2023 Royal Ascot tips: Day two picks from Dave Nevison
Our resident website tipster Dave Nevison takes aim at some huge handicaps and shares his five recommendations for our special Pick 5 game centred on the Royal Hunt Cup. Don’t forget to make your entry below!
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The second day of Ascot is a tough punting card for me, consisting of high-class fillies’ events which aren’t my forte. However, I am pretty much “all in” in the Hunt Cup and regular followers and viewers of mine will already know the horse!
3.05 Ascot: Yerwanthere
Joseph O’Brien has three contenders in the Kensington Palace and may have the key in this fillies’ handicap, with the booking of crack Australian jockey James Macdonald for Yerwanthere taking the eye.
The lightly-raced four-year-old had won both starts before her reappearance effort in Listed company at Naas last month, when she got stuck on the inside rail and could not make any headway to challenge.
A fast pace looks set to suit very well and, like many fillies here, she holds a Group Two entry. She could well justify lofty entries after winning this.
This relatively new addition to the Joseph O’Brien looks set to go very well after an encouraging opening run for the yard.
Jumbly was a very good second in the Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh on her reappearance but needs to win at least a Group Two such as this to justify a £1.25m transfer fee from the Roger and Harry Charlton yard.
She is a previous course winner, so clearly a stiff mile suits, and that is definitely what she will get here under the top-class Ryan Moore.
5.00 Ascot: Astro King
There is no way I can’t stick with Astro King for the latest running of the toughest straight mile handicap of the year after he announced himself as a prime candidate last time.
I tipped him and backed him at massive odds at York and in my mind he should have collected in good style. It is difficult to remember an unluckier loser I have backed in recent years and the manner of defeat was stunning, the six-year-old meeting every blocked route through and still beaten just over a length in fourth place.
Obviously that is not the first time Astro King has disappointed, which probably explains why he was transferred from the Sir Michael Stoute yard yet trainers Daniel and Claire Kubler have picked up a useful horse very cheaply. went from the Stoute yard and the Kubler’s picked up a useful horse very cheaply. I have paid a lot more attention to their Lambourn stable and I’ve been singularly impressed, while the yard has been bang in form since York.
Given Astro King has proved that he’s settled in very well to his new regime, he only needs better luck to steer his way through to win this.
My Pick 5 selections for Wednesday
Dave has a strong view on the Royal Hunt Cup and shares his idea of the likely horses to fill the first five places. See if you can beat Dave and enter our latest Paddy’s Pick 5 competition below!
Astro King: My nap in the race. Desperately unlucky last time at York, he’s been earmarked for this ever since.
Awaal: He’s been bogged down in soft ground and over too far in recent starts and Willian Buick is back on board now.
Perotto: Back to the scene of his biggest-ever win, he’s very-well handicapped from a 3lb-lower mark than that victory two years ago.
Blue For You: Winner of the big mile handicap at the Ebor Festival last summer, he’s been unlucky a few times this season and is likely to go close.
Intellogent: Only beaten ½ a length in the race last year, he looks still as good now as an eight-year-old.
