Top Horses to Follow on Royal Ascot Day 2 | Royal Ascot Day 2 Tips

Wed 19 Jun 2024 08.51

The experts at TWE have analysed the form and honed in on their top horses to follow on Royal Ascot day 2.

See our picks below 👇

The first staying race of the day, the Queen’s Vase is a contest for three-year-old horses that relish a step up in trip, or have got stronger over the winter and are waiting to be unleashed. This was certainly true in the case of 2023 winner Gregory, who was a highly impressive Ascot winner last year for Frankie Dettori.

ILLINOIS is the pick of the three-year-old crop this year, opening as a strong favourite in the market for the formidable partnership of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. Yet to win as a three-year-old, ILLINOIS was an impressive second of a Lingfield Derby Trial running in behind Epsom Derby second Ambiente Friendly. Although beaten by four and a half lengths, it was clear for all to see that further was needed and this extra 2/3 furlongs could be crucial for squeezing the best out of him.

Most significantly, the pace set in the Lingfield Trial almost broke the course record meaning that performance looks better than initially expected. Joint top-rated and coming from a yard with three of the top four in the betting big things are clearly expected. Being the choice of Ryan Moore can only be a positive as well, whilst the Ballydoyle team have won four of the last ten renewals. The chance of ILLINOIS giving O’Brien more success could not look more promising.

ILLINOIS @ 7/4

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The feature race of Day 2 at Royal Ascot 2024, the Prince of Wales Stakes is a chance at Group 1 glory for the best horses at 1m2f. A race the top yards of John Gosden, Aidan O’Brien and Sir Michael Stoute have enjoyed great success in over recent years, this race is sure to be a fine renewal.

2023 hero AUGUSTE RODIN tops the market for the Ballydoyle team, and the Irish raiders horse looks a very good bet. The obvious dangers here are the Gosden trained Inspiral and French talent Horizon Dore. AUGUSTE RODIN however, was impressive in defeat at the Curragh just losing out to White Birch who is no longer running. This reappearance was promising, although a mercurial talent on his day he is prone to the odd shocker. The five-time Group 1 winner however has full backing from his trainer, with O’Brien stating afterwards “Even though he was beaten, the run was always going to bring him on. Royal Ascot has been a big part of the plan with him, and we couldn’t be happier with where he is at the minute.”

Nine of the last ten renewals of this race have been plundered by one of the top three in the market, whilst six of the last ten were the top-rated horse in this race. Clearly class matters, and AUGUSTE RODIN is the equine embodiment of this. Whilst Inspiral and the French raiders should be respected (especially if the rain comes) AUGUSTE RODIN should be adding a 6th Group 1 success.

AUGUSTE RODIN @ 13/8

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Moving into handicap company, the Royal Hunt Cup is one of the most intriguing and competitive handicaps in the whole racing calendar. The very definition of a cavalry charge, thirty runners go to post with the hope of landing the prestigious race. With the field SP at the time of writing 10/1, caution is advised.

One angle for success in a race of this nature is going for the class angle, and the Jamie Osborne-trained SEAN is the favoured choice here. One of twelve horses rated over 100 (OR – 108), the Osborne team will be filled with confidence after an intriguing winter campaign in the UAE. SEAN was unlucky to not land a Group 3 pot in Meydan, underlying the clear and obvious pedigree of this horse. If the ground remains good, SEAN has a great chance of hitting the frame.

Another angle to look at in a race of thirty is trends. Jamie Osborne for one is a previous winner of this race when seven-year-old Field of Dream flew the flag for Lambourn in 2014. SEAN also handles a big field, placing in fields of 15 or upwards, whilst also finishing in the top 3 in the 2024 season. The rough nature of this race should not faze the chosen mount of Saffie Osborne, who herself is operating at an impressive 16% strike rate this season.
With an SP of 40/1, SEAN is an intriguing Each Way play that promises a good run for your money.

SEAN @ 28/1

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If you’re looking for more Royal Ascot tips then look no further, the experts at TWE have put together full previews and betting tips for each day of the festival;

In addition to the Royal Ascot tips, we recommend you check out the rest of TWE and all of the multiples bets that we have available. These include:

Other specific tips available include: