Ben Linfoot free Royal Ascot horse racing tips for Wednesday June 21
The Verdict tips: Wednesday, June 21
1pt e.w Mukaddamah in 3.05 Royal Ascot at 20/1 (bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
1pt win Random Harvest in 3.40 Royal Ascot at 25/1 (General)
1pt e.w Dunum in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 16/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
1pt win Saint George in the 5.35 Royal Ascot at 14/1 (Hills)
Dunum right in the Hunt for Lupini
An excellent renewal of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes featuring Luxembourg, Adayar and Bay Bridge may well headline day two of Royal Ascot but the big betting race of the day is the Royal Hunt Cup as 29 horses do battle over the straight mile.
We could talk about the draw and the well-handicapped horses all day, but one of the key factors in finding a Hunt Cup winner is identifying a strong traveller who can cope with the demands of trapping an end-to-end gallop and DUNUM stands out in that regard.
The Irish raider is still rapidly improving having shot up the handicap by the best part of 40lb in the last year and he’s come through the grades in big-field handicaps at Gowran, Galway, Limerick and the Curragh, generally travelling well towards the front end before fending off all challengers.
There is a lot to like about the way he has gone about his business and the handicapper doesn’t look like he’s got a grip on him yet. Beaten a short head on the bob off 93 at the Curragh last time, he travelled best of all once again and aggressively threw his hat in the Hunt Cup ring.
This race looks set to bring out the best in him, then, and the BHA handicapper has only given him another 2lb from his Irish mark, while jockey Wayne Lordan, who has developed a winning partnership with this horse, has some good straight track Royal Ascot wins to his name thanks to Lolly For Dolly and Duntle.
His trainer Natalia Lupini has improved her strike-rate out of all recognition in Ireland the last couple of years and her stable are in terrific form, so a bold bid for Royal Ascot glory looks likely from her stable star.
The Verdict: Back DUNUM in the Royal Hunt Cup
Random selection in Duke of Cambridge
Prosperous Voyage and Jumbly dominate the market in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes but this race has thrown up a few upsets over the years and neither filly looks rock solid by any means.
It looks more wide open than the market suggests and in a small-field race lacking in proven front runners there’s the possibility of an even or weaker pace that could also enhance the possibility of a turn up.
With all that in mind RANDOM HARVEST looks a very fair price at 25/1, and while she benefitted from being on the speed off a slow gallop at Epsom last time there’s every chance something similar could happen here.
I wouldn’t beat her with that particular stick anyway, as Roman Mist also got the run of things out in front in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom and she dropped out to finish last, so I’d view Random Harvest’s battling second to Prosperous Voyage in a positive light.
It was a clear indicator she’s back in form and crucially she has a solid bank of Ascot form from last summer to her name which makes me think she can thrive in this contest.
A neck second at this meeting on the round course in the Kensington Palace Stakes, she proved herself on the straight track after that with a win and a third, travelling strongly on each occasion in handicap company under Saffie Osborne.
She has improved since then, Osborne rides the straight course really well and Ed Walker’s horses are in super nick, so she’s worth a go at a big price.
The Verdict: Back RANDOM HARVEST in the Duke of Cambridge
Muk worth a look in Kensington Palace
MUKADDAMAH can relish the drop in trip with first-time cheekpieces applied on her return to Ascot in the Kensington Palace Stakes.
Roger Varian’s four-year-old makes her handicap debut here off 99 after accumulating a stack of solid pattern-race form including a close-up fourth in the Ribblesdale over 1m4f at this meeting 12 months ago.
Her 10-furlong form is just as good, a third to Nashwa at Newbury on her third start one example, but she has enough pace for a strongly-run mile and she wasn’t beaten far over the course and distance by the now 108-rated Grande Dame on her second start last April.
Highly-tried and unexposed, she can play a big part in this on her handicap bow and the first-time cheekpieces could be crucial in helping her travel.
Interestingly two of her half-siblings, Atalanta Breeze and Craigburn, both won in first-time cheekpieces, so the headgear could really do the trick in a race where she potentially has a bit of a class edge on her rivals.
The Verdict: Back MUKADDAMAH in the Kensington Palace
Keep Saint George in your heart
Finally, Gregory is a hot favourite for the Queen’s Vase but he looks very short and is worth taking on with Andrew Balding’s SAINT GEORGE at 14/1.
John & Thady Gosden’s market leader might’ve been well on top at the line in the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood, but he ran green and lost his position early, while his half-brother, Lionel, bombed out in the Irish Derby on his next start after winning the same race last year.
He looks a risky proposition at short odds and I’d rather back the potential of Saint George, who bolted up in what looked a red-hot handicap at Doncaster last time out.
Two lengths clear of the progressive Struth, the pair were miles clear of the rest and they made promising horses like True Legend, Prosper Legend and Rathgar look decidedly ordinary, the latter having previously run a nice race behind Queen’s Vase hopeful Chesspiece at York.
Saint George looked very professional and thrived at the 1m6f trip, clearly inheriting his stamina from his dam, Lady Dragon, who was twice a 1m5f winner in France.
Balding has a good record of identifying the right type for this race in recent years, winning it with Dashing Willoughby in 2019 and finishing second with Berkshire Rocco a year later, and he looks to have found another strong contender with this son of Roaring Lion.
The Verdict: Back SAINT GEORGE in the Queen’s Vase
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCareon 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org
