Royal Ascot Tips On Wednesday: Three big-priced tips to back on day 2

Steve Chambers takes a look at Wednesday's racing at Royal Ascot, and picks out three big-priced tips on day two of the meeting...

15:05 - Queen's Vase Stakes

Aidan O'Brien's Wordsworth is hugely popular in the betting for the Queen's Vase Stakes, and the Ballydoyle raider looks like he could relish the step up in trip for this event, and with huge progression likely as the season goes on he could prove to be a cut above his rivals in this Group 2 1m 6f 34y contest.

However, there are some improving sorts taking their chance in the line-up, and one that is certainly upwardly mobile is the Mark Johnston-trained GOLDEN FLAME, who heads into this event on the back of two fine wins, and he's bidding for the hat-trick on Wednesday afternoon.

The son of former Derby winner Golden Horn failed to get his head in front as a juvenile, but he's come on leaps and bounds during his three-year-old campaign, and he broke his duck in impressive fashion at Bath in April. Easing clear of some inferior rivals that day on good to firm ground, Golden Flame then followed up with an equally as impressive win on the all-weather at Chelmsford over 1m 6f on handicap debut.

Now sent into Group company for the first time, Golden Flame is one of those contenders here that has shown he can see out the trip of 14 furlongs, and having won on quick ground at Bath, he should have no worries acting on the fast underfoot conditions expected at Royal Ascot on Wednesday. It will be a tall ask to continue his winning ways, as this is a gargantuan step up from what he has been competing against during his career to date, but Johnston has tasted victory in this race twice in the last ten years (2011 - Namibian, 2014 - Hartnell), so knows what it takes to win it, and Golden Flame could help etch his name on the roll of honour once again.

15:40 - Duke Of Cambridge Stakes

A stunning runner-up in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last time out, the William Jarvis-trained Lady Bowthorpe will look to go one better in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, and the classy filly is a hot favourite for the Group 2 contest at 15:40.

Her main rival according to the betting is Sir Michael Stoute's Queen Power, who was last seen bounding to an eight-length victory in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York. Dropping back from 1m 2f for this event, Queen Power will lock horns with Lady Bowthorpe for the second time this campaign, as the pair locked horns in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket, where Lady Bowthorpe prevailed narrowly.

The pair rightfully sit at the head of the betting, but there are some eye-catching contenders further down the betting, and the one that catches the eye at double-figured odds is David O'Meara's AGINCOURT, who was a sparkling second placed finisher in this contest last season, and she's looking to go one better here.

Having failed to recapture her form for the rest of last season following that immense Royal Ascot run, where she was beaten a head by Nazeef, Agincourt will hope that the glitz and glamour of the Royal meeting can see her recapture her sparkle, and the mare is of significant interest around the 16/1 mark. 

She was just touched off in a Listed event at Goodwood in her first start of the season in early May, but that performance showed the fire still burns bright, and the six-year-old benefitted from the use of a tongue strap that day. O'Meara has opted to keep the tongue strap for this event, and with ground conditions to suit she could well run another huge race at the Royal meeting, and she is most certainly the most intriguing contender at bigger odds.

17:35 - Windsor Castle Stakes

American trainer Wesley Ward has trained the winner of the Windsor Castle Stakes on two occasions, and he will unleash a dual-pronged attack at the 2021 running of the 5f Listed event, and his duo dominate the betting. Ruthin, in particular, is miles clear at the head of the betting, and is set to go off a short-priced favourite, while Golden Bell adds more depth to the American charge. But, the dominance of that pair at the head of the betting means there will be some potential value elsewhere, and with some firms offering five places in the each-way market then there's a host of two-year-olds that will fancy making the frame.

Michael Bell's SPRING IS SPRUNG is one that catches the eye, as the son of Oasis Dream was an impressive winner of a novice stakes at Windsor in April, and the form of that race has worked out fairly well, so there could be more to come over five furlongs this season. The third that day, Little Earl, has subsequently ran a stormer in the National Stakes at Sandown, where he chased home Ebro River in second spot, while Groom, who finished fifth in that Windsor event, has claimed victory at Salisbury in impressive fashion.

Spring Is Sprung will need to kick on from that Windsor victory, and having had a decent break from those exertions then he lines up here as a lively each-way play for Her Majesty The Queen, who won the Windsor Castle 12 months ago with Tactical.

With a plethora of speedy juveniles set to go to post, it's a hugely competitive renewal, but in Spring Is Sprung you have an exciting two-year-old that could continue on an upward curve, and around the 20//1 mark, at the time of writing, he looks an excellent each-way alternative to the Ward-trained duo at the head of the betting.