Royal Ascot Best Bets
This week, the racing keeps pace with the wonderful weather as Ascot hosts the sizzling Royal Ascot Festival. Kicking off on Tuesday afternoon and concluding on Saturday, this June jamboree offers 35 races for our punting pleasure, including eight Group 1 firecrackers.
As ever, we will attempt to come out the other end of this punting marathon clutching a profit. With that in mind, we present the four runners who have made their way to the top of our punting pile.
Wolferton Stakes - 5:35pm, Tuesday 17th June
Having bagged eight winners over the past five editions of this fixture, Roger Varian is a trainer to note at Royal Ascot. When scanning his list of entries for 2025, two runners, in particular, stand out.
The first of the Varian duo comes in a race the trainer has claimed twice in the past five years. Successful with Mountain Angel (2020) and Royal Champion (2023), the Newmarket handler has another likely sort on his hands in the shape of Enfjaar.
In five career outings over this 1m2f trip, the Lope De Vega gelding boasts form figures of 11225. The most recent of those runners-up finishes came when failing by ½l to concede 5lb to Persica, who has since won twice in Group 3 company. The fifth, meanwhile, came when in need of the run on his seasonal return in a red-hot edition of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes. Back down to Listed company in a race his trainer targets, he looks like the one to beat.
- Recommended Bet - Enfjaar to win @ 4/1 with Ladbrokes
Queen Mary Stakes – 2:30pm, Wednesday 18th June, 2:30pm
Continuing the theme of trainers who have performed well in a particular race at Royal Ascot, we turn to the yard of 2022 and 2024 Queen Mary Stakes winner Karl Burke.
Wathan Racing and Burke struck with Leovanni 12 months ago, and we like the chances of the owner/trainer combo defending their crown in 2025. As tends to be the case in this event, the majority of the remaining entries scored on their most recent appearance. Whilst many looked like smart performers in the making, none impressed us as much as Zelaina.
Remarkably professional on her first career start, the filly shot straight into the lead under James Doyle. And in the lead, she remained, as Zelaina didn’t see another rival on her way to an effortless, eased down, 2¾l success. This is a significant step up, but she’s nicely bred for the job (by Mehmas out of an Oasis Dream dam) and goes for a trainer who knows just what it takes to prevail. Expected to improve on that debut effort, we fancy this blisteringly quick filly won’t be caught.
- Recommended Bet - Zelaina to win @ 2/1 with Ladbrokes
Royal Hunt Cup – 5:00pm, Wednesday 18th June, 5:00pm
The second leg in our Roger Varian double arrives in the big handicap on Day 2 at the meeting. Whilst yet to land this prize, Varian came close in 2024, when losing out by just a length with third-placed Perotto. One year on, we like his chances of going two places better.
Whilst sired by sprint sensation Blue Point, My Cloud appears to have inherited stamina for a mile from the dam side of his pedigree. Since stepping up to the Royal Hunt Cup trip, his record reads a perfect three wins from as many starts.
Kicking off 2025 with an effortless success over this course and distance, he made light of a 10lb rise in the handicap to follow up at Newbury in May. Whilst up another 5lb, he looked value for more than the narrow winning margin last time, having missed the break. Sneaking in towards the foot of the weights, he can take this next step up the ladder under Silvestre De Sousa.
- Recommended Bet - My Cloud to win @ 9/2 with Ladbrokes
Albany Stakes – 2:30pm, Friday 20th June, 2:30pm
Last but not least, we return to the Yorkshire yard of Karl Burke. Hopefully, Burke will enjoy a successful week with his juvenile sprinting fillies, as it is another runner in that category who carries our cash here.
Having shelled out 240,000 Guineas to secure the services of this daughter of Venetian Sun, Tony Bloom was no doubt hoping for a positive display in her recent debut at Carlisle. At the end of that 5f event, the Brighton & Hove Albion supremo looked to have made yet another shrewd investment.
Dwarfing many of her rivals in the parade ring, Venetian Sun looked as though she would improve significantly for the outing - that she still managed to slam a field of promising sorts was a testament to her raw ability. With a huge raking stride, this step up to 6f seems likely to suit and she looks well worth her place towards the head of the market.
- Recommended Bet - Venetian Sun to win @ 5/1 with Ladbrokes
A £1 Lucky 15 on the above selections at the recommended prices returns £1,091 with Ladbrokes if all four win.
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