Rhys Williams' Racing Tips: 8 Selections For Royal Ascot Day 2
Horse racing expert Rhys Williams is sharing his best selections for Day 2 of Royal Ascot.
Rhys has been a racing analyst for over 10 years, working for At The Races and most recently as a tipster for Betfair, where his tipping column had a 31% ROI over four and a half years.
He often focuses away from the front end of the market, finding angles that aren't evident to most.
Rhys' tips have returned 332.12 points from 202.0 points staked, meaning his profit and loss record stands at a whopping +130.12pts overall - thanks to a sensational spell that included Lamar Canyon's win at 150/1 recently.
Here are Rhys' tips for Day 2 of Royal Ascot, using the most up-to-date odds from the best horse racing betting sites.
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15:05 Royal Ascot Day 2: Mr Colonel - 0.5pt Win @ 18/1
Mr Colonel was no match for Benvenuto Cellini in the Chester Vase, but I thought he ran better than the margin beaten suggests and he can improve for the step up in trip.
He looked a thorough stayer when finishing fifth in the Zetland Stakes on his final run as a two-year-old, and he was ridden with that in mind when breaking his maiden on his seasonal debut at Redcar.
In the Chester Vase, he was still travelling well turning the final bend, but had to wait for a run when blocked in behind Proposition and his complete lack of a turn of foot showed as he couldn’t pick up once getting a run.
Mr Colonel looks a relentless galloper and I think the step up to 1m6f in a race that looks likely to be run at a good pace can bring improvement from him.
It may be that the application of a tongue tie for the first time will also help his cause, and while it might be that he will completely fulfil his potential next season, his chance of improvement in the short term looks to have been underestimated by the market.
Any 14/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 1: 15:05 Royal Ascot Day 2: Mr Colonel - 0.5pt Win
15:05 Royal Ascot Day 2: Ravenspire - 0.5pt Win @ 18/1
I thought Ravenspire’s stablemate, Golden Story, looked the ideal type for this race earlier in the season, but I think this horse can prove to be a suitable replacement.
He won well on debut at Southwell when staying on strongly to beat Into The Light, and once again looked a stayer when following up under a penalty at Haydock.
He still looked green that day and had to be shaken along leaving the back straight.
He looked in trouble when the front pair quickened away early in the home straight, but kept responding well to pressure and was comfortably on top in the closing stages.
Ravenspire needs to improve on that to be competitive in a race of this quality, but I think he’s another who will be suited by the longer trip and good pace and can take a step forward as a result of that.
Any 14/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 2: 15:05 Royal Ascot Day 2: Ravenspire - 0.5pt Win
15:40 Royal Ascot Day 2: Godspeed - 1pt Each-Way @ 11/1
Godspeed has always looked to have plenty of ability, and now that she’s learning to relax better in her races, I think her true ability can come out in the results this season.
Despite a slow start and being blocked behind rivals and eventually having to barge her way into the clear to get a run, she ran an excellent race to finish fourth in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville last season.
Her final run of the year can be excused as the ground would have been softer than ideal for her, and she returned this year with a good run behind Mandanaba when that rival got first run on her and despite quickening smartly once getting a clear run, Godspeed couldn’t quite get to her.
This race could be strongly run if Falakeyah once again makes the running, but there aren’t too many others who will likely be pressing - so that may allow James Doyle to get Godspeed at least fairly near the inside rail from stall 12.
There is the worry that she could end up being caught wide, and it might be that she will show her best on straight tracks, but I think she has the ability to run very well in a race of this level.
Any 8/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 3: 15:40 Royal Ascot Day 2: Godspeed - 1pt Each-Way
15:40 Royal Ascot Day 2: Cathedral - 1pt Each-Way @ 12/1
Cathedral ran an excellent race in defeat when last seen in the Dahlia at Newmarket, and with Falakeyah once again in the field to hopefully turn this into a good test at the trip, I think she can run well from her wide draw.
