Barry Hill's Royal Ascot Tips
The highlight of the flat season begins today and Barry Hill looks to continue his hot streak with a full day's tips at Royal Ascot.
The pinnacle of the flat racing season is upon us with a whole 5 days of exquisite Group 1 racing. Today I have 7 tips for you, one from each race. My value bet is the French runner DOLAYLI , the first race, at 12/1 this could be an epic start to the day if he can overcome his French rival BIG ROCK in the opener.
My best bet of the day comes in the form of NOTABLE SPEECH in the St James Palace Stakes. Charlie Appleby's charge was especially impressive in the 2000 Guineas and despite being quite short at 6/5 is a solid bet.
2:30 Ascot
Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series)
DOLAYLI - 12/1 (E/W)
French-trained runners appear to have strong prospects in the opening race of Royal Ascot 2024, the Queen Anne Stakes, with last year's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Big Rock and Dubai Turf victor Facteur Cheval having solid form claims.
However, another French contender has been somewhat overlooked. DOLAYLI, trained by Francis Graffard, has been longing for fast ground, and a well-run race over a mile will suit him perfectly. This will be his first experience on a fast surface, but he looked every bit the winner of the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan last time before fading over the 1m1f distance on soft ground. Additionally, he comfortably outperformed dual Group 1 winner Junko on the Chantilly Polytrack in March over 1m1½f.
Despite being a five-year-old, DOLAYLI has not yet had the opportunity to show his true potential on turf. With many competitors in the line-up who prefer to race forward, his proven stamina could become a decisive factor in the latter stages.
3:05 Ascot
COWARDOFTHECOUNTY 11/2
COWARDOFTHECOUNTY appeared to have significant untapped potential when he comfortably won a Curragh maiden in April. The runner-up subsequently bolstered the form emphatically in a Listed race on his next start, enhancing the race's reputation. COWARDOFTHECOUNTY has a large frame to grow into, and his impressive physique suggests a bright future if he can handle the anticipated faster ground. Aidan O'Brien has an excellent record in this contest, having won it 10 times. The fact that he relies solely on Camille Pissarro to represent Ballydoyle makes the son of Wootton Bassett a key contender for the shortlist.
Among the home-trained contenders, Al Qudra, Andesite, and Francisco's Piece stand out, with the latter being particularly appealing following a Listed race victory in France 16 days ago.
3:45 Ascot
King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series)
REGIONAL - 9/2
The high-class Big Evs experienced defeat when he ventured outside his age group in the Nunthorpe at York last summer, but his record remains largely exemplary, making him a strong candidate for any shortlist. Nevertheless, the older contenders could again dominate in this fiercely competitive renewal, with last year's Haydock Sprint Cup winner, REGIONAL, emerging as the strongest contender. Having finished a close second in the Greenland Stakes at the Curragh on his return to action, REGIONAL has been specifically prepared for this race, and a bold performance is anticipated.
Temple Stakes winner Kerdos is another to consider, while Twilight Calls, who finished runner-up in this race two years ago, and Valiant Force, who placed second to Big Evs in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, also have solid chances.
4:25 Ascot
St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1) (Colts) (British Champions Series)
NOTABLE SPEECH - 6/5
In a highly anticipated contest featuring the winners of the English, Irish, and French Guineas, NOTABLE SPEECH has the potential to establish himself as the premier three-year-old miler. Charlie Appleby's charge was particularly impressive in the 2000 Guineas, making smooth headway from the rear before accelerating away from the field with ease. The unbeaten son of Dubawi is difficult to oppose based on that performance.
Rosallion, who finished second to NOTABLE SPEECH at Newmarket, was last seen securing a gritty victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and deserves significant respect as he seeks to avenge his Newmarket defeat. Additionally, Henry Longfellow, a Group 1 winner in the National Stakes, is certainly capable of better than his unfortunate eighth-place finish at Longchamp behind Metropolitan.
5:05 Ascot
Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
NUSRET - 11/1
Willie Mullins has an excellent track record in staying handicaps on the Flat, although it has been a few years since he last won the Ascot Stakes . Despite his success, Mullins has had a few runners fall short at relatively short odds in recent years. This time, he is pinning his hopes on My Lyka. While Mullins likely believes the five-year-old is well-handicapped, My Lyka was beaten over hurdles on his sole start for the stable and has been drawn poorly, leading to Zanndabad replacing him as the market favourite after an unlucky run in the Chester Cup.
However, this race is more competitive than the Chester Cup, and Zanndabad is 2lb higher in the weights, making it worthwhile to consider a couple of long shots like NUSRET and Divine Comedy. Divine Comedy's case is quite clear; she is rapidly improving and was an easy winner at Haydock last time when stepping up to 2m for the first time. Despite being 9lb higher for that run, she could still prevail if in the same form, and an additional four furlongs might bring further improvement. Although the ground at Haydock was soft, she previously won by ten lengths on good to firm going, making her current price seem unjustified.
NUSRET, on the other hand, will relish the ground and has performed well in Grade 1 hurdle races at Aintree and Punchestown last year, suggesting he should be competitive off a mark of 91. The main question with Nusret is whether he will stay the 2m4f distance, but his strong finishes in races suggest he might benefit from this trip.
5:40 Ascot
Wolferton Stakes (Listed Race)
ISRAR - 7/2
Jessica Harrington sends Bold Discovery over from Ireland after his victory in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown over a mile. Although his stamina is still in question, he could perform well at a big price. Astro King is expected to handle the faster going predicted here and should fare better dropping back in trip following a one-paced effort in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket.
ISRAR, who won the Group 2 Princess Of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket last July, finishing over four lengths ahead of Derby winner Adayar, appears to be the one to beat. His second place to Passenger at Chester last time out also reads well, further solidifying his status as a top contender.
6:15 Ascot
BELLOCCIO - 10/3
Willie Mullins won this race last year with Vauban, and if the early betting is any indication, he might do so again with BELLOCCIO. Having secured a win over hurdles last month, BELLOCCIO previously achieved success in Listed company under his former trainer and appears well-handicapped off a mark of 100, considering his career-high rating of 108.
A Piece Of Heaven looks promising on his first start for Joseph O'Brien following an easy victory at Leopardstown last month. However, an added 7lb will make things more challenging for him. Intinso is also worth respecting on his ninth start, with the addition of a tongue-tie potentially sparking some improvement.