Lucky 15 Tips: Royal Ascot’s suitably scintillating Wednesday

Day 2 at Royal Ascot, and you know the drill. Action starts at 14:30, all SEVEN races are LIVE on ITV, and our Lucky 15 tips will be selected from them. There's four Group contests, two handicaps, and a Listed heat.

Fabulous horses, jockeys, fashion, and pageantry. Hope yesterday was enjoyable for you, and that today follows suit. We're here until Saturday!  

Horse Racing Odds

14:30 Royal Ascot - Victorious @ 9/2

We open with the G2 Queen Mary, and a maximum field of 28 expected to face the starter. Two-year-old fillies, over the flying 5f.

None of the field have tremendous experience - quite the reverse. These are precocious talents that have shown more than enough to warrant a spot but are about to explode.

Someone with a terrific record here - well, everywhere that counts really - is one Aidan Patrick O'Brien, since 1996 the master of Ballydoyle and serial producer of devastating champions.

He saddles a gloriously-bred daughter of Wootton Bassett in the shape of VICTORIOUS, out of a Galileo mare. She's run twice so far, taking a Naas maiden cosily in April before being stepped up to G3 company at the same track the following month, winning narrowly by a neck but always in control.

They were both over 6f but that ability to operate at a little further will be priceless here over the stiff 5f, when she'll need to be brave and resolute over the final punishing yards.

She'll surely get at least a mile no problem in time and as both those runs were on good ground that's another box to tick, as we're expecting proper summer conditions underfoot this week.

There are of course any number of massive dangers including from the USA and France, but in Aidan we trust is a familiar mantra and his equally trusty lieutenant RL Moore is doing the steering. What a way to start the day!

15:05 Royal Ascot - Limestone @ 7/2

If the Fates are with us then for the second selection in our Lucky 15 to prevail we're hoping Aidan's son Joseph is in equally fine fettle in the 1m 6f G2 Queen's Vase, for three-year-olds.

The Betfred Oaks-winning trainer has LIMESTONE in this, ridden by last week's brilliant, ice-cool Epsom hero Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Three wins from five starts, and a real eye-opening career-best last time stepped up to a furlong short of this trip after operating previously at between a mile and 10.5f.

He took a Listed heat at Navan 32 days ago and gave every impression that this extra furlong today will be relished, not feared. Limestone is by French Derby winner New Day out of a Duke Of Marmalade mare, who herself ran with credit at middle-distance trips on fast ground after relocating to America from the UK.

It looks an excellent renewal and should be an absolute cracker.

15:40 Royal Ascot - Catalina Delcarpio @ 15/2

A theme is developing - an Irish one. My pick in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge, 1m for fillies and mares, is another raider from over the sea in the shape of Paddy Twomey's CATALINA DELCARPIO.

The superb Billy Lee rides this four-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega out of a Camelot mare. Wonderfully bred once again, and is another arriving on the crest of a career-best performance wave.

In a Leopardstown Listed contest 38 days ago she beat a field of eight comfortably at this trip in no-nonsense fashion, just her second run after reappearing for the season, and I'm thinking we're about to see another chunk of improvement on what will be just her sixth start.

She's got a bit to find on official marks but this is a very seriously successful trainer/jockey combo and a decidedly upwardly-mobile filly.

16:20 Royal Ascot - Daryz @ 9/4

G1 combat now for older horses, over 10f.

My old pal Gunner B is among the standouts who have taken this down the years, as have the likes of Mtoto, Bosra Sham, Fantastic Light, Dubai Millennium, Royal Palace and last year's hero Ombudsman, who lines up for a repeat bid this afternoon.

He might well start favourite to score but I'm looking to a slightly younger model, the four-year-old Sea The Stars colt trained by Francis-Henri Graffard across the Channel - DARYZ.

This fella has been a revelation since last autumn, narrowly taking the Arc at Longchamp from Minnie Hauk in a big career-best then reappearing for the new season with two runs and two wins, again at Longchamp, in two further G1 contests.

He's outstanding, and arguably hasn't been fully extended in those two successes this term, both at around this trip. He showed in the Arc that he gets a mile-and-a-half, but this trip probably suits better.

Incredibly, he was 12.5l behind Ombudsman in York's Juddmonte International last August, but that was far too bad to be true. He's not looked back since and as long as this ground isn't too quick I can't see him doing anything other than winning. Wonderful race with which to conclude our suggested little tickle.

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 £720 for a £7.50 total stake. If you can improve upon our selections (of course you can) - then go for it!