Day Two Royal Ascot Preview 2023

The first race of the afternoon on day two of Royal Ascot 2023 is the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes over 5f and we have picked out two runners at each way prices that should hit the frame.

The first is the Karl Burke trained Got To Love A Grey who has been seen twice to date and is currently unbeaten progressing nicely in both her runs.

Making her debut on soft ground at Nottingham over 5f back in April when bolting up by six lengths, she was then last seen on good to firm ground getting the better of stablemate Dorothy Lawrence in the Listed Marygate Fillies' Stakes.

She is a horse that is on the up and currently holding leading form she is one of the more likely winners.

At a similar price for Richard Fahey is Midnight Affair owned by Clipper Logistics having been bought for 180,000gns, she is bred to have an abundance of speed and showed that when coming from the rear to fly home and grab second, only being beat by less than two lengths by Soprano in a good Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket during the Guineas meeting.

She looks a horse that would improve massively for that first experience and she did at Beverley winning fairly cosily and she is only likely to come on for that again.

Holds strong form claims and the owners won the race last year with Dramatised.

Next up is the first Handicap of the day with the Kensington Palace Fillies' Handicap over a mile and we have played two to hit the frame.

The first is the John & Thady Gosden trained Lady Eros who showed decent form as a three year old last term when second on debut in a decent Maiden over 7f and next time out built on that to get off the mark at Wolves.

Sent to Leicester under a penalty and only managing fourth, she was last seen in 2022 stepping up to a mile on handicap debut at Lingfield when a good second to a nice type for Simon & Ed Crisford.

Making her debut this year at Ascot over 1m2f when not staying the trip, she was then last seen off a mark of 80 being dropped to a mile and convincingly landing a handicap from United Front who has since come out and franked the form.

Up 6lbs for that run staying at a mile she looks to be going in the right direction but will have to break well from stall 1 to get involved.

At a similar price the Joseph O'Brien trained Indian Wish could have a say dropping back from Listed company into a handicap off a mark of 102.

Having moved from France over to O'Brien's yard ahead of this season, she has only been seen twice for this trainer making her Irish debut over 7.5f at Tipperary when only finishing just over a length behind the winner off 97.

Last seen being sent to Gowran Park in the Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes she was a very impressive winner and now back into a handicap off 102, hopefully progressing once more she looks interesting.

The Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes over a mile sees some talented Fillies & Mares go to post and we are siding with the Joseph O'Brien trained Jumbly.

Having been a smart horse for Harry & Roger Charlton landing the Group Three Valiant Stakes over course and distance in July last year, she has since moved over to Ireland for Joseph O'Brien.

Being seen once to date after almost 10 months off, she made a pleasing yard debut when second to the smart Just Beautiful in the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes.

Sure to improve for that run with it being her first for some time, this does not look the strongest Group Two in the world and she is the most likely winner for us.

The feature race of the afternoon on Wednesday is the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes over 1m2f and we are giving another chance to Bay Bridge for Sir Michael Stoute.

A superstar for the yard over the last few years, winning four straight races in 2021 making a mockery of his handicap mark At Newbury and York off 90 and 105, he then finished that season at Newmarket when landing the Listed James Seymour Stakes by 1/2 a length from Majestic Dawn.

Back last term with bigger races on his plate he put in a unreal performance in the Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes to beat Mostahdaf by five lengths, but then went to Royal Ascot and could not chase down State Of Rest from the front in the Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes over 1m2f.

Running below par in the Group One Coral Eclipse at Sandown when fifth of six finishing four lengths behind the winner Vadeni, with Mishriff, Lord North and Native Trail just ahead of him.

He was not seen again until his final run of the season in October at Ascot over course and distance in the Group One Champion Stakes and under a superb ride by Richard Kingscote he went on to defeat Adayar, My Prospero and Baaeed in a race for the ages.

Back as a five year old this term he made his seasonal debut in the Group One Prix Ganay over at Longchamp on ground slower than he would of liked he finished a good third behind a mud lover.

Last seen at the Curragh when narrowly going down to Luxembourg in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup, at his price we hope he can reverse the form having travelled like the best horse in the race last time out.

