Royal Ascot day one tips: 16/1 Light Infantry to strike under Jamie Spencer - Jones Knows
Watch every race from Royal Ascot, live only on Sky Sports Racing from Tuesday June 20 to Saturday June 24
Tuesday 20 June 2023 14:31, UK
Our tipster Jones Knows has three fancies on day one of Royal Ascot, all at big prices. Watch every race live on Sky Sports Racing.
Queen Anne Stakes (2.30)
It's fair to define the top-class milers heading to post for the opener of what should be a cracking week of action on Sky Sports Racing as a competitive rather than vintage bunch. There's a good chance of them beating one another depending on course/ground/track position over the season. That's why I'm happy to have a pop at something at an each-way price here.
There is a profitable angle in the Queen Anne when it comes to backing horses that were unfortunate in the Lockinge Stakes (the key trial). When looking at horses that were held up, finished fourth or worst and could be declared unlucky at Newbury, from the last 29 horses to have fit that description, five have won the Queen Anne - No Excuse Needed (1992), Haradsun (2008), Paco Boy (2009), Declaration of War (2013) and Accidental Agent (2018) - and 10 more, all of whom were double figure prices, have finished in the first four. Lord Glitters also won at 14/1 in 2019 having pulled too hard in the Lockinge and finishing tailed off.
Just the win side of that angle would have yielded £56 profit to a £1 stake with much more banked if playing it each-way.
The man on Light Infantry's back is a master of the straight mile at Ascot, too. Jamie Spencer always outperforms market expectations and has an outrageous 38 per cent win and place strike rate over the straight mile in handicaps and pattern races.
King's Stand Stakes (3.40)
I'd love to see Highfield Princess win this and she rates as the most likely winner up against the Aussie brigade, who look all speed but may lack for stamina over this stiff finish. I can let her win at her projected odds though as I've got much more enthusiasm for backing the selection each-way.
This race make-up is exactly what this strong travelling sort needs. Straight strack, stiff finish and a hot pace to chase. He wasn't seen at best effect when drawn the wrong side in the Temple Stakes at Haydock and he has the form in the book of beating Manaccan at Newbury last September. That rival today will appreciate Ascot but so too should the selection, who is four times the price. With Sky Bet paying six places, Mitbaahy is capable of flying late into the frame.
Ascot Stakes (5.00)
Finding valid excuses for a horse running badly can often lead to grabbing some inflated prices about such a runner next time and that is the case with Tritonic. He finished almost stone last in the Chester Cup but the ground that day was soft (his record reads 0-8 on ground rated soft or worse) and he was going left-handed (a record of 0-13 in handicaps/graded races with just one placed effort).
His record right-handed is sensational in comparison, winning three times from 10 starts and placing in another four of those events. He has a win at Ascot to his name in a handicap hurdle whilst he only got mowed down late in the 2021 Golden Gates handicap at Royal Ascot in 2021, finishing second behind Highland Chief on ground which was slower than ideal. I'd be shocked if he doesn't run well and the seven places on offer from Sky Bet are a real bonus.
Advised bets:
1pt EW on LIGHT INFANTRY (20/1 with Sky Bet - Bet Here!)
