Charlie McCann’s Horse Racing Tips For Wednesday, 17 June - Royal Ascot
Charlie heads to Royal Ascot on Wednesday 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.
Circumstances dictate that I must write Wednesday's preview before racing on Tuesday, and I want to see the results on the straight course on the opening day – and thus the significance of the draw – before getting heavily involved
3:05pm Ascot - Limestone
Market leader Galiyan did well to pick up the more experienced Joulany in a valuable Chester maiden last month, and the further he went, the better he looked. He looks the best of the home challenge, but Irish-trained runners have won the last couple of renewals, and I think they will land the hat-trick with LIMESTONE expected to confirm 1m5f Navan listed form with runner-up Asakir, who is fitted with cheekpieces for the first time by Johnny Murtagh.
For the last few weeks, Joseph O'Brien's New Bay colt has been one of my bankers of the week, but I am now concerned about both the draw (8) and the suitability of the ground, given this will be the quickest surface he has encountered. That said, I loved the way he hit the line when rallying, having led and then gone back to third, last time when he gave the impression today's additional furlong would be a plus.
The selection has won his last three starts – beaten six lengths by Benvenuto Cellini on racecourse debut – but the draw is a concern over this 1m6f trip, although the favourite Galiyan is drawn outside Limestone in nine.
Joseph's father, Aidan, has saddled the winner of the corresponding race four times in the Last decade and relies on Port Of Spain, who steps up in trip by half a mile, having finished fifth in the London Gold Cup on his seasonal debut at Newbury last month. Third to Derby winner Christmas Day as a juvenile over 9f, it will be interesting to see what the market thinks of his chance.
Recommendation: Limestone - 3/1 with Ladbrokes
4:20pm Ascot - Minnie Hauk (Each-Way)
The feature race is the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, and it is, undeniably, the race of the meeting with last year's Arc 1-2, the winner of the corresponding race twelve months ago and the impressive winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes all standing their ground.
The market is headed by Ombudsman, who overcame trouble in running to win last year when he beat Anmaat by two lengths. He was subsequently beaten by Delacroix in the Eclipse and Calandagan in the Champion Stakes, and he may need to improve again in this august company from the worst of the draw in stall eight.
Almaqam may be five, but he is, arguably, the new kid on the block, having taken his form to a new level when landing the Pretty Polly at the Curragh last time on lightning-fast ground when he had MINNIE HAUK no less than nine lengths behind. He had previously been kept well away from fast ground, and the result made a bit of a mockery of Ed Walker's previous assumptions, although he always held the horse in the highest regard. That said, I hope to see the real Minnie Hauk this afternoon and hope to see her ridden more prominently than is often the case.
I backed the filly in the Arc and was on good terms with myself for the vast majority of the race, but she was just touched off by Daryz, beaten just a head on ground perhaps just a tad softer than ideal – described officially as very soft but no worse than good.
Note the first four home in the Arc were drawn 2-1-3-5, but Daryz is 13/8, and the runner-up 9/1, and that is too big a discrepancy, although the French colt continues to go from strength to strength and has won his two starts so far this term – both in Group 1 company over this trip – with the minimum of fuss.
I presume the selection's stablemate, Mississippi River, will set a strong pace, and I hope to see Minnie Hauk take it up at the top of the home straight. She may not be good enough to keep the boys at bay, but at 9/1, I am prepared to give her another chance.
Recommendation: Minnie Hauk (Each-Way) - 9/1 with bet365 (3 places)
5:00pm Ascot - Fifth Column & Archivist
At the time of writing, Blue Brother is first reserve for the Hunt Cup in the Wathnan colours, but, at the time of writing, he looks unlikely to get a run and may have to wait for the Buckingham Palace Stakes over seven furlongs on Thursday.
James Doyle was jocked up on Blue Brother, but the assumption is that he will jump ship in his absence to ARCHIVIST, although I do think his 8lbs rise in the weights for scoring at Meydan last time was harsh. He didn't quite get home over 10f in the John Smith's Cup when trained by William Haggas and improved for the application. It is hard to make all over this stiff straight mile, but Archivist is one of two I will support.
FIFTH COLUMN is closely matched with Erzindjan on Newmarket running over an additional furlong last time, and Charlie Appleby's four-year-old – drawn down the centre in stall fourteen – gets the vote despite being only 1lb better off with the winner. The slight drop back in distance will suit the Godolphin-owned runner.
I well remember the gelded son of Kingman winning at York last summer and thinking he had a big race in him next term. He won his race, first of ten, in the group who stayed on the far side in the Britannia over course and distance at the corresponding meeting last year, and he is drawn in the middle again (fourteen) today.
The perception – without having watched Tuesday's racing – is that a high draw is preferable, although he is drawn near to Linwood (16), who made all when winning the Spring Cup at Newbury when last seen in April.
Recommendations: Fifth Column - 14/1 with bet365 & Archivist at 11/1 with Ladbrokes
5:35pm Ascot - Alobayyah
Stateira has improved dramatically in recent starts and showed she is as good on turf as on the all-weather when third at the Curragh in a Group 2 last time, when she would have finished even closer had she not met with interference as she tried to challenge down the far rail.
I am not sure how good the form is, but it was hard not to be impressed by the prep run of ALOBAYYAH, who finished a never-nearer third over course and distance when tenderly handled on handicap debut for William Haggas. The filly is 5lbs better off with the winner Radiant Beauty, but she looks sure to come on bundles for what was just her fourth career start and first since October.
The race was first run in 2021, and the five renewals have been won from stalls 10-17-8-21-13, which suggests a high draw is an advantage, and the daughter of Ghaiyyath – whose progeny improve with age – looks well berthed in stall sixteen of twenty-four.
Recommendation: Alobayyah - 5/1 with Coral
6:10pm Ascot - Sergei Diaghilev (Nap)
I didn't play in the juvenile races on the opening day, but I do think that SERGEI DIAGHILEV (Nap) could be a class apart in the Albany Stakes – up from five to six furlongs for the first time this year - with the form of his 6f Curragh maiden success on debut franked by the subsequent victories of the second and third. The placed horses both hold group entries going forward.
A useful sort invariably wins that particular maiden – Brussels for Ballydoyle last year – and the selection is a brother to the stable's Endorsement, a listed winner at 12f earlier in the month who runs in tomorrow's Hampton Court Stakes. The Wootton Bassett colt is probably in need of 7f already, but he does hold fancy entries at today's six-furlong trip later in the season.
His draw in stall two is a concern – or it is ahead of the meeting – but the hope is that Tuesday's races on the straight course do not show a strong bias to the stands' side (high draw).
Joseph O'Brien saddles three with One Number, the choice of stable jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle. The colt finished behind Celeron at the Curragh on debut, but he finished best of all, and he can reverse the form.
The biggest threat may come from the filly (receives 5lbs from the colts) Controlla, who was thrown into a Group 3 on her racecourse debut and ran a terrific race in second, beaten just a neck at 25/1, although she was the subject of favourable home gallops reported by the outstanding Gary O'Brien on racing TV.
Aidan O'Brien saddled a couple in the Coventry on the opening day but relies solely on Sergei Diaghilev this afternoon. The hope is that the surface is a level playing field, but this is Ascot and watered ground.
Recommendation: Sergei Diaghilev (Nap) - 5/2 with Paddy Power
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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