ITV Racing knowledgeable Kevin Blake has previewed day one in every of Royal Ascot and has picked out three horses to observe, together with a 10-1 shot within the Queen Anne Stakes.
ITV Racing’s Kevin Blake has tipped up three horses on day 1 of Royal Ascot (Picture: PA)
ITV Racing’s Kevin Blake has revealed his prime picks for the primary day of Royal Ascot. The pundit, who beforehand tipped a shocking 800-1 Cheltenham Pageant treble in 2021 and dealt one other blow to bookmakers earlier this month, is on prime kind following the Derby at Epsom.
Blake appeared on ITV’s Opening Present earlier than the Derby, the place he picked out three horses he believed may carry out effectively and even win on the Downs. His choices, Lambourn at 13-2, Chester Vase runner-up Lazy Griff at 50-1, and 33-1 shot Tenesseee Stud, ended up taking the highest three spots, touchdown a whopping 8,249-1 guess for anybody who adopted his recommendation in a mix tricast. Now, Blake has shared his prime three horses to observe on the primary day of the historic Royal assembly.
His first decide of the day is for the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of the afternoon, scheduled for two:30pm. This one-mile occasion on Ascot’s straight course is a tricky problem, and this 12 months the Richard Hannon-trained Rosallion is trying to hold his unbeaten document in Berkshire and leads the market. Nonetheless, Blake has chosen celebrity Ryan Moore’s mount, 10-1 shot Diego Velazquez.
This four-year-old son of the legendary Frankel has been off since September, having final run within the Solonaway Stakes at Leopardstown, which he gained impressively. Coach Aidan O’Brien’s cost is ready to make a comeback after a stall mishap final month denied him a return, and whereas Blake expressed issues concerning the colt’s lack of prep runs forward of the Group 1 conflict, he believes his racing model might be advantageous.
Blake shared his ideas on the Queen Anne Stakes with Betfair: “The market is dominated by the type of the Lockinge Stakes, with the primary 4 residence reopposing. My choice amongst them is Rosallion, who I anticipate to enhance notably from that run, however he’s priced accordingly, and I’ve determined to enterprise outdoors the Lockinge kind in pursuit of bigger-priced options.
“Whereas it is not best that Diego Velazquez comes right here with out a run, his coach has had over a month to tighten the screws on him [from his intended May run]. He is an easy experience that enjoys sitting useful in his races, and which may effectively be an enormous assist in a race that might get messy for these which are held up.”
Diego Velazquez is Blake’s decide within the opener (Picture: Getty Photos)
Blake has additionally turned his consideration to the King Charles III Stakes, a five-furlong Group 1 dash open to horses aged three and above. Final 12 months’s winner, Australian mare Asfoora, is again to defend her title. Blake, nevertheless, has opted for Ed Walker’s Mgheera, an 8-1 shot, who has remained unbeaten since becoming a member of Walker’s yard from France in April and secured a win within the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock final day trip.
Star jockey William Buick is again in motion, a big enhance, and Blake believes Mgheera’s draw and constant progress places her in good stead for this 23-runner sprint, as he acknowledged: “This actually is fiercely aggressive with 23 runners set to dash down the straight at Ascot. With loads of tempo on show, my tendency is to favour one which shall be ridden patiently and look to strike late.
“Mgheera matches that profile and has been making regular progress this 12 months. She must step up once more to get significantly concerned at this degree, however this setup will maximise her probabilities of doing so. She is drawn near among the greatest tempo, so every thing appears aligned for her to have each likelihood to run a robust race.”
Buick is jocked up once more on Walker’s cost (Picture: PA)
Lastly, Blake’s third decide is within the day’s final race, the 1m6f Copper Horse Stakes. This staying handicap is open to 4 12 months olds and older, and it’s a 17-2 tip that ITV’s prime pundit has prompt.
Blake has backed Joseph O’Brien’s Aeronautic, who has seen important market motion, because the son of Gleneagles began at a normal 16-1 to start the morning.
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“His comeback run over an insufficient mile-and-a-quarter on the Curragh may have shaken off any rust, and this course and distance guarantees to go well with him effectively,” Blake acknowledged.
“Whereas a wider draw can be most well-liked, he’s set to be ridden with endurance and coated up, so it should not be an excessive amount of of a hindrance. He seems an enormous value.”
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