Wednesday ITV Racing Tips: Best bets for day two of Royal Ascot

Nigel Ridgway
14 June 2022

It's day two of Royal Ascot and we've a tip for each of the six races being shown live on ITV.

Looking forward to another day of top-class racing at Royal Ascot, the weather should be stunning too.

The reasons behind our selections (listed below) are to be found further down the page, while the highly informative Royal Ascot race card is just a click away at Planet Sport's Racing Live Centre.

Selections:

Love Reigns (14:30 Royal Ascot)

Baltic Bird (15:05 Royal Ascot)

Bay Bridge (15:40 Royal Ascot)

Sibila Spain (16.20 Royal Ascot)

Rebel Territory / Bopedro (17:00 Royal Ascot)

Chateau each-way (17:35 Royal Ascot)

14:30 Royal Ascot - Love Reigns

Wesley Ward is seeking a fifth Queen Mary success, so he knows exactly what's required to win it, and his representative, the once-raced Love Reigns, can get favourite backers off to a flying start.

The US trainer is never short of confidence over his challengers on these shores and his flying filly is no exception.

"She had about the best debut race I've ever had here at Keeneland - she won by almost 10 lengths and just scampered away from them," he has said in the run up.

"She has had three or four pieces of work since then and all of them have been nice and steady and beautiful breezes. Every horse that kind of engaged her, she just exploded away from them", he added.

She'll have Puerto Rican jockey Irad Ortiz Jr on her back and, while he is making his Royal Ascot debut this week, he's one of the hottest riders in the states right now.

It could be just a case of keeping his mount, who clearly knows her job and looks sure to blast out in front (a typical Ward runner trait), running in a straight line.

The British challenge is headed by Dramatised, who won on her Newmarket debut despite missing the start and edging left when shaken up, and Maria Branwell, who is 2-2 after beating male horses at Sandown last time.

If the favourite is treading water close home, she looks the one most likely to take advantage and is worth a small saver.

15:05 Royal Ascot - Baltic Bird

Last year's winning trainer Charlie Appleby is turning Nahanni out quickly after his staying-on midfield effort in the Derby just 11 days ago, and he has more than enough in his pedigree to suggest this two furlongs longer trip won't be a problem.

He is preferred to stablemate Hafit, who was beaten at odds-on on his first try over 1m4f last time and whose 2,100,000gns price tag as a yearling is now looking very expensive indeed.

Roger Varian's unbeaten (2-2) Eldar Eldarov is not without a chance if he stays this far, but we'd rather risk a few quid on John and Thady Gosden's Baltic Bird at bigger odds.

The son of Frankel put a couple of placed efforts in novices behind him when making all at Yarmouth last month in the style of a relentless galloper and finding plenty for pressure when asked.

Further improvement is a given from him after just three starts and that John Gosden, who won this with Stradivarius in 2017, is pitching him straight into Pattern company, rather than go down the handicap route, suggests he's been shining on the home gallops.

The booking of Frankie Dettori, who replaces a claiming rider, seals the bet.

15:40 Royal Ascot - Bay Bridge

Bookmakers will be hoping to get Bay Bridge beaten in this 1m2f Group 1 as he'll be many people's idea of a banker bet on day two at around the even money mark, but we can't see that happening.

His nearest rivals in the betting, Japanese hope Shayryar and Joseph Patrick O'Brien's State Of Rest, have every chance on official ratings, but Sir Michael Stoute's runner has the potential to rate much higher and might be a cut above that pair.

He was making it five on the bounce when beating some good horses silly at Sandown on his reappearance last month, putting that race to bed with a serious turn of foot, and we all know he's with a trainer who is renowned for improving horses with age.

WOW 😲

BAY BRIDGE & Ryan Moore with a class display to take the Coral Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown.

(via @RacingTV)pic.twitter.com/kH5oQJFVB1
— Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) May 26, 2022

Immediately cut to 3/1 (from 5/1) for this after the Sandown win, which looks a gift now, he can provide his Derby-winning trainer with a remarkable 83rd success at the royal meeting.

16:20 Royal Ascot - Sibila Spain

Likely favourite Mother Earth is very good at her best, as she showed when winning last season's 1,000 Guineas, run over a straight mile like this Group 2 fillies' contest, but her overall form is hit or miss - she finished well beaten in the Lockinge last time - and that makes her opposable at shortish odds.

