Check out the four best bets on day one of Royal Ascot as ITV presenter Oli Bell identifies a cracking Tuesday Yankee.
Oli Bell: Royal Ascot Yankee
2.30 Royal Ascot
With an official rating of 123, Benbatl is the best horse in what looks a very open Queen Anne and he looks to have been targeted at the race since dotting up in the Dubai Turf. He's importantly already got an Ascot victory on his CV after winning the 10-furlong Group Three at last year's Royal meeting. The drop back to a mile is fine, quick ground is ideal and Christophe Soumillon is the perfect man for the job with Oisin Murphy required for Lightning Spear.
3.05 Royal Ascot
There was a real buzz about the place when Kingman colt Calyx bolted up on debut at Newmarket's July Course and I've bought into him being very much the real deal. It's a hot Coventry, as you would expect, but John Gosden is making all the right noises when it comes to this choicely-bred juvenile and he's got a very exciting future.
3.40 Royal Ascot
It's hard to say this will boil down to a match but the two big guns stand out on paper and preference is for the British-trained Battaash. He got off the mark at the second time of asking in Group One company when storming to a wide-margin win in the Abbaye in October and I really liked the way he did it on his comeback at Haydock. Lady Aurelia clearly loves the place but will need to step up quite a lot on her comeback run.
5.35 Royal Ascot
A very tightly-knit Listed contest brings day one to a close but Morando strikes me as the type of horse Andrew Balding will do well with. He was bought for a princely sum in the autumn and shaped with encouragement in third on his debut for the yard at Sandown in April. He's already a Listed winner at a mile and remains open to a bit more improvement over this longer trip.
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