3 minute read
Punters are looking to exact their revenge on day four of Royal Ascot 2017 following a good day for the bookmakers at Royal Ascot yesterday.
The narrow defeats of 5/6 favourite Order Of St George in the G1 Gold Cup and Mori (2/1 favourite) in the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes, coupled with Bless Him's 25/1 success in the Britannia left punters licking their wounds.
In the opening race of day four, the G3 Albany Stakes (2.30pm), Aidan O'Brien's Snowflakes, who was 13th on her racecourse debut, has attracted each-way support and is 12/1 from 25/1 with Bet Victor and 12/1 from 20/1 with Betway.
The Sylvester Kirk-trained Salouen, who had a luckless run in the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom last time, has been trimmed into 15/2 from 10/1 with Bet Victor in a fascinating renewal of the G2 King Edward VII Stakes (3.05pm). Mark Johnston's Dante winner Permian, who was 10th in the Derby, is 13/2 from 15/2 with Betway.
The Commonwealth Cup (3.40pm) is one of two G1 events at Royal Ascot today and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Caravaggio is a solid 10/11 favourite. His stable companion Intelligence Cross has been nibbled in the market into 33/1 from 40/1 with Bet Victor following steady each-way support.
Winter is a warm order to follow up her dual English & Irish 1000 Guineas victories in the G1 Coronation Stakes (4.20pm) at 4/9. However, Bet Victor have cut French raider Precieuse, trained by Fabrice Chappet, into 10/1 from 11/1. The three-year-old daughter of Tamayuz won the French 1000 Guineas at Deauville last time.
The John Gosden-trained Stradivarius has attracted good support in the G2 Queen's Vase (5.00pm). A half-length second at Chester last time, the three-year-old son of Sea The Stars has been cut into 8/1 from 12/1 with Bet Victor. Aidan O'Brien has trained five winners of this event, including the last two victors and Belgravia is a solid 5/1 favourite from 6/1 with Betway for the master of Ballydoyle.
In the concluding race of the day, the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap (5.35pm), Jeremy Noseda's Sixties Groove is a strongly supported 9/2 favourite from 7/1 with both Bet Victor and Betway. He steps up to 10 furlongs following a creditable seventh-placed finish over an extended mile at Epsom last time.
Reflecting on yesterday's action, Charlie McCann, representative for Bet Victor,said: "Yesterday was obviously a good day as befits any meeting where you do not have a winning favourite, although it would be wrong to describe it as a bloodbath with Benbatl [G3 Hampton Court Stakes winner] and Big Orange popular."
Betway's Alan Alger commented: "Yesterday was very good for us with no winning favourites. Order Of St George was a big bullet dodged and a number of the other races were hard for punters. Sixties Groove is the best backed horse today and a lot of money has come for the O'Brien leading fancies including Winter and Caravaggio."
Today's Market Movers:
2.30pm: G3 Albany Stakes - Snowflakes (12/1 from 25/1 Bet Victor and 12/1 from 20/1 Betway)
3.05pm: G2 King Edward VII Stakes - Salouen (15/2 from 10/1 Bet Victor) and Permian (13/2 from 15/2)
3.40pm: G1 Commonwealth Cup - Intelligence Cross (33/1 from 40/1 Bet Victor)
4.20pm: G1 Coronation Stakes - Precieuse (10/1 from 11/1 Bet Victor)
5.00pm: G2 Queen's Vase - Belgravia (5/1 from 6/1 Betway) and Stradivarius (8/1 from 12/1 Bet Victor)
5.35pm: Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap - Sixties Groove (9/2 from 7/1 Betway and Bet Victor).