One of the trickiest races from a punting perspective during the entire week is the Royal Hunt Cup Handicap over a mile and we have picked out two runners at each way prices that should go close.

The first selection in the 2023 Royal Hunt Cup is the Godolphin owned Ghaly who has not yet been seen this season but from his form to date could take all the beating off 102.

Sent to Hamilton in June last year for his first run of the season he finished a half length second behind Austrian Theory who was seen winning a valuable handicap at Epsom at the weekend off a mark of 91.

Ghaly was then sent to York in a Class 3 Handicap off 93 and beat the talented Blue For You who is now rated 6lb higher than that mark.

Last seen at Newmarket in October running off 1lb higher, he was giving 9lb to the Godolphin owned King's Conquest and went on to beat him comfortably.

King's Conquest has been one of the most progressive horses this season winning all three of his events in Bahrain, at Newmarket in the Suffolk Stakes and last time out when beating Francesco Clemente in the Listed Festival Stakes at Goodwood.

Ghaly's form is extremely strong and although 8lb higher for this race he could be highly progressive and currently at 12/1 its a big enough price to find out just how good he could be.

At a bigger price for David O'Meara is the talented Orbaan who may be eight years of age now but last season showed himself to be in the form of his life and although taking some time this season to get back to that, his latest run at Epsom showed us the fire still burns.

A winner at Glorious Goodwood in the 18 runner Golden Mile Handicap off a mark of 87 on good to firm ground, he then dropped to 7f at Ascot off a mark of 95 and made it back to back wins in a competitive event.

Sent to York off 4lb higher in the Clipper Logisitics Handicap at the Ebor meeting, he ran another stormer to finish a solid fourth to a well handicapped stablemate in Blue For You.

He finished off last season with two more solid runs off 99 at Goodwood when second behind the progressive I'm A Gambler at Goodwood who won off a mark of 110 and then fifth at Ascot in the 20 runner Balmoral Handicap off 1lb higher.

O'Meara is a target trainer especially in the big fielded handicaps at Royal Ascot seeing plenty of success over the years and this season it looks as though Orbaan's mark has been set up for this race all term.

His first two runs of the season of 100 and 99 were below par efforts in decent events at Haydock and Ascot, but when last seen at the weekend at Epsom, off a mark of 97 he finished a close fourth over 8.5f in the competitive Racehorse Lotto Handicap.

That race showed he still has plenty to give event at the age of eight and having already won at Ascot, his price of 20/1 could be big for him to hit the frame.

The penultimate event of the afternoon at Royal Ascot on Wednesday is the Group Two Queen's Vase over 1m6f and Gregory could be tough to beat looking to have all the stamina in the world.

Making his debut this season at Haydock in April when taking a Novice Stakes over 11.5f, he showed a good attitude to go clear in the final furlong when only having to be ridden briefly.

Stepped up in class when last seen a Goodwood in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes over 11f, he is a horse still learning on the job, but the further he went the better he was and once again he powered clear close home to win by three lengths.

Being a half brother to Lionel who also won the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes, also in his pedigree is relation to a Group One winner over this trip and a Group Two winner over 2m2f.

Stamina is something he does not lack and with the more he races the more improvement that will come.

The final event on the second day of the meeting is Listed Windsor Castle Stakes and we like the look of two potentially talented youngsters.

The first is the two year old for Amo Racing with Maximum Impact for trainer Alice Haynes doing nothing but impress in his two runs to date.

Making his debut on heavy ground at Leicester when bolting up by 12 lengths, he then went to Ascot over course and distance in a decent Conditions Stakes and he made a mockery of Action Point to win by over two lengths.

He is a very fast horse that has shown versatility when it comes to ground and also showing he already handles the track leaves him with less to prove than the others.

At a bigger price of 20/1 the Karl Burke trained World Of Darcy has shown some smart form in his two runs to date and with extra places on offer he can finish in the frame.

A winner when gambled on debut over 5f at Pontefract beating stablemate Dawn Charger who has since franked the form, last time out he was seen progressing again when chasing home talented stablemate Elite Status in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown.

Staying in Listed company for this event he could be overpriced and is worth keeping an eye on.