Royal Ascot Tips: The Americans, the Draw, and Our Best Bets for Today and Saturday
Today and tomorrow are your last chance to bet Royal Ascot on World Pool this year. The Americans have been all over this meeting, the near side has been the place to be, and there is real money to be made across both cards. Here is the lowdown plus our best bets for Friday and Saturday.
How the Americans Have Taken Over Royal Ascot
Ten American-trained horses shipped to Ascot this week, led by Wesley Ward, the first US-based trainer ever to win at the royal meeting. He has 12 wins there since his 2009 breakthrough and brought a seven-strong squad this year. The headliner is Outfielder, who lines up in today's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup.
Here’s the fun part. Outfielder is co-owned by former MLB World Series champion Jayson Werth, alongside Amo Racing USA and Ward himself. Yes, that Jayson Werth. The outfielder turned horseman named his sprinter after the position he played. Outfielder ran fourth in last year's Group 1 Prix Morny in France, then picked up two stakes wins this spring in the Animal Kingdom at Turfway Park and the William Walker at Churchill Downs. He is 16/1 against red-hot favourite Venetian Sun, but Ward has pulled off bigger upsets at this meeting.
Ward ran a squad of juvenile fillies in Wednesday's Queen Mary, and tomorrow he sends up to four more to the Norfolk Stakes on closing day. Other American trainers with runners this week include Tom Morley, George Weaver, and Patrick Biancone. Here is the full American contingent.
| Trainer | Horse | Race | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wesley Ward | Outfielder | Commonwealth Cup (G1) | Friday |
| Wesley Ward | Ruiva | Queen Mary Stakes (G2) | Wednesday |
| Wesley Ward | Shining Moment | Queen Mary Stakes (G2) | Wednesday |
| Wesley Ward | Ez Tina | Norfolk Stakes (G2) | Thursday |
| Wesley Ward | Bacio | Palace of Holyroodhouse | Friday |
| George Weaver | Sandal's Song | Palace of Holyroodhouse | Friday |
| Tom Morley | More Champagne | Queen Mary Stakes (G2) | Wednesday |
| Patrick Biancone | Celtic Dispute | Queen Mary Stakes (G2) | Wednesday |
How the Americans Have Fared So Far
The week has not been all one-way traffic for the raiders. Wesley Ward's Ruiva ran best of the US runners in Wednesday's Queen Mary, but the rest of the contingent found the level tough. More Champagne, Shining Moment, and Celtic Dispute all finished well off the board, and Celtic Dispute lost any chance when she reared at the start. The numbers tell the story.
| Horse | Trainer | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Ruiva | Wesley Ward | Best of the US runners |
| More Champagne | Tom Morley | 19th |
| Shining Moment | Wesley Ward | 24th |
| Celtic Dispute | Patrick Biancone | 26th (reared at start) |
That makes today even bigger for the Americans. Outfielder in the Commonwealth Cup is the best chance yet to get one back across the Atlantic, and the stands' side draw gives him every opportunity to do it.
The Near-Side Draw Story
The big story of the week has been the draw. Horses racing on the stands' side of Ascot's straight course have been cleaning up. The numbers back it: Friday's GoingStick readings came in at 8.9 on the stands' side against 8.3 on the far side, on Good to Firm ground. That is a meaningful edge in the big sprint fields.
It ties straight into the Outfielder story. He drew stall 21, hard against the stands' side rail, the golden highway. Fast ground suits him and the gate hands him an advantage. If you are betting the big fields today and tomorrow, lean toward horses drawn high.
Today's Royal Ascot Tips
Commonwealth Cup (10:05 ET)
Venetian Sun is the 7/4 favourite and she earns it. She is unbeaten over six furlongs with a win in last month's Sandy Lane at Haydock, and she beat Outfielder in the Prix Morny last year. Albert Einstein heads the dangers at 9/2 for Aidan O'Brien, though he has flopped three times as a short price this season. For value underneath the favourite in your exotics, Outfielder at 16/1 from that stands' side draw makes plenty of sense, and Charles Darwin at 12/1 can fill out a trifecta at a price. Here is the market.
| Horse | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Venetian Sun | Karl Burke | 7/4 |
| Albert Einstein | Aidan O'Brien | 9/2 |
| Coppull | Richard Hannon | 11/1 |
| Division | Charlie Appleby | 11/1 |
| Charles Darwin | Aidan O'Brien | 12/1 |
| Havana Anna | Donnacha O'Brien | 12/1 |
| Outfielder | Wesley Ward | 16/1 |
Coronation Stakes (11:20m ET)
Precise is the one to beat, the Irish 1000 Guineas winner with Ryan Moore riding for Aidan O'Brien. The dangers are stablemate True Love, who has course form, and Touleen, who raced on the wrong side in the 1000 Guineas and still ran well. At the prices Precise is short, so the play here is who fills the places behind her in your exotics rather than backing her to win.
Each-Way Angles on the Friday Handicaps
The big-field handicaps are where the value sits. In the Sandringham at 17:00, Quiet Mutiny is the each-way call at 14/1. In the closing Palace of Holyroodhouse at 18:10, a five-furlong dash on the straight where the draw bias bites hardest, Moojeed is the each-way play at 16/1. George Weaver's Sandal's Song and Ward's Bacio both line up in that one, so the American interest runs to the last race of the day.
Saturday Closing Day: What to Watch and Who to Back
Saturday is the final day and it could be international day. The feature is the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at 15:40, a six-furlong global dash and the last top-level race of the meeting.
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (10:40 ET)
This is a true world championship sprint. Australia fires the favourite Joliestar, a devastating turn of foot and proven at Group 1 level, plus Overpass. Japan sends Satono Reve, who was beaten only half a length in this race last year, and Lugal. US-campaigned veterans Khaadem and Starlust are in the mix alongside the home defence. Joliestar is the one they all have to beat, but the international depth makes this a cracking betting heat.
Norfolk Stakes (09:30 ET)
Ward points up to four juvenile fillies here, led by Ez Tina, a frontrunning Woodbine winner and a daughter of Ward's own two-time Breeders' Cup star Golden Pal. Win it and she avenges her sire, beaten a neck in the 2020 Norfolk. The form pick is Aidan O'Brien's Carry The Flag at around 9/4, second to Great Barrier Reef in the Marble Hill at the Curragh. Ez Tina is the American each-way angle against him.
Wokingham Stakes (12:00 ET)
The Wokingham is one of the great heritage handicaps and a 28-runner cavalry charge over six furlongs. It is a puzzle, but the week-long draw bias is your best steer: lean toward horses racing high on the straight, nearest the stands' side rail. That is where the winners have come from all week and there is no reason for it to stop on closing day.
Bet Royal Ascot on MyWinners
Every day of Royal Ascot is a World Pool fixture, which means the pools are deep and the exotic payouts can be huge. You can bet the whole card on MyWinners, online or in venue, and betting is open to all customers 18 and over. Get on for the rest of Friday and Saturday's closing-day showpiece while the American story is still live.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
