Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for day two’s racing coming your way from Royal Ascot 2025.
ROYAL ASCOT BEST BETS DAY TWO WEDNESDAY
Race 1 QUEEN MARY STAKES (Group 2)
No25 ZELAINA (Nap)
Trainer: Karl Burke – Jockey: James Doyle
History can repeat itself in the opening Queen Mary with ZELAINA scoring for the same owner/trainer/jockey connections as in 2024. The daughter of Mehmas has taken the same route here as Leovanni 12 months ago, hosing up on her introduction at Nottingham. She is very fast and can with a victory today recoup a chunk of her £650,000 purchase price.
TRUE LOVE finished second in a Listed race on debut in a race that has worked out. She also finished second on her latest start in a Navan maiden, and as Coolmore’s only runner needs respecting.
SOCIETY KISS drew away from her foes in the closing stages of her introduction here for Ralph Beckett and has scope for abundant progression, while another northern-based challenger that can outperform her price is Tim Easterby’s REVIVAL POWER, whose Thirsk triumph is working out well.
Prediction: 1st Zelaina, 2nd True Love, 3rd Society Kiss, 4th Revival Power
Race 2 QUEEN’S VASE (Group 2)
No7 PINHOLE (Each Way)
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Colin Keane
PINHOLE is a speculative suggestion for this staying contest as he’s the type that could improve on only a fourth outing of his career. The son of Frankel was held in high regard by Sir Michael Stoute and needed his first run for Beckett when fourth in the Chester Vase. Although beaten ten lengths, it’s to his benefit that the winner Lambourn went on to launder the Betfred Derby.
Aidan O’Brien fields a twin challenge on the prize with SHACKLETON looking Coolmore’s number one. The Camelot colt races as though he will benefit from a step up in trip, while he’s bred to handle this faster ground under Ryan Moore.
SCANDINAVIA was odds-on when giving short shrift to inferior rivals at Navan and also needs to prove himself over the trip, though his overall form isn’t as good as his stablemate’s. The sole French challenger ASMARANI possesses a soft ground pedigree but his second in the Prix Hocquart is strong in the context of the race, and he could easily be involved.
Prediction: 1st PINHOLE, 2nd Shackleton, 3rd Scandinavia, 4th Asmarani
Race 3 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES (Group 2)
No6 RUNNING LION (Each Way)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Ascot sponsor David Howden enjoyed a first taste of success at this meeting with RUNNING LION in 2024. That filly has been trained specifically with a return here in mind and can improve past adversaries such as CINDERELLA’S DREAM who tries to concede 3lb following her success in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket last month.
ONE LOOK is a very interesting candidate from Ireland and just needs to prove she can handle a faster surface after a sizzling first day of heat in this part of Berkshire. She was only narrowly beaten in the Lanwades at the Curragh and is maintaining a high level of form. While she won the Irish Guineas last year, there’s an unknown factor about FALLEN ANGEL who ran well to a point in the Lockinge and will come on for that first first outing of 2025.
Prediction: 1st RUNNING LION, 2nd Cinderella’s Dream, 3rd One Look, 4th Fallen Angel
Race 4 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES (Group 1)
No9 SEE THE FIRE
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
The Day 2 highlight gives SEE THE FIRE an opportunity to show she’s making abnormal improvement, as she will have to do if she is to beat eight males in the Group 1. The Sea The Stars filly cost her connections £70,000 to be supplemented into the race and can call on the fillies’ allowance, while anyone who saw her demolition job in the Middleton at York will afford her plenty of respect.
Last season’s Derby third LOS ANGELES made the perfect start back when edging out ANMAAT in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and will now strip fitter. With that Group 1 on his CV and his tail is up, he has the scope to confirm those placings for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
OMBUDSMAN is an upwardly mobile four-year-old, who didn’t race at two but with four straight victories in an unbeaten campaign last year lined himself up for top honours this season. The Francis Graffard-trained MAP OF STARS was beaten by Ombudsman in France, and though finishing behind him for a second time at Sandown could challenge for the podium in a fascinating affair.
Prediction: 1st SEE THE FIRE, 2nd Los Angeles, 3rd Ombadsman, 4th Anmaat
Race 5 ROYAL HUNT CUP HANDICAP
No21 URBAN LION (Each Way)
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: Edward Greatrex
We are largely in the dark about where the better ground is and in favouring URBAN LION everything is crossed in the hope that you need to be low. The gigantic gelding breaks from stall 3 in a bid to make this a second success in the space of four days.
He powered up the Sandown hill on Saturday to pick up the 5lb penalty needed to get him into today’s race. He appears to have taken little out of himself, and looked in good order breezing up the West Ilsley all-weather on Monday. BULLET POINT is in the same vicinity draw-wise and needs to be taken seriously as he bids to make this a fourth triumph on the bounce for William Haggas.
On the other side of the course THE LIFFEY commands respect, with Joseph O’Brien adding both cheekpieces and a tongue strap to the lightly raced gelding who has Ryan Moore in his saddle.
MY CLOUD is trying to hunt down a fourth straight win for Roger Varian and to remain unbeaten in handicaps. It’s hard to know how good he is, a remark that also applies to FOX LEGACY who made the perfect start for Andrew Balding when successful at Newmarket and who is a fresh horse.
Prediction: 1st URBAN LION, 2nd The Liffey, 3rd Fox Legacy, 4th My Cloud, 5th Bullet Point
Race 6 KENSINGTON PALACE HANDICAP
No9 ROSE PRICK (Each Way)
Trainer: Ed Walker – Jockey: Tom Marquand
If there is to be a surprise in this relatively new race to the Royal meeting, ROSE PRICK can provide it. Although it’s two years since her last taste of success the No Nay Never mare shaped well to make the podium in the Nottinghamshire Oaks. She has Ambiente Amigo in front of her but can turn the tables on her foe.
The 100-rated AROLLA figures to be a threat on handicap bow, while RAINBOWS EDGE can confirm her superiority over Arisaig, and with a podium finish mirror her liking for this venue.
SERIALISE and SKY SAFARI enter calculations and especially the former who goes to post on the back of a fine second in a strong race at the Curragh.
Prediction: 1st ROSE PRICK, 2nd Arolla, 3rd Rainbows Edge, 4th Serialise, 5th Sky Safari
Race 7 WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES (Listed)
No16 OLD IS GOLD
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: James Doyle
HAVANA HURRICANE hails from a yard that produces precocious two-year-olds, and with his unlucky defeat at Epsom showed he’s one of them. The Havana Gold colt needs taking seriously and may find the maiden KANSAS a threat as these fellow hails from an Aidan O’Brien yard that has won three of the last two runnings.
OLD IS GOLD landed heavy support in a professional manner at Beverley and might have the strongest credentials along with hat-trick seeking ROGUE LEGEND.
Prediction: 1st OLD IS GOLD, 2nd Rogue Legend, 3rd Kansas, 4th Havana Hurricane
