How To Bet £20 on Saturday: Power play can help

Art Power has plenty going for him in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on the final day of Royal Ascot (3.45) and looks a decent bet at the general 16/1 on offer. 

The Tim Easterby-trained grey first announced himself as a sprinter to follow when winning a handicap at the Royal Meeting in 2020 and has subsequently run well in numerous top-level contests at the track, including when landing the Champions Day Sprint in October, when he had several of the horses he will meet again on Saturday behind him. 

He’s had a Group One penalty to carry in his two races in Britain this term but hasn’t stopped him running crackers in defeat in the Duke Of York Stakes, won by Mill Stream (now 5lb worse off), and Greenlands Stakes, won by Mitbaahy (3lb worse off). 

Art Power’s run at York signalled he’s returned in great heart – his previous two efforts in that race had been subdued – and I think you can mark up his near-miss at The Curragh last time as he missed a beat at the start, raced on a flank and then got into something of a pace battle with Regional. 

He won’t be pestered by that horse this time – he instead finished a fine second in the King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday – and may well be able to dominate this time from what looks a good draw in 7. There’s no other horse in the line-up with an official rating higher than him and he’s not burdened by a penalty this time. 

The prevailing fast ground is probably why Art Power is underestimated in the betting, as he undoubtedly copes well with soft conditions, but he looks versatile in term of the going. For instance, he’s twice romped home at The Curragh on good ground, and has run well in a July Cup and Sprint Cup on fast terrain, when just not seen to best advantage. 

The big handivap of the day, the Wokingham, is run over the same course and distance (5.05). This 28-runner cavalry charge takes some unpicking, but it generally pays to focus on the younger runners, with only three winners since 1999 being older than 5. 

Rumstar, a four-year-old trained by Jonatahan Portman, ticks plenty of boxes and appeals at a general 14/1. 

His efforts as a two-year-old included winning at Glorious Goodwood plus landing the Cornwallis, while his exploits last term included running a blinder in the Group One Commonwealth Cup , when beaten little more than a couple of lengths behind Shaquille and Little Big Bear. 

Gelded over the winter, he indicated another big run at the Royal Meeting would be on the cards when chasing home all-the-way winner Lethal Levi in a hot 6f handicap at Newbury last time. 

He gets a pull in the weights with the winner, who was clearly revitalised by blinkers that day and got an uncontested lead. I fancy Rumstar will turn the tables and, while the track seems to have played pretty fair this week, those drawn high have still fared best, so berth 25 could be ideal. 

River Tiber and Haatem understandably head the market for the Jersey Stakes, having chased home Rosallion in the Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh last time. 

I’m not sure Never So Brave should be 14/1, though, because he didn’t do much wrong in two starts as a juvenile (chased home Ancient Wisdom and then Vandeek) and he’s been faultless in winning his two starts this campaign, winning a handicap at Chester with ease last time. 

The official ratings suggest he’s got about a stone of improvement to find to trouble the market leaders, but the No Nay Never colt has a stack of potential and it’s surely a tip that Sir Michael Stoute is content to now test deeper waters, as his colt would have undoubtedly been a short price for any handicap he might have contested at the meeting. 

Oisin Murphy has had a fabulous meeting and he can end it with a bang aboard Grand Providence in the longest race on the Flat, the Queen Alexandra Stakes (6.15). 

This filly is all stamina and her three victories last season included the the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket. I fancied her for the Chester Cup last time, but she was probably ridden a bit too close and, in hindsight, that sharp track probably wasn’t ideal. In the circumstances, she wasn’t disgraced in finishing a close fifth. 

Grand Providence has got plenty to find on bare ratings, but the demands of this race are so unusual that I’m not sure they count for a great deal. 

She’s still got untapped potential over extreme distances and Andrew Balding knows what is required to land this prize, having scooped it twice since 2013 and gone close on several other occasions, including last year with the similarlly rated Typewriter (less of a stayer than Grand Providence and didn’t quite get home). At 16/1, she will do for me. 

Away from Royal Ascot, I also like a pair at Redcar in the shape of Chatty (2.55) and Michael’s Pledge (5.30). 

The former, chalked up at 13/2, was a big eye-catcher on his return, when tenderly handled ridden off the pace, and hinted his turn was close last time, too, when doing too much from the front after being friendless in the betting. I’ve no idea what tactics will be employed this time, but he’s a good-looking specimen worth keeping onside. 

Michael’s Pledge is a half-brother to crack stayer Coltrane. He’s blessed with half as much ability, unfortunately, but also has plenty of stamina. 

His comeback run at Ripon was lacklustre, but he was quite keen early on and perhaps needed the outing. 

Michael’s Pledge went close on several occasions last term, twice being placed at Redcar, and he’s in a weak race here. If he can reproduce anything like what he showed in 2023, then the early 12/1 would look very big.

2.55 Redcar: Chatty £2 win at 13/2 with bet365

3.40 Royal Ascot: Art Power £2 win and £1.50 each-way at a general 16/1

4.25 Royal Ascot: Never So Brave £1 win and £1.50 each-way  at a general 14/1

5.05 Royal Ascot:  Rumstar £1 win £1.50 each-way at a general 14/1

5.30 Redcar: Michael’s Pledge £1.50 win at 12/1 with bet365

6.15 Royal Ascot: Grand Providence £1.75 each-way at a general 16/1