Royal Ascot got off to a profitable start on Day 1.
Terry and Tom teamed up to nail a $222.90 exacta in Race 2, while all three handicappers—Terry, Tom, and Rich—connected on the $41.20 exacta in Race 7. Rich had 2 winners on top, Tom added another top selection winner, and together the team found 3 of the 7 winners on the card.
If you’re looking for multiple viewpoints, proven handicapping insight, and the potential to uncover both value and big payouts during one of racing’s biggest meetings, now is the perfect time to join us for the rest of Royal Ascot.
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Royal Ascot Day Two Picks: Terry, Tom and Rich
Royal Ascot Day Two brings another loaded card with top-class two-year-olds, major Group races, deep handicaps, and plenty of chances for prices to pop. Terry, Tom and Rich each bring their own approach to the card, with full race-by-race selections, comments, alternates, best bets, and longshots.
Race 1: Queen Mary Stakes
Terry Picks
26 – Victorious: Unbeaten in two career starts; Moore returns in the irons.
27 – Wild Blossom: Won debut race by 10-lenghts at today’s distance.
5 – Celtic Dispute: Did well in the USA, winning over $79,000.00; Can go the distance.
8 – Drazinda: Won debut race in 59:2 and travels from France to compete here.
Alternate:
1 – Alta Regina
22 – Senorita Bonita
Tom’s Tips
17 – More Champagne – won at Keeneland by open lengths. Two of the runners were next-out winners. Beat a small field but did it with style. Impressive.
27 – Wild Blossom – won a four-horse race by ten plus lengths. From a trainer who has won this race twice before since 2022. Excellent chance even with an inside post position.
5 – Celtic Dispute – two runs at Gulfstream, running second on the dirt in her first start, and will run in the Royal Palm for an automatic starting place in this race. The switch to Christophe Soumillion only improves her chances
23 – Shimmering Sun – nice win in first start at Salisbury, well back by the bettors. She looked very professional in her run, stalking the pace, moving well when it came to going up to take the lead and continuing to the finish line.
Alternatives
13 – Love A Giggle
22 – Senorita Bonita
26 – Victorious
Rich’s Ranks
17 – More Champagne – 56.4 is a fast 5f time in debut – beat a horse that won next out
21 – Ruiva – debuted with a triple digit speed figure on the slop – also beat a next out winner
22 – Senorita Bonita – $1.3 million horse – won debut as 90 cent favorite
1 – Alta Regina – ran 5f in 57 – that’s fast too
ALT
26 – Victorious
13 – Love A Giggle
Race 2: Queen’s Vase Stakes
Terry Picks
4 – Limestone: Finished in the money in 5 out of 5 career starts, winning the last 3 race; amassing the most winnings.
3 – Galiyan: Won his last race going a distance just under today’s race.
8 – Port of Spain: Finished 3rd against Christmas Day; Trained by O’Brien Aidan; Ridden by jockey RL Moore.
10 – Ravenspire: Undefeated in career; Likes the distance.
Alternate:
11 – Wareeth
1 – Asakir
Tom’s Tips
10 – Ravenspire – two wins from two starts in distance races. One race on the all-weather and a turf run over 11 furlongs. He will sit mid-back in the race and move at the top of the straight.
4 – Limestone – has done everything right in his last three races, winning all of them. Steps up again in class, but is the one to beat. He will be in the lead and setting a sensible pace.
7 – Point Of Law – he won his maiden last time after running second in a novice. Both race were at ten furlongs. He’s bred to want to run one and half miles. Stepping up in class but looks the part of a winner.
2 – Del Maro – he wasn’t beaten by much last time at Goodwood in a four-horse field. Won at Yarmouth, then ran an average race at Chester in a group three race. I have two concerns with him: he sometimes starts slowly, and is this distance suited for him? Buick/Appleby.
Alternatives
1 – Asakir
8 – Port of Spain
Rich’s Ranks
3 – Galiyan – rerun the last race and it might look easy
8 – Port of Spain – expecting something more in the second – last was close enough
4 – Limestone – kind of hard to get past winning 3 in a row and expanded margin in last
2 – Del Maro – beat some horses in here and should probably do it again
ALT
9 – Ranga Tang
10 – Ravenspire
Race 3: Duke of Cambridge Stakes
Terry Picks
3 – Blue Bolt: Finished in the money in 6 out of 7 career starts, winning 4 races; Loves the distance.
10 – Friendly Soul: Won 5 of 6 starts in 2024, earning over $500K; stumbled and did not finish in 2026 return. Strong trainer-jockey combo.
12 – Kon Tiki: Won 3 races out of 5 career starts; High % winning trainer.
6 – Cathedral: Ran 2nd in last race the Betfred Dahlia S.-G2; Most experience.
