Royal Ascot Tips 2024 – Day One

Date: Tuesday 18th June 2024

Royal Ascot Day 1 Preview – 2024

The opening day of Royal Ascot always throws up a mixture of solid Group-class winners, fast-improving younger horses and the odd shock result when the market underestimates one at a price.

Using the key race trends and the Turf Talk ratings, here is the 2024 day one shortlist race by race. The aim is not to force every winner to the top of the table, but to make the card read like a genuine pre-race assessment of the most likely players.

Main Selection: Charyn (4/1 available)

He looks the most solid fit with the race trends, especially with a recent Lockinge run behind him and enough tactical pace for a stiff Ascot mile. He had already shown he was thriving this season and this race often rewards exactly that sort of progressive older miler rather than one coming in short of a proper prep.

Second Selection: Facteur Cheval (9/2 available)

A high-class miler with strong form on the board and the sort of profile that commands respect in a race like this. He does not bring the same obvious Ascot angle as the selection, but the raw ability is there and if the race turns tactical he has the class to be right in the finish.

Main Selection: Camille Pissarro (9/2 available)

The Coventry often goes to a well-fancied juvenile with a recent win and strong six-furlong potential, and he looked to fit that mould better than most. He had already shown enough professionalism to suggest a big-field Royal Ascot race would not find him out, and the yard knows exactly what type is needed here.

Second Selection: Electrolyte (33/1 available)

Not as obvious from a market point of view, but a horse who still made some appeal on the figures. He had the right recent-run profile and enough speed to suggest he could make his presence felt if improving again. In a juvenile race, that potential for sudden progress always has to be respected at a price.

Main Selection: Big Evs (7/2 available)

The ratings put him narrowly on top and on pure speed there was a lot to like. He had already shown high-class five-furlong form and looked the type to be suited by the sharp demands of this race. With his pace and proven quality, it was easy to see why he would be near the head of the market.

Second Selection: Regional (6/1 available)

Ascot form is a big asset in this race and he brought exactly that. He had the experience, the recent run and the kind of profile that often goes very close in these top sprints. If the favourite did not fully dominate, he looked the most likely one to be there capitalising late on.

Main Selection: Rosallion (7/2 available)

He came out top on the figures and looked one of the most solid Guineas colts in the field. The St James’s Palace is usually won by a proper miler with Group-class substance and he had exactly that. If getting the strong pace he likes, he looked the one most likely to produce the best finishing effort.

Second Selection: Henry Longfellow (9/4 available)

A colt with obvious class and one who sat right near the top on all the usual trends for this race. He had the right level of form and the right recent preparation, so if the selection failed to produce his best, Henry Longfellow looked the most likely alternative to take full advantage.

Main Selection: Zanndabad (6/1 available)

The staying profile looked right, he had the right sort of mark and he came from a yard that knows how to place this type of horse. The Ascot Stakes often rewards stamina and composure more than flashiness, and he looked one of the more solid contenders if settling into a good early rhythm.

Second Selection: Pied Piper (8/1 available)

The National Hunt crossover angle in this race is always worth respecting and he brought that into the equation. He had enough class and enough stamina on paper to make him very interesting. If this turned into the proper test it often becomes, he looked the sort who could keep responding all the way to the line.

And as ever in this race, it is worth remembering Sweet Glow’s memorable Ascot Stakes victory in 1994, proof that stamina, timing and a well-handicapped horse can still beat the market at Royal Ascot.

Main Selection: Israr (5/1 available)

He fitted the stronger age and distance profile for the Wolferton and looked the right type for a race that often rewards a solid ten-furlong older horse rather than a headline act. He had enough class, enough recent form and the sort of attitude that usually serves a horse well in these Royal Ascot conditions races.

Second Selection: Royal Champion (6/1 available)

A horse with enough ability to be a serious player if things fell right. He did not bring quite the same level of confidence as the selection, but his profile still matched enough of the key race trends to make him a very sensible second choice in a contest that often produces a tightly bunched finish.

Main Selection: Belloccio (8/1 available)

The Copper Horse often favours a younger, progressive stayer and he looked the best fit with that profile. He had enough form over the trip to suggest this could be his race and still looked capable of improving again. In a contest where progress matters more than established reputation, he made plenty of appeal.

Second Selection: A Piece Of Heaven (10/1 available)

Another who looked interesting on the figures without being an obvious market leader. He had the sort of profile that can outrun odds in a staying handicap at Royal Ascot and looked well worth a place on the shortlist. If the race turned into a battle of stamina, he had enough in his favour to get involved.