Royal Ascot Here We Come.....

Well unfortunately not literally but we do have a selection today!

There is one bet for us today so far:

2.30 ASCOT - 2PT WIN - AQLAAM (available at 11/1 with VC Bet, Lads, Corals, Sporting & Stan James)

Today sees the pinnacle of the flat season with the meeting at Royal Ascot. The racing is always highly competitive and the racing sees all the top class horses competing against one another for the fantastic prize money on offer. Todays card looked difficult as you would expect but we believe that the selection offers a bit of value and warrants a bet.

This race revolves around the Godolphin runner Gladiatorus which is having it's first run for the trainer today. They have kept the faith with the regular jockey and Frankie rides the second string Alexandros. This horse has been producing some awesome times on the clock over the last few months at Nad Al Sheba and has stepped up from handicap company to Group 1 and blown the opposition away with some fantastic front running performances. On official ratings it is the clear pick but it remains to be seen whether a straight mile will suit this one as well as the left hand bends of NAS and at the prices of 5/2 has got to be taken on. Clearly if it is as good as they think it could win this comfortably but we have our doubts and are happy to oppose it.

The next two in the betting are Paco Boy and Main Aim. We believe that there are stamina doubts about both of these today and feel that 7 furlongs would be much more up their street. Paco Boy has run some decent races abut 4/1 about a horse which is yet to prove it gets a truly run mile is on the short side and worth opposing today. Main Aim has been sent off favourite for every race but only on its last two starts has it shown the ability connections believed it capable of. Those two wins whilst impressive on the eye have come in pretty poor races and at 4/1 this is too short for us.

Alexandros was an unlucky loser in the Lockinge Stakes a few weeks back when Frankie lost his whip but whilst it has got some decent form on fast ground we believe that it acts better with cut in the ground and could come up short today.

Cesare is an admirable horse who is very consistent but not sure it is really up to Group 1 class and expect it to find at least one or two too good today.

Arabian Gleam and Dream Eater are held by a couple of these today and hard to see them being good enough, which leaves us with our selection Aqlaam.

Aqlaam was very impressive last year when winning the Jersey Stakes over 7F and the sky looked to be the limit for this horse. It had a setback after that race and didn't run again until the Lockinge Stakes this year where it finished 10th of 11 and was well beaten. Strictly on that run it has no chance today however this horse wants fast ground and it would have needed the run that day. If you consider that Haggas rates this as the best horse in his yard and forgive its last run for the reasons mentioned, then at 11/1 this looks overpriced. There is a chance that it won't get the mile trip, but we believe it will, and the breeding certainly suggests that it should. Happy to play up a few points on this one today in the hope that it returns to the form of last season and that the favourite has been overrated.

There is a possiblity of a bet elsewhere this evening and as always we will let you know if that's the case.

Good Luck