Winter to take hold at Royal Ascot
Favourite expected to continue her form
Coral’s horse racing punters enjoy a stunning start to the weekend, with Friday’s round at Royal Ascot bringing us a number of exciting group one contests, not least the Coronation Stakes.
Click here to pick your best of the day, or build multiples, such as Lucky 15s and Yankees – big wins for small stakes. If you’re after a bit of inspiration, we lay-out our ace of the day below, while punters can have an interest throughout, thanks to our race-by-race selections.
Traders have O’Brien’s filly as the winner
The seven-furlong Coronation Stakes is expected to post at 4.20pm, with a tightly-packed seven-runner field deciding the winner’s share of over £240,000. Coral traders have had their say, and there’s little doubt in the mind of our odds compilers that Winter is the one to beat, pricing her as an odds-on favourite.
We find ourselves at a loss to argue against that. Aidan O’Brien’s star filly goes into the day looking to bank a hat-trick, following impressive wins around Newmarket and, most recently, the Curragh. The first in that purple patch came in the 1000 Guineas, beating hot favourite Rhododendron by a decent margin, when it seemed like everyone was on the runner-up.
NAP aiming for a hat-trick
Proving that to be no mere fluke, she went over to the Curragh and claimed the Irish version of that race, slapping down Roly Poly in the process, again by a decent margin. It was no surprise to see her go off as short priced favourite on that occasion, and she ran like it too, going clear 2f out and driving for home. A fantastic effort, and it looked like she had a bit more to give if needed.
The one slight negative if you’re going to follow us in on Winter is that it’s her first visit to Ascot, but we’re more than happy to get over that, as the challenges of the course should play to her strengths. Her best effort will make her nigh on impossible to beat, and she’s sure to feature heavily in Friday accumulators.
Ascot selections
2.30 – Alpha Centauri
3.05 – Crystal Ocean
3.40 – Bound For Nowhere
4.20 – Winter
5.00 – Time To Study
5.35 – Sixties Groove
Check out our full list of horse racing previews and tips
