How To Bet £20 at Royal Ascot on Saturday: Summer ready to shine for O’Meara

All good things have to come to an end and the final day of Royal Ascot is upon us, but thankfully we have a bumper eight-race card to look forward to which features three Group One contests and some potential superstars on show.

Pinatubo, the highest-rated juvenile in 25 years following a stellar season as a two-year-old last year, failed to meet lofty expectations in the Qipco 2000 Guineas on his comeback and it will be interesting to see if Charlie Appleby’s colt can redeem his reputation in the St James’s Palace Stakes. I hope he does, but that race is a watching brief for me.

The going was soft all over at Ascot on Thursday, but the ground has been drying since and now seems likely to ride just on the slow side of good.

The fiercely-competitive Silver Wokingham Handicap kicks proceedings off on Saturday and Blue Mist heads the betting for the 6f handicap at the time of writing.

He was not beaten far in a couple of valuable handicaps last season and deserves to be favourite on those runs, but I am not quite convinced by his finishing effort as he seems to travel well and find less than expected under pressure.

A contender that went into plenty of notebooks, including mine, following his seasonal debut effort was APLOMB who stayed on nicely to finish a never-nearer fifth over the minimum trip at Newmarket a fortnight ago and looks the one to be on.

The four-year-old was not given a hard time on that occasion and it is wise to think he will have improved considerably for the run plus the fact he has been dropped a pound is an added bonus.

William Haggas’ charge progressed nicely last season and finished runner-up over this course and distance on soft ground in October where he travelled like the best horse in the race and probably hit the front too soon as Tom Marquand had to take a pull once a gap appeared.

His only below-par run last season came at York where he was sent off favourite for the Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap but was not favourably drawn and it’s likely he found the run coming too soon.

He will relish the step back up to six furlongs here and expect him to be delivered late on the scene by Marquand.

The first Group One of the day is the Coronation Stakes in which QUADRILATERAL heads the betting despite losing her unbeaten record when third in the Qipco 1000 Guineas on her seasonal debut.

Although last year’s Fillies’ Mile hero was no match for the winner, Love, I think her run can be upgraded given she took a keen hold for the majority of the race and did well to finish in the frame under the circumstances.

That effort should have taken the freshness out of her and there is every reason to believe she will produce a much-improved effort on Saturday.

Middle-distances are likely to be her trip later this season, but a stiff mile with cut in the ground should bring her stamina into play and I think she will prove hard to beat.

Cloak Of Spirits finished a head in front of Quadrilateral in the Qipco 1000 Guineas, but she very much got the run of the race out in front that day and I expect Roger Charlton’s charge to comfortably reverse the form.

I was pleased to see SUMMERGHAND among the declarations for this year’s Wokingham Stakes as I backed David O’Meara’s sprinter in the race last year when he finished fifth off a 1lb lower mark.

That was just one of numerous valuable handicaps he was competitive in last year and I am convinced he is capable of landing a race of this nature off a rating of 101.

O’Meara kept his talented sprinter busy in Meydan over the winter before he was given a break. The six-year-old warmed up for this contest with a fast-finishing second at Newmarket 15 days ago and I expect a second tilt at the Wokingham has been the plan for a while.

Although Summerghand has won on soft in the past, I think drying conditions will be in his favour and James Doyle – who has already ridden three winners at Royal Ascot this week – is an eye-catching jockey booking.

His stablemate Gulliver, who produced a career best to win the Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap at York last year, is an interesting contender with Ryan Moore on board. The six-year-old has run below-par on his last three starts, but is now just 2lb higher than his victory on the Knavesmire and will be a threat if producing his best here.

I am hoping it will be a memorable day for Tom Marquand as his mount in the finale, WHO DARES WINS, should prove hard to beat on his return to the flat.

Alan King's useful dual-purpose performer has some strong form next to his name and enjoyed a productive spell over jumps during the winter, with the highlight being his victory in a Grade Two at Kempton.

He would be giving weight away to the majority of his rivals if this was a handicap plus has gone well fresh in the past, and King has trained two winners at Royal Ascot already this week.

Mekong, who finished fifth in the Gold Cup on Thursday, heads the betting, but it will be some effort for him to win this just two days after his exertions on soft ground in the Grade One feature.

12.40 Ascot: £4 win on Aplomb at 6-1 with Ladbrokes

2.25 Ascot: £8 win on Quadrilateral at 11-4 with Bet365

4.10 Ascot: £2 each-way on Summerghand at a general 10-1

4.40 Ascot: £4 win on Who Dares Wins at a general 5-2

4.10 Ascot: £2.50 each-way on Summerghand

12.40 Ascot: Aplomb

2.25 Ascot: Quadrilateral

4.10 Ascot: Summerghand

4.40 Ascot: Who Dares Wins

2.25 Ascot: Quadrilateral

4.40 Ascot: Who Dares Wins