ITV Racing tips: Ascot and York
Flat
Ascot (1.10-5.15pm, Sky Sports Racing)
York (1.25-5.00, Racing TV)
Chester (1.30-5.30, Sky Sports Racing)
Gowran (1.45-5.40, Racing TV)
Newcastle (1.52-5.55, Sky Sports Racing)
Windsor (5.45-8.45, Sky Sports Racing)
Salisbury (6.00-8.30, Racing TV)
Free-to-view racing coverage
ITV4 – 9.30-10.30am: The Opening Show
ITV1 – 1.30-4.30pm: Live racing from Ascot & York
Ron Wood's selections
NAP:
Calandagan (4.10, Ascot) 2pt win @ 7/4 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Next best:
Almaqam (2.40, York) 1pt win @ 5/6 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Others:
Daneh Of Dandy (1.40, Ascot) 1pt win @ 16/1 with Betfred ⭐⭐
Pocklington (2.00, York) 1pt win @ 11/2 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐
Cajole (2.20, Ascot) 1pt win @ 5/1 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐
Sword (3.00, Ascot) 1pt win @ 22/1 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐
Moon Flight (3.20, York) 1pt win @ 14/1 with Betfred ⭐⭐
Bullet Point (3.35, Ascot) 1pt win @ 10/3 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐
Odds provided by Betfred and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (maximum five).
If you already have a Betfred account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts.
1.40 Ascot – Princess Margaret Stakes (Group 3, 6f; ITV1 & Sky Sports Racing)
Dance To The Music would have been the pick in this one, but she's a non-runner, so in her absence a chance is taken on the James Tate-trained DANEH OF DANDY.
This filly won at Ripon on her debut in a novice contest that Tate took in 2019 with Under The Stars, who then landed this race at 25/1.
2.00 York – Class 2 Handicap (6f; ITV1 & Racing TV)
POCKLINGTON just lost out when the selection for a competitive handicap at Newcastle last month but he should build on that seeing as he had been off for 311 days.
The return to turf ought to be fine for Geoff Oldroyd's four-year-old, who caught the eye at this course on his final start last year.
2.20 Ascot – Valiant Stakes (Group 3, 1m; ITV1 & Sky Sports Racing)
CAJOLE is just preferred to Royal Dress. The latter sets the standard, but the selection has the potential to be up to this.
The dam of Cajole, Persuasive, won the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot before landing a Group 3 race at Sandown and, in her four-year-old season, progressing to win a Group 1.
Cajole, for the same connections, was second in the Sandringham last month then finished runner-up in a Listed race at Sandown that did not unfold to suit her. Trained by John & Thady Gosden, she is likely to improve some more.
2.40 York – York Stakes (Group 2, 1m 2½f; ITV1 & Racing TV)
The Ed Walker-trained ALMAQAM sets the standard here, having most recently defeated the subsequent Group 1 winner Ombudsman in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown.
The selection won't want the ground to dry out too much but should have too much for his six rivals. Stanhope Gardens is a possible threat but still needs to make quite a big step up on his fifth-placed finish in the Derby to trouble the selection.
3.00 Ascot – International Handicap (Heritage Handicap, 7f; ITV1 & Sky Sports Racing)
SWORD is a hold-up horse who stays further, so he will be suited by this big-field contest up the stiff Ascot straight.
Trained by David O'Meara, this son of Kingman didn't get a clear run at York on his latest start and there's little doubt that he is capable of bettering his current mark.
3.20 York – 'Jump Jockeys' Nunthorpe Handicap (Class 4, 5f; ITV1 & Racing TV)
MOON FLIGHT is a tricky customer, being headstrong (including when going down to the start) and sometimes having an issue with the stalls, and he has been out of sorts lately.
But he is capable of a useful level when he does things right and he is an interesting contender now he makes his debut for David O'Meara.
3.35 Ascot – Class 2 Handicap (1m; ITV1 & Sky Sports Racing)
The obvious one is BULLET POINT, who won three handicaps in a row before finishing second over course and distance in the Royal Hunt Cup, 'winning' his race in the wrong group.
There's probably still better to come from this William Haggas-trained four-year-old, who will be ridden by Tom Marquand.
4.10 Ascot – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Group 1, 1m 4f; ITV1 & Sky Sports Racing)
CALANDAGAN is an off-the-pace runner who can be a bit tricky, but he gained an overdue first Group 1 success in France on his latest start and he should reverse June's Coronation Cup form with Jan Brueghel. Read our full horse-by-horse King George preview.
Selection: Calandagan 2pt win @ 7/4 with Betfred
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Are there any other horses of interest away from the ITV cameras?
Words Of Truth (1.10, Ascot) made his debut in a really strong Newbury maiden and has since been gelded. He should improve.
Another to look at is Spoken Truth (5.40, Gowran Park). He should be better for his seasonal reappearance and the step up in trip to 1m 1½f is in his favour. It feels like now or never for this well-bred colt by Frankel who is a brother to Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs.
When is the next big racing festival?
The week-long Galway Festival kicks off in Ireland on Monday, followed a day later by Glorious Goodwood. Check out the latest Glorious Goodwood free bets and betting offers.
The latter is a five-day fixture and is set to feature Field Of Gold, possibly the best horse in the world, in the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, one of three Group 1s at the meeting.
What does NAP mean?
NAP is a word used in betting circles to describe a prediction that a tipster thinks has a particularly strong chance of winning.
Many horse racing tipsters pick out a 'NAP of the day', which is their favoured selection from all the races across the different meetings.
The term NAP derives from the French card game Napoleon. When players of this game thought they had a particularly strong hand that they would win with, they would shout 'Napoleon'.
Star ratings explained
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy
⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims
⭐⭐ - tentative choice
⭐ - minimum confidence
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