Royal Ascot Tips: Your 5 best bets this week from Timeform

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22 June 2023

Royal Ascot Tips

The Copper Horse Handicap, Tuesday 20 June, 6:10pm – Vauban (Won at evens)
Queen’s Vase Stakes, Wednesday 21 June, 5:35pm – Gregory
Ribblesdale Stakes, Thursday 22 June, 3:40pm – Al Asifah
Commonwealth Cup, Friday 23 June, 3:05pm – Little Big Bear
Hardwicke Stakes, Saturday 24 June, 3:40pm – Hukum

Timeform’s Andrew Asquith highlights the five best horses heading into Royal Ascot with leading claims on Timeform’s ratings.

*Before we get down to business, remember folks: Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Ante-post prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Ante-post rules.*

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Al Asifah – Ribblesdale Stakes, Thursday 22 June, 3:40pm

AL ASIFAH made plenty of appeal on paper and landed the odds when making a winning debut at Haydock last month. She did so in impressive fashion, too, learning throughout the race but also showing a smart turn of foot to quickly put it to bed in the final furlong.

Al Asifah only beat an exposed filly on that occasion, but she took a massive step forward when following up in listed company at Goodwood last time, looking a filly right out of the top drawer as she breezed into the lead and soon settled matters without being subjected to any pressure.

She has been supplemented for this race instead of having a crack at the Irish Oaks and, while she doesn’t look short of pace, this step up in trip shouldn’t be a bother and she looks one of the bankers of the week given the amount of untapped potential she has.

Little Big Bear – Commonwealth Cup, Friday 23 June, 3:05pm

LITTLE BIG BEAR was one of the best two-year-olds around last year, completing a four-timer in devastating fashion in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August. He was in control at every point of that race, making his rivals look ordinary in a performance that was also backed up by the clock.

Given the stamina in his pedigree, connections were entitled to have a crack at the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on his return, but he ran too badly to be true and reportedly returned lame. Little Big Bear wasted no time bouncing back to form, however, attracting strong support when resuming winning ways back over six furlongs in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock last month.

He didn’t need to reproduce his Phoenix Stakes form, but he still won with plenty in hand and, though he was a precocious juvenile, he is a big, strong, length colt who remains with the potential for even better.

Hukum – Hardwicke Stakes, Saturday 24 June, 3:40pm

HUKUM is a very likeable horse who has an excellent CV and proved at least as good as ever when beating Derby winner Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on his return last month.

That was his first start since winning the Coronation Cup at Epsom last year, having fractured his hind leg during that race, so it was very encouraging to see him win in the manner he did, dropping back to a mile and a quarter.
That performance can be marked up even further as he overcame unfavourable circumstances, caught in trouble at a key stage of the race, still nearly two lengths down entering the final furlong but displaying a good turn of foot to run down Desert Crown.

Hukum reportedly won’t be risked if the ground is fast, but there is some rain forecast in and around Ascot during the week, and if it arrives, he will take a fair bit of beating in this returned to a mile and a half.