Royal Ascot Day 4 Tips: 14/1 NAP fronts Friday’s fancies

Friday's card at Ascot is the penultimate one of the five-day Royal Meeting, with seven races scheduled from 14:30-18:15.

Headlining my Royal Ascot Day 4 tips is a 14/1 French raider who looks generously priced.

14:30 - Twafeeg @ 8/1

We begin on Friday with the Albany Stakes - a Group 3 over six furlongs for two-year-old fillies.

Archie Watson is a brilliant trainer of juveniles, which has been evident at Ascot this week. He saddled the 40/1 runner-up in the Coventry on Tuesday, the fourth (100/1) and fifth (22/1) in the Windsor Castle on Wednesday and the fifth (8/1) in the Norfolk on Thursday.

He relies on TWAFEEG in the Day 4 opener and I hope she can do even better than the aforementioned.

The daughter of Far Above was classy on her debut at Doncaster on the first day of the month which could prove decent form, and she ought to improve plenty for it.

Watson has called the selection his "dark horse of the meeting" who is "held in the highest regard", which alongside the fact Aidan O'Brien's youngsters have underperformed this week (he has Fairy Godmother and Heavens Gate towards the head of the market) gives me confidence that she'll run a huge race.

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15:05 - Jasour @ 4/1

The Commonwealth Cup is next, as the three-year-old sprinters take their turn.

I was planning on tipping up Elite Status, but he's an "unlikely" runner according to trainer Karl Burke so expect him to be withdrawn at any point.

In his absence, I'm backing JASOUR to win this lucrative Group 1 for Clive Cox.

The Havana Grey colt won the Group 3 trial over a month ago in good fashion, beating a subsequent winner in second and the reopposing Starlust who was six lengths back in sixth, and for me he looks the best of a relatively modest bunch.

15:45 - Skellet e/w @ 33/1

With little separating the market leaders for the Coronation Stakes - a mile-long Group 1 for three-year-old fillies - I've decided to take a chance on one at a price.

SKELLET was a classy two-year-old who I actually fancied for last month's 1000 Guineas, but per trainer Ralph Beckett she took a while to come to hand and was only just ready for the Irish edition just under four weeks ago.

Given she was undercooked against mainly race-fit rivals and she didn't get much luck in running, I thought it was a promising effort at the Curragh. She was over six lengths behind the winner Fallen Angel, but finishing as strong as anything at the finish.

I expect a significant amount of improvement and fancy she can at least outrun her odds.

Get your stake back (up to £10) as a free bet if your selection in the 15:45 finishes 2nd.

16:25 - Ethical Diamond @ 2/1

One of my stronger fancies of the day is Willie Mullins' ETHICAL DIAMOND in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.

He's relatively short for an 18-runner, 0-105 handicap, but this has long been the plan for the four-year-old gelding and he warmed up for it with an extremely-promising run in a Leopardstown handicap over a month ago.

He was only narrowly touched off by the then 80-rated Saturn, who has won since and climbed to a mark of 92. Likewise, the third-placed Global Energy has climbed from 80 to 85 having won his subsequent start.

On that evidence, a rise of five pounds looks more than manageable for the selection, who ought to come on plenty for the run, relish the step up to 1m4f and feel the benefit of Ryan Moore in the plate.

Get your stake back (up to £10) as a free bet if your selection in the 16:25 finishes 2nd.

17:05 - Cat Ninja e/w @ 18/1

Forty minutes later is the Sandringham Stakes, which sees 29 fillies compete over the straight mile.

I think CAT NINJA is a bit overpriced here for team Gosden.

She has showed plenty of ability in all three of her runs to date, but her best performance was undoubtedly her victory at Windsor in May.

On her only try over a mile, she beat a horse called Clove Hitch who has since bolted up by eight lengths in a competitive Newbury novice to earn an improved rating of 102. The pair had the rest of the field over 11 lengths behind.

Back over a mile, she could be rather well-handicapped off 91. Hopefully she can show it.

This is a Super Extra Place Race, so Betfred are paying 6 places instead of 4 at 1/5 the odds for all each-way bets.

17:40 - Mondo Man e/w @ 14/1

The penultimate race on the penultimate day of Royal Ascot is the King Edward VII Stakes - a Group 2, again for three-year-olds only, over 1m4f.

I think the market is seriously underestimating French raider MONDO MAN, who rates outstanding value in my book.

Pia & Joakim Brandt's colt brings solid form to the table from across The Channel, most notably with his fifth in the French Derby at Chantilly earlier this month.

After a slow start, he was forced to be ridden extremely patiently by William Buick before coming intro the final straight widest of all to deliver his challenge. He made up good ground and was staying on strongly at the line, suggesting a further step up in trip is what he wants.

Importantly, he finished ahead of the re-opposing Diego Velazquez that day - and the gap was only widening at the line. So, why is the latter our 4/1 second favourite and the selection as big as 14/1? I can't get my head round it.

I suppose it's partly because of the ground. It's been rattling quick at Ascot this week and Mondo Man has never encountered anything like it, but that's not to say he won't be at home on it.

I fancy there's a lot more to come from him and 14s in what doesn't look a great renewal is a highly-attractive proposition as far as I'm concerned.

This is an Extra Place Race, so Betfred are paying 4 places instead of 3 at 1/5 the odds for all each-way bets.

18:15 - Vantheman e/w @ 10/1

Finally, I'm siding with Kevin Ryan's VANTHEMAN in the lucky last - the Palace Of Holyrood House Stakes.

The three-year-old son of Invincible Army was, according to his trainer, a bit backwards as a juvenile, but he's clearly done a lot of maturing - physically and mentally - because his two runs this term have been excellent.

He returned with an easy victory, on his first try over the minimum trip, in a handicap at Newcastle off a mark of 79 and improved again when second of 17 in a competitive affair at York off seven pounds higher.

The only horse to beat him that day was the reopposing Jubilee Walk, who is five pounds worse off on Friday, and there is optimism that form can be reversed.

Of course, there's plenty more competition in the field, but the selection has a lot of upside and at current prices he's well worth a few quid each-way.

This is a Super Extra Place Race, so Betfred are paying 6 places instead of 4 at 1/5 the odds for all each-way bets.

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