Lucky 15 Tips: Gold Cup Thursday at Royal Ascot

Day 3 of the royal meeting already, and the week's standout - the Ascot Gold Cup. Our Lucky 15 tips of course are coming from Berkshire once again and we've been both among the winners and hit the odd crossbar since hostilities commenced on Tuesday; including two scorers (advised 9/2 & 7/2) from our first two selections on Wednesday!

Hope you're enjoying all the wonderful sport and I'm guessing you might just have an eye on the footie too, later on each day. Anyway, here's a look at some of Thursday's equine crackers. Enjoy!

Horse Racing Odds

15:05 Royal Ascot - Tierra Del Toro @ 13/2

Wathnan Racing are enjoying success here at the royal meeting this week and more joy could be imminent in the shape of their TIERRA DEL TORRO, in the 1m 4f King George V Stakes, a heritage handicap.

The selection is a three-year-old Lope De Vega gelding with one win thus far from four starts. He's been nicely progressive, and on seasonal reappearance in mid-May produced his best yet; a 2.5l defeat in a similar affair to this, at Newbury.

That was a running-on effort over 10f, and he looks sure to appreciate the extra couple of furlongs with the dam being by Epsom Derby hero Motivator.

Super race, of course, and a big field. Each-way could be a very sound approach if tempted to back this one in isolation, and we're paying 1/5 odds, FIVE places.

15:40 Royal Ascot - Legacy Link @ 13/8

The 1m 4f G2 Ribblesdale is traditionally peppered with entries from fillies who didn't quite manage to win the Betfred Oaks, and we've got a very persuasive case in point here with the 3.75l runner-up on the Downs from 13 days ago - LEGACY LINK.

Races in the sensational Juddmonte silks of Dancing Brave, Frankel, Enable and company, is a three-year-old daughter of Dubawi, and Colin Keane is on board.

Prior to Epsom she took the G3 10.5f Musidora at York and in her five lifetime starts has shown to be both talented and consistent. She's bringing the best single piece of form to the table, and appeared to appreciate the step up to this mile-and-half distance in the classic.

It was however an odd race given the weather and ground conditions, rendering a quirky track rather more unfathomable on the day. Tricky then to rely too heavily on that lofty finishing position, but on official marks, and what she's achieved previously, it's hard not to fancy her chances strongly.

Travelled well at Epsom, but rather bumped into one. As long a there's no Thundering On types hovering to spoil the party this G2 should be well within compass. Trained by the outstanding Gosden father and son duo at Clarehaven, on Bury Rd at HQ.

16:15 Royal Ascot - Trawlerman @ 7/2

The centrepiece of the whole week - The Ascot Gold Cup. A 2m 4f marathon won in the past by such greats as Sagaro, Le Moss, Ardross, Yeats, Stradivarius, and Kyprios.

Last year's renewal was won by a yawning 7l by a now eight-year-old gelding by Derby and Arc superstar Golden Horn. My hope is that even after a period of racecourse inactivity stretching back 243 days, TRAWLERMAN can once again stamp his authority on the event and take it for Godolphin, the Gosdens and Will Buick.

If he's in the kind of nick he was last year I can see that happening all day long. One hopes that at, in UK flat racing terms the veteran stage of his career, he retains the huge amount of ability shown that day or at least enough to see off his rivals, of which there are several, highly credible examples.

Aidan's Leger winner Scandinavia is likely to start favourite and where he goes Mr Varian's Rahiebb is hardly ever more than a step away. Both will be playing for places though in my view if the reigning champ brings something close to his A-game on Thursday afternoon.

17:35 Royal Ascot - Endorsement @ 9/4

The G3 Hampton Court now over 10f, for three -year-olds.

In possession of the best Racing Post rating by at least four spots or more is the Aidan O'Brien-trained Wootton Bassett colt ENDORSEMENT, and while that's no guarantee of success it's a very handy little leg-up ahead of battle being joined.

He's not the highest-rated on official figures; he's on 107, with Oxagon top of the shop (112). He's kept very good company so far in his seven-race career, crossing swords with the likes of James J Braddock, Christmas Day, Pierre Bonnard, Benvenuto Cellini and Limestone.

He gets a mile-and-a-half and is often raced prominently. I wonder if Ryan Moore will look to proverbially make every post a winning one this afternoon? His chance is obvious and we know that the yard are flying. Go figure, and all that jazz. Let's hope it's that straightforward (if only)!

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 £350 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.