Considering how close she raced to the very strong pace that day, it was a fine effort from Cathedral to keep going as well as she did behind the more patiently ridden Jancis with a long way back to the rest.
That run was a good step forward from her seasonal debut defeat at Kempton, but she was still reported to look a little in need of the run - so it might be that she will be spot on for this and there can be more improvement to come as a result.
I expect the plan will be to ride her handily so the wide draw isn’t as much of a concern, and while it may turn out that she’s one of those frustrating types who is just a bit tripless as this sort of level, I think the market is underestimating her.
Any 8/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 4: 15:40 Royal Ascot Day 2: Cathedral - 1pt Each-Way
17:00 Royal Ascot Day 2: Ebt's Guard - 0.5pts Each-Way @ 33/1
Ebt’s Guard finished seventh in this race last season, and his performances since suggest he has the potential to improve on that this time around.
He ran a brilliant race to finish in a dead-heat for second in the Balmoral over this course and distance towards the end of last season, particularly considering it looked beneficial to be ridden handier than he was that day.
He got no run at all on his return to action this season in the Spring Cup at Newbury when he never came off the bridle.
On his latest start over the same course and distance, I thought he wasn’t suited by being unable to get any cover early on - and he probably got there sooner than ideal before being picked off late on by more patiently ridden rivals.
I expect the plan will be to deliver him with a later challenge in this race, and while there’s the question over whether the near side will be the place to be in this given the likely pace, I think he’s a little overpriced.
Any 25/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 5: 17:00 Royal Ascot Day 2: Ebt's Guard - 0.5pts Each-Way
17:00 Royal Ascot Day 2: War Socks - 0.5pt Win @ 66/1
War Socks was a very highly strung type last season, and now that he’s gradually learning to relax, I think there could be more to come from him.
He ran creditably in the Golden Gates at this meeting last season, considering he ran far too keenly over the trip and followed with another respectable run at Goodwood on ground that would have been far more testing than ideal for him.
He’s often worn a hood but that was taken off for his final start in Meydan and he ran well, hitting the front with just over a furlong to go before being headed by Dividend and finishing third.
The hood was back on for his latest start in Norway, which resulted in an easy victory, but I think it’s a positive that he is going without it in this.
He looks to be mentally maturing and while it might be that a mile around a bend would be more suitable for him than the straight mile given his running style, I think he’s a little overpriced.
Any 40/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 6: 17:00 Royal Ascot Day 2: War Socks - 0.5pt Win
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18:10 Royal Ascot Day 2: Controlla - 1pt Win @ 4/1
Controlla ran to a very high level on her debut and she looks to have an excellent chance of breaking her maiden in the Windsor Castle.
That debut was at Naas in Group 3 company and her inexperience showed early on as she was a bit slowly into stride and raced a shade greenly at the back of the field.
Once angled into the clear on the near side with two furlongs to go, she quickened smartly but couldn’t quite get the better of Victorious while the pair pulled well clear of the rest.
That was a highly promising debut from Controlla and I think that sets the standard in this race. She has the potential to improve from it too and looks likely to have a strong pace to close into.
Any 3/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 7: 18:10 Royal Ascot Day 2: Controlla - 1pt Win
18:10 Royal Ascot Day 2: Troublesome Guest - 0.5pt Win @ 66/1
At a huge price in the same race, I can’t let Troublesome Guest go unbacked given she looked capable of a fair bit better than she was able to show on debut at Newmarket.
She looked a bit green while racing in behind rivals on the rail early on. As the pace was lifting, she was blocked for a run on the rail and seemed to get a bit unbalanced going down into the dip.
Once in the clear, she ran on well while not being given a hard time to finish third and took a while to pull up after.
She does need to take a good step forward to take this but it looked like there could be plenty of improvement to come from Troublesome Guest having gained that experience and her low profile connections mean she’s been completely ignored in the market.
Any 33/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 8: 18:10 Royal Ascot Day 2: Troublesome Guest - 0.5pt Win
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