Royal Ascot 2025 Day 1 – Mgheera can make the step up to Group 1 company with ease

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The biggest flat meeting of the season is here. Royal Ascot will be full of drama, big-priced winners and fantastic racing.

Hopefully, after the five-day meeting, we will all be in profit.

As always, put your fancies in the comments. Also, if you have ante-post bets rolling, put them in as well.

Lead Artist 9/2 (1pt) – Ascot 2.30 (Queen Anne Stakes Group 1)

To kickstart Royal Ascot, we have the Queen Anne Stakes, which is a Group 1 run over the straight mile.

This is a very interesting race, and I think you can make a case for at least five, maybe six. The talking horse is Rosallion, as he was a good winner at last year's Royal Ascot and returned with a solid run in the Lockinge at Newbury. Since he finished third at Newbury, connections have said he needed the run. I think that is total nonsense. Before the race, there were strong rumours that he was spot on for the race, had multiple racecourse gallops, so I don't believe he was in desperate need of the run. The same comments can be applied to Notable Speech, last year's 2000 Guineas winner. Charlie Appleby said something along the lines of “you don't use the Lockinge as a prep run”, suggesting he was fit for that run last time out. Both horses were convincingly beaten by Lead Artist, whom I tipped up last time out, and will be trusting again.

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Unfortunately, we will not be getting the 16/1 or 18/1 odds that I tipped him up last time out, but I think he is being overlooked again. In my opinion, he should be the favourite based on what he showed last time out. The Lockinge is a Group 1 race, and the tenacious attributes he showed set him up perfectly for a tilt at today's opener.

He showed speed and stamina at Newbury, which is a perfect combination. He was headed by Dancing Gemini, but in the final half-furlong, he pulled away and was going clear at the line. Ascot is a stiffer track than Newbury, so there is a strong possibility that the track could be better suited for him.

Colin Keane takes the ride for the first time, and I hope he positions him like Oisin did at Newbury. Being just behind the pace is the place to be.

Mgheera 9/1 (1pt EW, 4pl) – Ascot 3.40 (King Charles III Stakes Group 1)

It was baffling that Mgheera was as weak in the market as she was last time out at Haydock. I was on the receiving end of her smart success in France the time before, so I knew she was a smart horse.

Last time out in the Group 2 over the 5f at Haydock, she was equally as impressive. She was slow out of the gates, but she was travelling very strongly. I think she was quite keen despite having a fast pace to aim at.

When Buick asked her the question to go after the leader, she quickened up like a smart horse and stayed on very strongly. I think this race could be ideal for her. She will enjoy the stiff test that the Ascot 5f has to offer, and I think they cannot go quick enough for her. They are going to go a ridiculously quick gallop, and that falls straight into her lap.

This is her toughest assignment to date, but the sprinting division doesn’t have steep levels of quality from Group 2 to Group 1, so she can definitely improve again to win this.

Other Royal Ascot Day 1 tips:

• Lucky 15 tips
• Race-by-race tips
• EW Treble tips
• St James's Palace Stakes tips

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