Ain't Nobody 100/1 (5pl) – Ascot 3.40 (King Charles III, Group 1)
I'm not stupid, and fully aware that this is a far reach on a huge outsider in a Group 1, but I've seen weirder stuff happen.
At the prices, the favourite could turn out to be a very nice price, but based on what we know, you're braver than me to be backing him. He comes from Australia, and his form is over longer. The run behind Ya King Rising is obviously solid form, but it's over longer. We don't know if he'll like the track, as Ascot can catch a lot of horses out.
Night Raider was the one I liked towards the top of the market. He looks like a new horse since being gelded, and he is backable at an each-way price. However, as I've mentioned many times before, the sprinting division throws up some wacky results, so I thought, why not give a chance to an outsider?
In his best form, Ain't Nobody will probably fall short. He finished second in the Group 1 Nunthorpe behind Asfoora last year, and he was unlucky with where he was positioned. He was the back marker up until the final quarter of the race, and then got motoring, running on to finish as runner-up. This stiffer track and a likely rapid pace should bring him into contention. If we get a place, then I'd be chuffed.
Tim Toe 18/1 (5pl) – Ascot 5.00 (Ascot Stakes)
It is not a great surprise to see the favourite being a Willie Mullins horse, ridden by Ryan Moore, and owned by the King. All of these for a long-distance flat handicap at Royal Ascot will always see the horse be short in the market, and he's far too short to be getting involved in.
The trainers who trained in both codes in Ireland and the UK are good starting points for this race, and I thought that Henry De Bromhead's runner was a very interesting horse. Henry won this race last year, and he has sent one for the race, with an interesting profile.
Tim Toe has three flat races to his name and hasn't ventured past a mile. So this is a big risk backing a horse like this, who is now stepping up to 2m 4f, but Ascending, Henry's winner from last year, is at Royal Ascot but in a race over 1m 6f. That horse is only 5lbs higher than he was when winning this race last year, and could've got in as the top weight, which gives me confidence that they think Tim Toe will stay the trip.
He is 20/1, and probably would be bigger if he weren't trained by Henry.
Enfjaar 10/1 (4pl) – Ascot 5.35 (Wolferton Stakes, Listed Race)
There are a few very interesting horses in this race. Map Of Stars, Nahraan and Ghostwriter all deserve respect for one reason or another, but I felt like there were too many questions to be answered on them, so Enfjaar seemed a solid option.
I took on Haatem last year, and I sided with King's Gambit. He didn't get a great ride in this race twelve months ago, so knowing my luck, he'll end up with his head in front this time. Another horse who was placed in this race last year was Enfjaar, and he ran well whilst also finding trouble in running.
Roger Varian has done well in this race since it became a Listed race, winning it twice, including Mountain Angel, also a six-year-old. Despite my fancy being quite an old horse, he is lightly raced with not many miles on the clock, which you wouldn't expect with his age.
He likes fast ground, has run well in this race before, and ran well on his return to the track at Goodwood. There's a lot to like, and I think he has solid claims of at least hitting the frame.
Duraji 16/1 (5pl) – Ascot 6.10 (Copper Horse Stakes)
Once again, we have another short-priced favourite in a big-field handicap. I'm not going anywhere near a horse at Royal Ascot in a handicap like this, where there is strength in depth.
Ascending, whom I mentioned before, was on my list for this race, but I've ended up going with Duraji.
I think having form in similar-level races is worth its weight in gold. Duraji was third in the Chester Cup, and he gave a bold showing from the front that day at huge odds (50/1), and got collared late home. He won't be able to get away with having a lead on a front-runner track, but there's every chance that he can lead in this race, and given that it's a big field, it could put a lot of the others in a bad spot.
The drop in trip could be what he needs, as his stamina didn't last home in the dying stage of a 2m 2f race.
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