Alternate:
5 – Catalina Delcarpio
1 – Jancis
Tom’s Tips
1 – Jancis – she is a late runner who’s won a group two race at Newmarket. She was in a less-than-favorable position last time at the Curragh and ran fifth. She will rebound here and win.
3 – Blue Bolt – she won her last race at Goodwood in a listed race, and the race before, her final start of 2025, she ran second in a group one. She will be one of the shorter-priced horses in the race.
11 – Godspeed – coming in from France with a second in a listed race at ParisLongchamp last out at seven furlongs. She is a Group 2 winner in France, and her first start was a bit unlucky, so she will improve on that effort.
15 – Snellen – ran third at Leopardstown in her first start of the season in a group three race. She won group three level going 9 furlongs and ran second at Royal Ascot last year. She is coming into this race ready to go.
Alternatives:
5 – Catalina Delcarpio
12 – Kon Tiki
Rich’s Ranks
3 – Blue Bolt – looks like a standout vs these
12 – Kon Tiki – if you like the 3 – you have to like this one too – just missed vs in last
13 – Noche Clasica – won last only 3rd up – distance works 3/2-0-1
5 – Catalina Delcarpio – boom or bust in the 3rd up for the 1st time
ALT
10 – Friendly Soul
7 – Dash of Azure
Race 4: Prince of Wales’s Stakes
Terry Picks
3 – Daryz: Won 7 races out of 9 career starts; Won 3 races out of 4 starts at today’s distance.
6 – Ombudsman: Finished in the money in 11 races out of 11 career starts, winning 8 races; Earned over 5 million.
7 – Minnie Hauk: Won 6 races out of 10 career starts; Perfect 1 for 1 at today’s distance.
1 – Almaqam: Won the last race -Tattersalls Gold Cup-G1; High % winning jockey.
Alternate:
8 – See the Fire
Tom’s Tips
6 – Ombudsman – a winner of the International last year and won the Dubai Turf, and then Brigadier General at Sandown this year. Top form and the combo of Buick/Gosden
8 – See The Fire – a winner of his last two races, this mare is on the upswing from her late start last season with a ninth in the Breeders Cup Turf. She had a strong second on ARC day in group one. A place for sure, but she could also win this race based on her current form.
7 – Minnie Hauk – she ran awful last time out after running second in the ARC last year. There was a reason; she was lame. She ran in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and ran an ok sixth. She will rebound today.
3 – Daryz – the last years ARC winner hasn’t lost since that race. Both wins were very convincing. My only question is about the going. When they ran at these track conditions, he lost big at York last year. Certain will be the big favorite off the last three efforts.
Rich’s Ranks
6 – Ombudsman – one of the favorites – short field and can run any style
1 – Almaqam – coming off a G1 win and has a win over top choice
3 – Daryz – The ML – got stomped vs Ombudsman
7 – Minnie Hauk – heavy fav versus the 1 last out an missed vs the 3 by a neck
ALT
8 – See the Fire
5 – Mississippi River
Race 5: Royal Hunt Cup
Terry Picks
27 Indalo: Just missed winning the last race missing by a neck; Can go the distance.
3 – Linwood: Won 2 races in a row going for a hat trick; Strong trainer and jockey stats.
6 – Archivist: Very competitive horse finishing in the money in 9 races out of 11 starts, winning 3 races including the last start; Jockey with high % stats.
17 – Mister Winston: Won 2 of his last 3 starts; trainer has a 21%-win rate.
Alternate:
25 – Classic
22 – Blue Rc
Tom’s Tips
5 – Excellent Believe – ran third in a listed race at Leopardstown, has time losing to a group winner. The first start was a third at Doncaster in March. If he gets the trip and will have to go from post eleven, he will be moving with three furlongs left and will again be strong at the end.
9 – Henlein – his first start in the UK was at Haydock and ran seventh at just over seven furlongs. An Australian import that runs well at Flemington and Randwick in group races. I think he needed that start, and now he will be rolling at this level. He will be at big odds.
22 – Blue Rc – toss his last effort at Newbury. It was not his day because the races before were all good efforts on all-weather and turf. This is his best distance, and he has an outside post position, which is a positive for me. 40-1 odds
12 – Urban Lion – he won the Lincoln in his first start and then was a complete bust in his next start at Newbury, running last of 24 horses. Well, he lost a shoe in that race, which may have been the cause of the awful effort. I will give him another chance.
Alternatives:
1 – Holloway Boy
10 – Thunder Run
28 – Rogue Diplomat
32 – Diego El Queso
Rich’s Ranks
3 – Linwood (Longshot) – only 9 races – won last two – can rate or lead
6 – Archivist – undefeated in thee at the distance – horse for the mile course
13 – Jagged Edge – also won all three at the distance – horrible so far in second ups
27 – Indalo – should fire in second up and like owner/trainer combos
ALT
32 – Diego El Queso
12 – Urban Lion
Race 6: Kensington Palace Stakes
Terry Picks
8 – Radiant Beauty: Finished in the money in 56% of the races, winning 33% of the starts; Likes the distance.