She's not even the highest rated runner in the field, with that honour going to Saffron Beach, who shaped well on her reappearance in a Meydan Group 1 back in March and will find things easier back against her own sex.

She's a worthy favourite but there's a strong international contingent lining up against her and Sibilia Spain, one of two French challengers, makes plenty of appeal at the odds.

Christopher Head's four-year-old has won four of her eight starts and including last-time-out at Saint-Cloud, where she was held up for a change - she usually goes from the front - and arguably ran a personal best as a result, coming with a late charge on the outside to prevail by a head.

The daughter of Frankel will likely be played late again and, granted a strong pace to aim at, she'll be finishing better than anything, especially as she stays further.

A mention also goes to William Haggas' Bashkirova, who comes into this with a 4-6 record (3-4 over a mile) and is making a quick return having won a Group 3 on Derby Day, when overcoming a tardy start, as is her want.

The forecast good to firm ground is a concern for her, however, as she prefers a bit of juice underfoot.

17:00 Royal Ascot - Rebel Territory / Bopedro

As you can imagine there are plenty of possibles amongst the 30-runner field for this cavalry charge run down the straight mile, currently headed by Sir Michael Stoute's Astro King, who chased home (albeit almost five lengths adrift) Real World in last year's renewal.

He hasn't done a great deal since but he's clearly been trained with a repeat bid in mind and he has to be thereabouts, for all he's now 4lb higher at the weights.

He's one of three horses trading at single-figure odds currently and that trio is made up by a couple of last-time-out winners in Dark Shift and Legend Of Dubai, who is out of a Group 1 winner in Speedy Boarding and almost certainly better than a handicapper.

But nine of the last 14 winners were returned at 16/1 or bigger (all 33/1 or shorter, mind), and for that reason we're inclined to look a bit further down the betting list, with the first stop being Amanda Perrett's Rebel Territory.

He ticks a fair few boxes being a progressive four-year-old - that age group has provided six of the last seven winners - on the upgrade, having resumed the progress he showed at the end of last season to score at Sandown on his reappearance last month.

The strapping Rebel Territory could be off the the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot (a track that should suit him) after taking the 1m Whitsun Cup Handicap at Sandown under @JimCrowley1978 for the @Coombelands yard. pic.twitter.com/jcVvHyyzxC
— Simon Milham (@simonmilham) May 26, 2022

A strong travelling sort, there was a lot to like about he dug in well for pressure when challenged close home at the Esher track and, while he carries a 5lb penalty for that, there should be plenty more to come from him.

Jim Crowley keeps the ride on him and being drawn in stall 19, he'll have the choice over which side to race up should they split into two groups.

At an even bigger price, it's not hard to imagine Jessica Harrington's Bobedro leaving this season's efforts well behind with the frantic pace and big field sure to play to his strengths.

A comfortable winner of last season's 27-runner Irish Cambridgeshire (1m), he looked a bit unlucky to finish third (off today's mark and under today's rider Sean Foley) at Leopardstown on his next start, having to be forced wide and doing best of those held up over a trip (7f) short of his best.

Last month's run at the Curragh was surely a prep for this and providing his low draw in stall three doesn't prove insurmountable - it didn't stop Real World winning from box four 12 months ago - he should make a bold bid in a race that Irish trainers have won twice since 2016.

17:35 Royal Ascot - Chateau

Aidan O'Brien's Little Big Bear was an emphatic winner on his drop back to 5f at Naas last month, having just failed over 6f on his debut previously, and he looks the right market leader for a race his trainer last won with Southern Hills in 2019.

But a strong each-way case can be made for Andrew Balding's Chateau, who won more cosily at Beverley last time than his neck winning margin would suggest having not enjoyed the clearest of runs, which was also the case when beaten into third on his Salisbury debut.

Chateau wins a thrilling edition of the bet365 Two Year Old Trophy Conditions Stakes!

A really promising set of of two-year-olds fill the placings but the victory goes to Andrew Balding's impressive charge with William Buick in the saddle 👏@bet365 @AndrewBalding2 pic.twitter.com/KM6MEZju2T
— Beverley Racecourse (@Beverley_Races) May 28, 2022

Clearly smart and possessing plenty of pace, which is what's required here, he looks well worth a small interest to enhance his stable's excellent recent record with juvenile runners at this meeting: three winners (including the 2020 renewal with Tactical), a third and a fourth since 2017 from 11 runners.