Lucky 15 Tips: Centurion O’Brien won’t rest on his laurels

Friday, Day 4, of Royal Ascot. Four more Group contests, three stunning handicaps, and once again all seven heats televised LIVE by ITV. The action kicks in at 14:30, and it's sure to be a spectacular vehicle as ever for our Lucky 15 tips.

We've had the odd good thing oblige so far at the meeting and plenty of bigger-priced horses running the race of their lives too on this, one of the biggest stages. Something for everyone then! Hope you're having fun with it all and as Scotland & England have both won their opening World Cup matches there's plenty to warm the old cockles. Enjoy!

Horse Racing Odds

14:30 Royal Ascot - Sun Goddess @ 6/5

Trainer Aidan O'Brien is ridiculously brilliant all of the time, but at a meeting like this his quality is magnified because we get to see it up close day in day out for the best part of a week. Relentless pursuit of excellence, invariably rewarded with a hatful of winners.

On Thursday, in a race they'll be talking about for 50 years Aidan's Scandinavia, winner of the Betfred St Leger, took the Ascot Gold Cup by a whisker from the magnificent Trawlerman. It was Aidan's 100th Royal Ascot success. Hats off then, to the peerless maestro from Ballydoyle, County Tipperary.

I'm going for an extension big-style to that dominance today. The first race I can see him taking is this opener, the 6f G3 Albany, for two-year-old fillies.

Ballydoyle's sole representative is the twice-raced daughter of Sioux Nation Sun Goddess, out of a Starspangledbanner mare. She debuted in a Naas maiden in early May, going down by just a head to a stablemate who's since been placed close-up in a Curragh G3.

Next time on the racetrack 26 days go she made no mistake at the Curragh, breaking her maiden by an impressive 5l. On this occasion she stepped up to 6f, today's trip, and it appeared to suit admirably.

Her breeding is all about speed, and on this genuine summer ground she may well have the requisite gears to have all her rivals in plenty of strife. Ryan Moore, who else, is in the plate.

16:20 Royal Ascot - Precise @ 8/13

The G1 Coronation Stakes now, and another talented Ballydoyle filly with plenty going for her.

Second in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket to stablemate Love, who reopposes. She raced on the slower side of the Rowley Mile that day and couldn't land a blow. Three weeks later at the Curragh, different story. No discernible draw bias, and she reversed the form with Love emphatically, winning by 2.5l.

Precise might not be entirely straightforward, being tardily away and hanging late, but she was well on top at the finish. Bags of speed from her sire, and a stamina influence courtesy of her dam being by the great Galileo.

I don't like that she's invariably going to be a skinny price but she still appeals of course as the likeliest winner in my eyes and I want her in my camp to add to any potential the bet might have if the others can run well, too.

17:35 Royal Ascot - Causeway @ 15/8

Time for the G2 King Edward VII Stakes, and if our fancy pops in here that will be three for Messrs O'Brien & Moore.

This is often dubbed the 'Ascot Derby,' testing the boys as it does over the classic 1m 4f trip. My selection didn't go to Epsom but has won four of his five starts so far, and is a son of Wootton Bassett out of another Galileo mare.

Causeway is officially the top-rated entrant, narrowly, and has an upwardly-mobile profile. Last time was his best yet - a head victory in a Curragh G3, over 10f. I guess the extra couple of furlongs isn't a given, but that's the only potential chink in his armour for me.

Only defeat so far was first time out, and Aidan's often improve for a run. Big chance.

18:10 Royal Ascot - Dickensian @ 11/1

Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan loves a winner down here and he's got a very credible challenger in the form of Dickensian, a three-year-old colt by flying machine Pinatubo.

This is the 5f Class 2 Holyroodhouse handicap, a proverbial blink-and-you'll-miss-it charge, and we've a massive field. Kevin's charge is two-from-seven all told, and 36 days ago he produced a career-best in taking a York Listed affair by 0.5l off a mark of 100.

He's been reassessed up to 104 and shoulders topweight of 9st 9lb, but on this fast ground and from box 19 he might just have the requisite class to see him home. A thrilling finale to the day's racing.

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 £210 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.