Lucky 15 Tips: Enjoy the first sensational day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday

One of racing's 24 carat events. Five days of sensational contests, with the eyes of the sporting world firmly fixed upon those regal, verdant acres in Berkshire. Royal Ascot majors in high fashion and timeless pageantry, and welcomes some of the fastest horses on the planet.

Tuesday is the opening day, and of course we're heading there for our Lucky 15 tips. No juice in headlining who's here - it would be easier to list who's not. First up on the seven-race programme is the 14:30, and all races are covered LIVE on ITV. All that's left is to say take care, enjoy, and thanks a million for your company.

Horse Racing Odds

14:30 Royal Ascot - Notable Speech @ 7/4

We're straight into the heart of the Group 1 action with the Queen Anne, for older horses, over the straight mile.

There's very little in it between the expected principals on official figures, but such was the mastery of NOTABLE SPEECH when last seen 31 days ago in Newbury's Lockinge he's very probably starting favourite, and very definitely carrying my hopes.

He's a five-year-old Dubawi entire, from the Godolphin/Appleby/Buick champion-creating production line, and such was the majesty of the Newbury performance the reappearing runner-up, More Thunder, could well start second favourite for this.

Last year he ran in this very race and struggled for room at a vital time, which in fairness you don't usually get on the straight course, and then Buick dropped his whip. He was beaten 2.25l.

He's arguably in better order coming in this time around, and with normal progress in running should, fingers crossed, get us off to a flyer.

16:20 Royal Ascot - Bow Echo @ 4/5

More G1 magic, one mile again the trip, but this time on the round course - it's the St James's Palace.

The cream of Europe's three-year-old colts were to be assembled, and that remark still holds true to an extent, but unfortunately the winner of the French 2000 Guineas, Francis-Henri Graffard's Rayif, has been slightly under the weather and doesn't travel.

That leaves a decent but small supporting cast expected to trail in the wake of Newmarket Guineas winner BOW ECHO, and the horse second that day (beaten 2.75l), Gstaad. The latter then took down the Irish equivalent comfortably at the Curragh (3l), and this clash is as eagerly awaited as any all week.

The selection has long been extremely well regarded by his trainer George Boughey, and is a son of Night Of Thunder, another 2000 scorer in 2014 - beating a certain Kingman by half-a-length.

Jockey Billy Loughnane has been on the upwardly mobile Boughey journey, as both have prospered and gate-crashed the sport's upper echelons by the sheer weight of their talent.

The official handicapper thinks at this stage that Bow Echo has 6lb on his hugely-respected, Aidan O'Brien-trained opponent, and such was the manner of his success at HQ it will be a shock, I think it's fair to say, if he doesn't arrive at the business end and cut them all down with that blistering turn of foot he showed on the Rowley Mile.

17:00 Royal Ascot - Puturhandstogether @ 6/1

Time for the ultra-stayers, and the Ascot Stakes (2m 4f).

Trainer Joseph O'Brien has SEVEN entries, and there's a probable royal hotpot in Reaching High, trained by Willie Mullins (massive chance). However, I'm siding with one of the 'Joey O' inmates, the JP McManus-owned PUTURHANDSTOGETHER.

The five-year-old gelding is by a G1 sprinter, also trained by Aidan, and took the Irish Cesarewitch last term. He then came from frankly a hopeless position in rear to finish on the heels of the principals in the Chester Cup when last seen in May, beaten 6l.

He's due another one of these in my book and gets the magnificent assistance in the plate of Dylan Browne McMonagle, fresh from winning the Betfred Oaks on the trainer's Thundering On.

The selection's stamina evidently comes from the dam's side, unraced herself but by the mighty Galileo. Fabulous race, and with the likely royal favourite dominating the early betting we should get a bit of value.

18:10 Royal Ascot - Gamrai @ 11/2

A 1m 6f Class 2 handicap for older horses, and a maximum field of 16 slated to face the starter.

Luck in running will be a prerequisite here, even over this trip. I'm leaning firmly towards a jockey as likely as any to keep us out of trouble, for there surely will be some coming around the home turn, and potentially beyond.

Oisin Murphy rides GAMRAI, a four-year-old Lope De Vega gelding out of a Danehill Dancer mare, trained by the Gosdens at Clarehaven. He warmed up for this with a career-best second at HQ beaten a length off 97, at 1m 4f, and steps up 2f in distance this afternoon to tackle similar company off 99.

The trip is a slight imponderable, but he could be nicely unexposed and in the Gosden/Murphy axis has just about the best assistance in the field helping him out.

One point to note - the great American jockey John Velasquez, 'Johnny V,' has also been engaged to ride one of Joseph's - Aeronautic, in the silks of the Newtown Anner Stud, which is in turn owned by the US-based construction magnate Maurice Regan (along with his wife).

This will explain the legendary jockey's appearance, but I also understand that Mr Regan is originally from County Tipperary. All very super-cosmopolitan, international, and soooo Royal Ascot!

If all four of our selections won, today's notional 50p win Lucky 15, at the prices indicated (they can of course fluctuate), would return around £314 for a £7.50 total stake. If you can improve upon our selections (of course you can) - then go for it!

NAPS table with Betfred Insights.