Royal Ascot tips: How To Bet £20 on Saturday

Rohaan is in his element at Ascot and the 12-1 on offer means he must be the bet to win the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on Saturday.

The five-year-old became only the third horse in the past century to win back-to-back renewals of the Wokingham 12 months ago and his overall record at the track – four wins from six visits - is even better than it looks as he also “won” the race on his part of the track when fourth there on Champions Day.

The way Rohaan has twice pounced from off the pace to master massive fields in the Wokingham, each time off lofty handicap marks, indicates he has what it takes to win a Group One. Indeed, it could be argued he’d have won the past two renewals of this race once you juggle the respective winning times and weights carried.

For a variety of reasons, he’s never quite made the breakthrough at the highest level, albeit there have been near-misses and hard-luck stories along the way.

This looks the day when everything might fall into place because he seems sure to get the end-to-end gallop that brings out the best in him and he’s drawn next to the obvious front-runner, Art Power, in stall 10. He is also not berthed far away from a couple of others blessed with plenty of early toe in Highfield Princess and Wellington. Expect his jockey, Adam Kirby, to stalk them before swooping as late as he dares.

Some will probably be put off by Rohaan’s below-par return at Haydock but I wouldn’t fret. He was beaten out of sight first time up last year before putting up a career-best effort at this meeting.

Australian challenger Artorius heads the market but he got going too late when third in the race last year and it was the same story the following month in the July Cup. It’s no coincidence that his most recent runs in his native land have been over longer trips.

Highfield Princess could be forgiven for being a little jaded after finishing runner-up in Tuesday’s King’s Stand Stakes (she’s stayed at Ascot), while Kinross lacks a recent run and probably needs some give underfoot to be fully effective over 6f. In addition, his draw in stall 1 could be troublesome.

Hong Kong ace Wellington commands respect but, at 7, his connections may have left it a year too late to visit these shores. The biggest threat could end up being Sacred, who wasn’t beaten far in this race last year when making her seasonal reappearance. This time, she lines up on the back of a fluent victory at Lingfield.

In Rohaan’s absence, the Wokingham can go to the rapidly progressive Orazio. Having had only six runs, he’s not your typical sprint handicapper and it could be he will be tackling pattern company before long.

His win at the Craven meeting at Newmarket marked him down as one to follow and the way he breezed home at Ascot on his latest start suggested he had taken another big jump forwards. The runner-up franked the form when subsequently going close in an 18-runner contest at Newbury.

Orazio has to cope with a 9lb higher mark and faster ground, but he looked to have loads left in his locker last time and he coped admirably with a sound surface earlier in his career. The grey son of Caravaggio, out of an Oasis Dream mare, could just be cut from a different cloth to his more exposed rivals and makes plenty of appeal at the 8-1 offered by Sky Bet, who offer each-way players the luxury of eight places.

Frankie Dettori’s Farewell Tour continues to go with a swing and he has prospects of a glittering treble on a day when he will be having his final rides at a meeting that he has graced for three decades and more.

Covey is thriving on his racing and can take a jump in class in in his stride in the Jersey Stakes, while Free Wind, a mare who also goes from strength to strength, is likely to be more at home on the fast ground than Hukum in the Hardwicke Stakes.

Dettori’s final ride at the meeting is Knockbrex in the Golden Gates Handicap and gives him great prospects of bowing out in style.

Knockbrex had the misfortune of trying to concede 6lb to Gregory - winner of the Queen’s Vase this week - on his penultimate start and his latest fourth in a hot 1m 4f handicap at York needs marking up as his jockey had to use up plenty of early petrol to lead from a wide draw and then the combination were guilty of doing too much, too soon.

It still looked like Knockbrex might prevail (traded at 1.57 in-running on Betfair) as he dragged rivals out of their comfort zones only for his exertions to tell in the closing stages. The first two home, Chesspiece and Land Legend, have already run well at Ascot this week.

Knockbrex will not be inconvenienced by dropping back two furlongs in trip and, ridden a little more conservatively, must have decent prospects of hitting the target off the same rating. From a favourable low draw, Dettori will have the option of making all.

Finally, the 20-1 on offer about The Grand Visir in the finale, the Queen Alexandra Stakes, looks too big.

Ian Williams’ evergreen nine-year-old has twice been placed in the longest race in the Flat calendar, plus won the Ascot Stakes in 2019. He hasn’t won a race since that day but very much caught the eye in the latest renewal, on Tuesday, when staying on well to be beaten under five lengths after running into traffic problems.

There’s obviously a chance this will come a bit quick for him but that is offset by his chunky odds.

3.40 Ascot: Rohaan £2 win and £2 each-way at a general 12-1 (bet365 offer five places)

4.20 Ascot: Free Wind £3.50 win at 11-4

5.00 Ascot: Orazio £3 win and £1 each-way at 8-1 with Sky Bet (8 places)

5.35 Ascot: Knockbrex £3.50 at a general 5-1

6.10 Ascot: The Grand Visir £1 each-way at 20-1 with bet365

Best odds in brackets

3.05 Ascot: Covey (9-4)

4.20 Ascot: Free Wind (11-4)

5.35 Ascot: Knockbrex (9-2)

3.40 Ascot: Rohaan (12-1)

5.00 Ascot: Orazio (8-1)

6.10 Ascot: The Grand Visir (20-1)

2.30 Pearls And Rubies & Content

3.05 Covey & Quar Shamar

3.40 Rohaan & Highfield Princess

4.20 Free Wind & Hukum

5.00 Orazio & First Folio

5.35 Knockbrex & Lion Of War

6.10 The Grand Visir & Stratum