have come out of stalls 21, 18 and 20, and a high draw is perceived as a big advantage over a mile-and-a-half.
My two against the field are the Irish challenger BELIEVED (Each-Way) (4) and AL AZD (Each-Way) (14), and have split stakes between the pair, although neither appears to have a favourable draw.
Aidan O'Brien with South Pacific in 2019 is the sole Irish-trained winner of the race in the last decade, but Believed made it third time lucky when scoring on her first start at the distance when dotting up in a Dundalk maiden by 8l.
By Frankel, Believed is half-sister to a Group 1/Melbourne Cup winner down under and holds a Group 1 entry later in the season (10f), which suggests she is held in some regard by connections. Oisin Murphy – who is retained by the owners – takes over for the first time.
Al Azd missed the kick, stumbled and lost a length or two after a furlong and was never competitive over ten furlongs last time, but I thought he ran a tremendous race in the circumstances, and he was finishing as well as anything at Newbury, beaten just over four lengths.
That Newbury race was the London Gold Cup, invariably one of the hottest handicaps of the year, and Roger Varian's son of Dubawi looked ready for a step back up in distance, having won a Southwell maiden (1m3f) and a 1m4f Doncaster handicap from a 7lbs lower mark on his previous two starts.
Cieren Fallon has a record of 2-1 on the selection and returns to the saddle in the continued absence of Shadwell's retained jockey Jim Crowley.
Ed Walker showcased his talents when Ten Bob Tony landed the Queen Anne on Tuesday, and his handicap debutant, the lightly raced Golden Knight, is worth more than a second glance, but you could throw ten darts at the race and still not hit the board.
Recommendations: Believed (Each-Way) - 14/1 with bet365 (5 places) & Al Azd (Each-Way) - 11/1 with bet365 (5 places)
3:40pm Royal Ascot - Legacy Link (Nap)
LEGACY LINK (Nap) only raced thirteen days ago, but a repetition of her three-and-three-quarter length second to magnificent winner Thundering Home in the Oaks at Epsom, when she had the third six lengths further back, would be good enough in this company.
That classic run was on good to soft ground, but she won the Group 3 Musidora on fast ground over 10f at York on her reappearance. The Gosdens have won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes four times in the last decade, and two of the winners have come on from Epsom (Aidan O'Brien's Magic Wand in 2018 and John Gosden's Coronet the previous year).
For coincidence punters, note both Magic Wand and Coronet won from stall one, and Legacy Link has drawn the same stall this afternoon. I expect the result to be the same, although I do appreciate that the filly had a tough race at Epsom.
Recommendation: Legacy Link (Nap) - 2/1 with Ladbrokes
4:15pm Royal Ascot - Scandinavia
Confidence in SCANDINAVIA is waning the nearer they get to post time for the Gold Cup, the feature race of the who meeting, but I cannot desert the four-year-old who won both the 1m6f+ St Leger and the 2m Goodwood Cup as a three-year-old and has won both starts so far this term albeit it would be wrong to suggest he has been visually impressive in those successes over 1m6f.
Scandinavia only had a neck in hand of Rahiebb in the Doncaster classic, and the latter did us a good turn when landing the Yorkshire Cup at York on his reappearance last month. Looking back on the Leger, however, I did think Scandinavia was holding Roger Varian's son of Frankel at Doncaster near the line, and I do believe the Ballydoyle runner will be the stronger stayer.
Last year's winner, Trawlerman, finished second to Kyprios in 2024 and will be wearing ski-goggles – yes – in the preliminaries. He has his ground but is reported to have had an interrupted preparation by his trainer, and this will be his first start since landing the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day.
I thought Al Riffa was a cert when disappointing in Meydan back in the spring, and a bigger danger may come from George Scott's Cabello De Mar, a dual Group 1 winner in France – including at this 2m4f trip - although he would appreciate a bit of give in the ground. That said, he looked better than ever at Longchamp last month.
Recommendation: Scandinavia - 13/8 with bet365
4:50pm Royal Ascot - Crest Of Fire & Wechadd
My two against the field in the Brittania and CREST OF FIRE (5) and WECHADD (27), although I appreciate the evidence from the opening day was that a high draw was a huge advantage on the straight course.
Crest Of Fire got going too late when third to Blue Courvoisier and Langstone at Carlisle in the re-routed Silver Bowl last time, but didn't have the clearest of passages and can reverse the form with the first two on the revised terms – four and 1lb better off - and stiffer track with Tom Marquand taking over in the plate.
Wechadd ran well behind the impressive Catallus on his reappearance at Goodwood over 7f when he did best of those drawn high and gave the distinct impression that he would appreciate stepping up to a mile for the first time.
You need to have at least seven pounds in hand and luck in running in this famous handicap. There is a strong French challenge but less so from Ireland, who unsurprisingly, have not won this mile three-year-old handicap in the last decade.
Recommendations: Crest Of Fire - 20/1 with bet365 & Wechadd - 9/1 with Coral
6:10pm Royal Ascot - Blue Brother & Dance In The Storm
I was able to get a bit of 20/1 on BLUE BROTHER for the 7f Buckingham Palace earlier in the week when it became apparent he wasn't going to get in the Hunt Cup – he was first reserve – and he has halved in price in the last twenty-four hours, although I'm not convinced this drop back down in trip is a plus.
The selection has not seen the track since finishing down the field in the Hunt Cup at this meeting twelve months ago, when the subject of a monster gamble into 13/2. He stumbled when leaving the stalls and was constantly denied a run down the stands' side here twelve months ago, and has again been well drawn in twenty-eight.
He has been gelded since he last ran and has his first start for Hamad Al Jehani, having been trained in France for last year's meeting. I am not as confident dropping back in distance, but 20s was a bit of a rick although he is having his first start in a year.
Cosi Bello would have won a minute with a clear run at Haydock last time, and a 2lbs rise is more than fair. Charlie Fellowes has had this race in mind all season, but I am convinced there is a big race to be won with DANCE IN THE STORM, and the hope is that her draw (2) does not prevent her from running a big race back on fast ground.
Her Chester win on her penultimate start – overcame a poor draw and trouble in running – suggested she would be up to defying her 6lbs rise, but she has never been the luckiest of fillies. It is possible that she will be beaten by the draw again today, but she remains on a good mark for Andrew Balding.
Recommendations: Blue Brother - 10/1 with bet365 & Dance In The Storm - 12/1 with Coral
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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