ROYAL ASCOT TIPS – DAY TWO: Armory could have the edge in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (4.20) headlines day two of the Royal meeting with last year’s 1,000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Love taking on Lord North, impressive winner of this event 12 months ago, and Armory. 

The Queen’s Vase (3.05) provides a potentially valuable insight into future staying stars with Aidan O’Brien boasting a strong hand with Wordsworth, Arturo Toscanini and Kyprios all of interest.

Our experts dish out their selections below. 

2.30 QUEEN MARY 

YET and Orinoco River fought a terrific duel at Dundalk on their debuts and both should give a good account in the face of another well-fancied Wesley Ward-juvenile in Twilight Gleaming. Connections equip the beautifully-bred Yet with a first-time tongue tie and she looks the type to relish a stiff 5f given the way she rallied when challenged at Dundalk. Orinoco River travelled like a good prospect that day and was only worried out of it close to home. She should be sharper second time around and could outrun her odds. Twilight Gleaming bids to give her handler a fifth win in this race in 13 runnings and she was mightily impressive at Belmont last time.

Best bet: YET 

Danger: TWILGHT GLEAMING

3.05 QUEEN’S VASE

Aidan O’Brien boasts a strong hand here with Wordsworth, a brother to Kew Gardens, Arturo Toscanini and KYPRIOS all of interest. The market appears to have ignored the latter, probably because of jockey bookings, but Seamie Heffernan is 2-2 aboard the selection, who ran with credit on very soft ground in the Lingfield Derby Trial last time. That form has clearly been boosted by the runner-up Adayar winning at Epsom and, as a brother to Chester Cup winner Falcon Eight, stamina should be no issue for Kyprios. Stowell has already won at Wednesday’s venue and looks a talented stayer in the making.

Best bet: KYPRIOS

Danger: WORDSWORTH

3.40 DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE 

LADY BOWTHORPE and Queen Power resume their rivalry from the Dahlia Stakes where the margin of victory for the selection was a head. Lady Bowthorpe has since gone on to chase home Palace Pier in the Lockinge Stakes to register a second career best this season and her potent change of gear could be a race-winning attribute here if the expected front-runners Fooraat and Parent’s Prayer set honest fractions in front. Queen Power was third in this race 12 months ago and arrives in great heart having landed a York Group Two by 5l in a swift time. This drop back to a mile may not be ideal, though.

Best bet: LADY BOWTHORPE

Danger: QUEEN POWER

4.20 PRINCE OF WALES 

An intriguing race which features the return of last year’s 1,000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Love, Lord North, impressive winner of this event 12 months ago, and ARMORY — who has a little to prove at this level but looked on the upgrade at Chester in the Huxley Stakes. Love is unlikely to need the run having won a Guineas first time out. But it would be understandable if she was a little rusty following a 300-day absence, so narrow preference is for her stablemate who is race fit and should appreciate the chance to quicken off faster ground than on the Roodee.

Best bet: ARMORY

Danger: LORD NORTH

5.00 ROYAL HUNT CUP 

HAQEEQY looked a class act in the Lincoln in the spring and, although outpointed in a Listed contest last time over c&d, there were excuses that day. The race itself has worked out well with winner Oh This Is Us victorious at Epsom and fifth-home Smart Stone scoring at Windsor. The manner in which he made up his ground at Doncaster stamped Haqeeqy as a class act for handicaps and he can vindicate that view. The form of Grove Ferry’s Chester win has also worked out brilliantly, with those in behind also winning. He should go well again if consenting to settle.

Best bet: HAQEEQY

Danger: AFAAK

5.35 WINDSOR CASTLE 

With two leading contenders, Wesley Ward appears to have a stranglehold on this race and Keeneland scorer Ruthin is preferred to stablemate Golden Bell in the market. The association with Frankie Dettori probably has a lot to do with her position in the betting but she was also impressive on debut. Golden Bell also showed abundant speed at Keeneland and is respected along with Amalfi Coast, who represents a yard twice successful in this race in the last six years. However, the speedy ARMOR gains the nod with his Doncaster debut win working out very well.

Best bet: ARMOR

Danger: RUTHIN

 6.10: KENSINGTON PALACE

Just a short head separated LIGHTS ON and Dreamloper when they met over a mile on the straight track here last month. Some will feel the former has it all to do to reproduce that result from stall 17, but a wide draw isn’t always an inconvenience on the round track and she appears to still be progressing. Hopefully, Lights On won’t get too far back and she can complete the hat-trick at the expense of her old rival who was arguably a shade unfortunate not to overhaul the selection. Waliyak and Ffion are also worth monitoring at bigger prices.

Best bet: LIGHTS ON

Danger: DREAMLOPER