Royal Ascot 2023 Day 1 Tips – Henry Gibbs’ Preview and Tips for Tuesday’s Racing
Royal Ascot 2023 day 1 betting tips, race by race preview and predictions for all seven races on Tuesday 20th June.
The ITV Racing features amongst our Ascot day 1 tips here but Henry has been through every race on the card and picked out his best win or each-way bet from those races.
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2:30 Royal Ascot
The opener on Day 1 at Royal Ascot is the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile.
The horse I like here is NATIVE TRIAL (15/2) EW. The Godolphin second string was a 2 year-old of the highest quality and he continued to run at a high level at the age of 3 finishing second in the 2000 Guineas before going one better and landing the Irish 2000 Guineas.
He then went to the Coral Eclipse at Sandown against his elders and ran an absolute cracker going down narrowly beaten just over a head by top Group 1 performers Vadeni and Mishriff. He was below par on his final start when finishing a well-beaten 5th in the Juddmonte. Jockey William Buick said he ran flat there and he was off the track a while as a result. He had a wind operation over the winter and returned at Newmarket last month finishing second. He’s a big scopey sort who’d have needed that run and with the Charlie Appleby stable coming into form, he’s the one for me at the prices.
3:05 Royal Ascot
The 3:05 is the first 2-year-old race of the week, the Group 2 Coventry Stakes over the 6f trip.
It’s BOBSLEIGH (20/1) EW for me here. A good winner for the column at Epsom last time out when landing the Woodcote, he looked easily the best horse in that contest to me. He was held up and not given a hard time, still learning on the job and he won cosily despite jockey Charles Bishop not giving him a hard time. Woodcote winners have won 2 of the last 8 renewals of the Coventry so it’s obviously a race that can work out well. He’s won on fast ground on both career starts and I think he’s a player at a big price based on what we’ve seen.
3:40 Royal Ascot
It’s more Group 1 action at 3:40 and it is the turn of the sprinters in the King’s Stand Stakes over 5f.
I like DRAMATISED (9/1) EW here. The rapidly improving 3-year-old from the Karl Burke stable is all pace and she comes here after an impressive seasonal reappearance victory when landing the Temple Stakes at Haydock. She’s 3 from 3 over 5f and she won her only start here at Ascot when landing the Queen Mary at this meeting last year impressively. She gets plenty of weight off her rivals today and I can see her going close at this level with further improvement likely.
4:20 Royal Ascot
The third and final Group 1 on Day 1 is the St James’ Palace Stakes over the mile for the 3-year-old colts.
It’s CICERO’S GIFT (15/2) EW for me here. Unbeaten in his three career starts, he was incredibly impressive when winning at Goodwood last time out, quickening away from a solid yardstick in Kolsai to win by over 5 lengths. I am unsure on the Guineas form both sides of the Irish Sea and I’m happy to chance Cicero’s Gift at a much bigger price.
He has a nice draw in stall 2 and will be able to stalk favourite Chaldean who leaves from stall 1 and likes to get on with things. Paddington has a wide draw coming from stall 8 which makes life difficult for him over this course and distance.
5:00 Royal Ascot
The 5:00 is the marathon 2m4f Ascot Stakes with 24 runners set to go to post for this handicap.
It’s AHORSEWITHNONAME (15/2) EW for me here. Jump trainers have a great record in this contest which is no surprise and Nicky Henderson is one of the trainers that does excel in it. She won three flat races on the spin before finishing a good 5th in the competitive Cesarewitch handicap on her last flat start albeit that was back in October last year.
Things didn’t go to plan over hurdles this season but her last run was easily her best of the campaign winning a listed race at Cheltenham. She enjoys quicks ground and stall 7 is a lovely one with William Buick on board.
5:35 Royal Ascot
Next up is the Wolferton Stakes, a competitive listed affair over 1m2f.
I think SAGA (4/1) NB is the one here. He should have won the Britannia Handicap here last season off 97. Things went wrong throughout the race and he still only missed out by a head. He’s been hit and miss since but returned to form last time out when he was beaten a head by King Of Conquest. He gets a 6lb swing from that rival now and he has a much better draw from stall 3. If he runs his race, he can go close off a mark of 106. Given connections, you’d hope this has been the main target for a while.
6:10 Royal Ascot
The finale on Day 1 is the Copper Horse handicap over 1m6f.
It’s RULING DYNASTY (5/1) NAP for me here. Certainly one of the most unexposed sorts in the line-up coming here on his handicap debut after just three starts. He was second on debut at Leicester before winning both his next two starts at Newcastle and Haydock. The last of them was impressive as he powered clear to win by over 6L. He looks sure to appreciate the step up in trip again here and a mark of 97 could underestimate him.
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