It’s hard to believe we’re heading into the third day of Royal Ascot already. It’s Gold Cup Day at the most famous meeting in the world, and I have several Royal Ascot day three tips to get stuck into.
I’m betting in the big race at 4:15, obviously, but my Royal Ascot nap of the day comes before that in the Ribblesdale Stakes.
My Royal Ascot Thursday tips are all about form and pedigree analysis. I’m betting in four races on the card, and I’ve also got a Lucky 31 to share with you later on.
Royal Ascot Day 3 Betting Preview – The Tips at a Glance
| Bet Type | Horse/Race | Odds | Bookie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Bet | Legacy Link (3:40) | 13/8 | 10bet |
| Next Best | Into The Light (3:05) | 11/2 | William Hill |
| Gold Cup Bet | Rahiebb (4:15) | 4/1 | 10bet |
| Gold Cup Bet | Trawlerman (4:15) | 7/2 | 10bet |
| Value Bet | Maho Bay (5:35) | 9/1 | Betfred |
Odds correct at 13:15 BST on 17/06/26. Odds subject to change.
My latest Royal Ascot predictions have been priced up by 10bet, Betfred, and William Hill, three of the best horse racing bookmakers around.
No Expiry Date
My Royal Ascot Best Bet
Legacy Link – 3:40 (Ribblesdale Stakes)
The Ribblesdale is colloquially known as the Ascot Oaks. Like the Oaks, this is a mile-and-a-half race for three-year-old fillies, and usually it attracts those not thought to be good enough for the big one at Epsom. Things are different this time around, however.
I backed John & Thady Gosden’s beautiful daughter of Dubawi, Legacy Link, for the Oaks. My opinion on her was backed up by a former Oaks winner too, in my exclusive interview with Paul Hanagan during the build-up to Epsom.
She finished second in the Classic, but the Gosden and Juddmonte teams are happy with a quick turnaround for her, and she goes again here in conditions that will suit even better. The 13-day break isn’t totally ideal, but she cruised into contention effortlessly at Epsom and was simply beaten by a better, potentially superstar filly. She didn’t have the hardest race.
That form, and her earlier win in the Musidora at York, sets her apart from this field. Colin Keane’s mount is undoubtedly one of the Royal Ascot best bets of the day.
Why I’m Backing Legacy Link
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Top-class form shown in the Musidora and the Oaks
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Sees this trip out well and will love the fast ground
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Didn’t look entirely the finished article at Epsom – more to come
My Next Best Bet at Royal Ascot
Into The Light – 3:05 (King George V Stakes)
The second of my Ascot betting tips today comes in the King George V, a competitive handicap for three-year-olds over a mile and a half. There’s plenty to like about Heyzoom, Believed, Joulany, and Dante Stakes runner Guildmaster, but I’ve ultimately landed on Charlie Appleby’s contender, Into The Light.
This is all about who is the best handicapped horse, and I cannot ignore the past form and potential progression of this Dubawi colt. Saved for the event since April having qualified with three racecourse runs, he managed to split Lost Boys and The Joker when runner-up at Sandown.
He gave The Joker 3lbs and nearly a three-length beating there, and that horse has since gone on to win and climb 4lbs in the handicap. Into The Light would have beaten Lost Boys had the race been over this distance, and that one has now been bought by Wathnan Racing having since landed the informative London Gold Cup.
Into The Light is at least at Lost Boys’ level, most likely better, who is now rated 96 and is fancied for a race here on Saturday. Charlie Appleby’s runner gets into this off a mark of just 88, and you can back him with William Hill who have some good Royal Ascot betting offers.
Why I’m Backing Into The Light
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Rock-solid, proven form from good race at Sandown
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Clearly well handicapped and held back for this race
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Will really appreciate the extra two furlongs (his mare stayed up to two miles)
My Ascot Gold Cup Preview
Trawlerman & Rahiebb – 4:15 (Gold Cup)
Aidan O’Brien has the favourite in the Gold Cup (yawn), but there’s no way I’d take a short price about Scandinavia. He has been solid, but he only just repelled an improving Rahiebb in last year’s St Leger. If anything, Rahiebb is improving faster and, given that he was outpaced over a mile and six furlongs, it seems the further he goes, the better he will be.
Roger Varian’s Frankel offspring is bigger and stronger than last year, and he looks sure to land a Group 1 race at a staying distance soon. He would have been my outright number one Gold Cup prediction, but we all thought that Trawlerman missing his prep run meant he’d be out of the race. He is not.
The eight-year-old, who dominated the race last year in running the quickest Gold Cup of all time, worked very well at home recently. The issue with him has been his newfound sensitivity to light and so, get this, he’ll be wearing ski goggles in the preliminaries and on the way to post!
He goes straight back into my Gold Cup betting tips, as he’s just so high quality. Given the odds on these two horses, I’m dutching the stakes here and backing them both.
Why I’m Backing Rahiebb & Trawlerman
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Odds are good enough on both horses to dutch the stakes
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Both are prepared by high-end teams (Varian and Gosden)
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One represents known class in this race, the other extreme potential
My Royal Ascot Value Bet
Maho Bay – 5:35 (Hampton Court Stakes)
My strongest interest in Thursday’s Royal Ascot betting finishes in the Hampton Court Stakes, another three-year-old race over a mile and a quarter. Aidan O’Brien has the front two in the market again, but the value lies elsewhere.
Morshdi (William Haggas), was a good winner at Newmarket this spring and was being aimed at the Derby. Having failed in the Dante, he didn’t make it to Epsom, and his jockey Tom Marquand is adamant he is a ten-furlong horse. He’s overpriced here. The thing is, Charlie Appleby’s Maho Bay is even more underestimated.
One bad, or even indifferent run, doesn’t make a bad horse. In the case of this well-bred colt, he made a huge impression on his debut at Kempton before winning again at the Craven Meeting at Newmarket.
There, he slammed Guildmaster who later ran in the Dante, and Galiyan who was favourite for the Queen’s Vase at this meeting. True, he bombed out behind Maltese Cross in the Lingfield Derby Trial, but he was 11/8 favourite to win that on merit. That horse went on to finish second in the Derby itself.
This race has a nice, competitive market, and could be one in which to explore offers on the exchanges rather than only in fixed odds markets.
Why I’m Backing Maho Bay
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Was on the Derby trail, and could still be top-class
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His winning form from Newmarket speaks for itself
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Yard was out of form when he was beaten favourite at Lingfield
Royal Ascot Day 3 Lucky 31
| Race | Selection |
|---|---|
| 2:30 | Sea Venture |
| 3:05 | Into The Light |
| 3:40 | Legacy Link |
| 4:15 | Trawlerman |
| 5:35 | Maho Bay |
To put together a Lucky 31 for Thursday’s action, I’ve played safe in the Gold Cup and used Trawlerman rather than Rahiebb. I’ve also added Sea Venture into the bet who runs in the opening Chesham Stakes. I was really impressed with her debut at Haydock back in May, and she gets a handy 5lb sex allowance.
You can back this bet, and other multiples, on 10bet and Betfred, two of the best horse racing betting apps.
