Day Two Royal Ascot Preview 2021

The first race of the day sees the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs and with so many runners set to head to post we have a win and each way selection.

It wouldn't be Royal Ascot without Wesley Ward having a favourite in this race and Twilight Gleaming looks an exceptional filly that could be his best chance across the week.

The juvenile filly has been seen twice to date having cost $75,000 as a yearling and on both her runs she has impressed, finishing second at Keeneland on the dirt on debut and then backing that up in May when getting off the mark.

This trainer often targets this race and she looks a fascinating prospect.

At a bigger price and advised to play each way with plenty of bookmakers offering extra places, the Stuart Williams trained Desert Dreamer looks an interesting runner.

The filly has been seen twice during her small career and is currently unbeaten, scoring on debut at Newmarket in a smart five furlong maiden that has seen the form franked on numerous occasions.

Stepped up to six furlong last time out she was another good winner at Newmarket and although now stepping into black type company she looks highly progressive, especially on a quick surface.

Looks overpriced.

Another Group Two follows with the Queen's Vase over 1m6f seeing the best of the three year old stayers and Wordsworth for AIdan O'Brien looks the pick of the bunch.

The son of Galileo has done little wrong over his career to date, making his debut as a juvenile in a Maiden at The Curragh over a mile and finishing a good second behind stablemate High Definition.

This season, the colt got off the mark at the first time of asking when stepped up to 1m2f and last time out ran another cracker to finish a narrow second to stablemate Sir Lucan in a Listed event over 13f.

He handled the step up to 1m5f extremely well and getting his preferred good ground on Wednesday should see him go close.

Stamina should be no issue.

One of our best bets of the day comes in the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge with the William Jarvis trained Lady Bowthorpe looking tough to beat.

The five year old mare has turned into a different horse this season, having always been nice horse landing races like the Group Three Valiant Fillies' Stakes over course and distance at Ascot, but this term she has taken her form to a new level.

She started this season off in the Group Two Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket over 9f on quick ground and went on to win well.

The progressive stable star for Jarvis backed that up last time out when giving a career best performance to chase home Palace Pier in the Group One Lockinge Stakes.

The pair on the day went well clear of the third and then further clear of the rest of the field and that effort offers the best form heading into this event.

The feature race of the second day at Royal Ascot sees the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes and the superstar filly Love is very hard to look past.

Love was always destined to be a smart horse and at juvenile level proved that when finishing third on her final two year old start in the Group One bet365 Fillies Mile, but this season she has transformed into a world beater.

She made her seasonal debut in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and beat a superb field of runners by over four lengths to solidify her credentials for the season.

From there O'Brien decided to step her up in trip for the Epsom Oaks and she revelled in the extra distance, beating a sound field by a devastating nine lengths.

The Yorkshire Oaks was another test for the three year old and again she passed with flying colours, not seeing a rival all the way round and going clear towards the end of the race.

All of these runs were in preparation for the Arc at ParisLongchamp but with the rain falling making the conditions extremely testing, she was withdrawn from the race and she has not been since.

If carrying on from where she left off last term she should win this event and although having been fit to race for sometime we just hope she is fully tuned up.

The Royal Hunt Cup over a mile has always a nightmare race for punters but this year we believe to have found two nice each way angles into the event.

The first is Brunch for trainer Michael Dods, who made a superb comeback on his seasonal debut and overall is a very consistent horse.

The gelding ran seven times last season, starting at Newcastle over a mile on the all weather and getting off to a winning start.

He then went to Haydock and finished fourth behind some nice horses, but bounced back to winning ways next time outa at York over 7f on quick ground.

He seems to really like York and landed the Mile Stakes Handicap at the Ebor meeting, seeing off 16 runners which was his best run of the year.

The four year old then went to Ayr and finished a short head second to the top weight in this Johan and getting weight off him here should see him reverse the form.

Brunch then finished third and sixth in his next two races on soft ground which can be discounted.

Dods' horse made a superb seasonal debut when a narrow second to Haqeeqy in the Lincoln Mile and only 1lb higher for that run went to York last time out and again had to play the Bridesmaid when just being touched off in a good handicap.

He is only up 3lb for that run and getting his ideal conditions should make him an each way player once more at a decent price.

At a similar price is the Ed Walker trained Matthew Flinders who has always looked to have a race like this in him and we think he can go close.

The four year old last term was highly consistent winning two of his six events, whilst going on to place in another three events.

His best runs came on quick ground at Doncaster when landing similar handicap events and he looks to have carried his form over to this term.

He has been seen twice in 2021, finishing third on seasonal debut in the Spring Cup Handicap at Newbury behind two progressive horses.

However, his last run only saw him finish midfield at York, behind some of these runners and he will need to much better, but he did have some excuses and we fancy him to go close.

The penultimate event of the afternoon on day two of the royal meeting sees the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes and Ruthin for Wesley Ward.

The daughter of Ribchester could turn out to be anything but off the back of her debut she looks to have a bright future, landing a Fillies event at Keeneland by six lengths.

She will be sure to come on for that run and getting the quick ground she desires and being out of this yard, there is plenty in her favour.

The final event of the afternoon sees the Kensington Palace Fillies' Handicap over a mile and the horse that takes the eye is Dreamloper for Ed Walker.

The four year old filly has been highly consistent during her short career, racing six times last season and managing to win two smart events whilst placing in another two.

Having placed in a good race on her second start at Doncaster over a mile, she then got off the mark at Redcar in emphatic style, winning the race by close to eight lengths.

She dropped down in trip next time out at Kempton and was a fair third but needed to go back up to the mile and she did that at Ascot when winning the second race of her career.

The daughter of Lope De Vega returned for her seasonal debut in April and finished a good fourth in a valuable handicap at Haydock over seven furlongs and backed that up last time out when a narrow second to favourite Lights On over course and distance.

Having won over this C&D before and better off at the weights against Lights On this time she looks the one to be on side with.