17 – All Moonshine: Won 3 races out of 4 career starts; Last win at today’s distance.
1 – Stateira: Always in the hunt looking to win; Has a high %winning trainer.
10 – Alobayyah: Finished in 3rd in the last at Ascot; Can handle the distance.
Alternate:
15 – Oolong Poobong
13 – Seren Star
Tom’s Tips
4 – Cheshire Dancer – ran a fifth last time at Haydock in her first start of the year. She has done better after one start and does have a group three win at Ascot at this distance in July 2025. I think she needs to run and will improve drastically today.
10 – Alobayyah – She ran a credible race at Ascot last time, finishing third at one mile. She ran twice last year and won her maiden in 2024. Now a four-year-old, she may have needed to mature to get the best from her. The last effort over this racetrack is a positive for me. Bettors like her too, at 4-1 currently.
16 – Rumba Numba – one start at Doncaster this season and one win. She will be drawn outside and placed forward, and even adding four pounds for the win, she will be well within herself in a big field to make a good showing again.
20 – Song N Dance – two starts, two seconds, one on the all-weather and one on the turf at Ascot. She won back-to-back races at the end of 2025 and will show up again with a strong effort at this racetrack.
Alternatives:
8 – Radiant Beauty
15 – Oolong Poobong
1 – Stateria
Rich’s Ranks
8 – Radiant Beauty (Best Bet) – won at Ascot in last and dominated last third up
10 – Alobayyah – finally healthy angle – making 2 starts in a row for the first time at 4
20 – Song N Dance – finished second behind top pick – fired in only third after a layoff
4 – Cheshire Dancer – longshot that ran well in her last pair at Ascot with the last a G3 win
ALT
19 – Unassuming
16 – Rumba Numba
Race 7: Windsor Castle Stakes
Terry Picks
17 – Sergei Diaghilev: Won debut race at today’s distance; Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by R L Moore.
16 – Sale Shark: Won debut race easily in quick time, has a high % winning jockey.
8 – Dance A Jig: Best Man in his first two starts and just missed last time; will today be his breakthrough?
6 – Celeron: Won his first start and collected over $13,000.00; Can handle the distance.
Alternate:
15 – Ruler’s Control
20 – Controlla
Tom’s Tips
13 – One Number – he had a good run at the Curragh in his first effort. He was beaten by Celeron, who also runs in this race. I really like the way he handled herself in the first race and just needed that tighter effort for the win in this one. Post position is not ideal.
17 – Sergei Diaghilev – he won at the Curragh in his first start. If you watch the race, it looks like he knew what to do and on the heavy going ran a good race. The winning margin wasn’t big. Another step forward today.
3 – Alfred Wallace – ran fifth at Ascot in his first start, then won at Thirsk in his second start in a seven-furlong race. His mom was a multiple Group One winner and may want longer trips than six furlongs, but a decent post position and a good trip may be what gets this horse into the money.
6 – Celeron – he beat my top selection and a bit, and returns to a race that the trainer/owner was aiming for. He should continue to improve and will need to with post position seven to contend with.
Alternatives:
7 – Charted Course
8 – Dance A Jig
10 – Green Sovereign
20 – Controlla
Rich’s Ranks
20 – Controlla – debuted in a G3 – 2nd by a neck with by far the best 6f time
17 – Sergei Diaghilev – won debut at 67 favorite and the 2nd place horse won next out
16 – Sale Shark – demolished in her debut and getting more distance helps
6 – Celeron – strong run in debut – solid 6f time
ALT
15 – Ruler’s Control
13 – One Number
Best Bets and Longshots
Terry’s Best Bet of the Day at Ascot – 4th Race – #3 – Daryz
Terry’s Longshot of the Day at Ascot – 7th Race – #6 – Celeron
Tom’s Best Bet: Race 1 – #17 More Champagne
Tom’s Longshot of the Day: Race 5 – #5 Excellent Believe
Rich’s Best Bet: Race 6 – #8 Radiant Beauty
Rich’s Longshot: Race 5 – #3 Linwood
Final Thoughts
Royal Ascot Day Two gives horseplayers a strong mix of Group race quality and wide-open handicap chaos. Terry lands on Daryz in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Tom starts the day with More Champagne in the Queen Mary, and Rich looks to Radiant Beauty in the Kensington Palace Stakes as his strongest opinion.
The longshot action could be especially interesting in the Royal Hunt Cup and Windsor Castle Stakes, where big fields, straight-course dynamics, and improving runners create the kind of setup where value horses can make serious noise.
