Our form expert has five selections for day two of Royal Ascot 2025 including in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes.
The Verdict: Wednesday June 18
2pts win Rahiebb in 3.05 Royal Ascot at 8/1 (General)
1pt win Ombudsman in 4.20 Royal Ascot at 11/2 (Ladbrokes, BetVictor)
1pt win Qirat in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 11/1 (Ladbrokes, BetVictor)
0.5pts e.w. Epictetus in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 25/1 (Ladbrokes 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt win Sovereign Spell in 6.10 Royal Ascot at 28/1 (Paddy Power)
Ombudsman bet worth investigating
The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes headlines day two at Royal Ascot and Aidan O’Brien’s Los Angeles is a strong favourite to keep the prize at Ballydoyle after Auguste Rodin’s win last year.
He’s an admirable horse and is well respected but the combination of fast ground and 10 furlongs makes me think his price of around 9/4 is skinny enough.
There are no shortage of alternatives with Champion Stakes winner Anmaat in there as well as Sea The Stars progeny Map Of Stars and See The Fire, but I’m a bit worried about the quicker conditions for the first two and I’m not sure Ascot is the latter’s track.
With question marks hanging over those three Godolphin’s OMBUDSMAN could be the bet in the race for John & Thady Gosden. This is just the sixth career start for the four-year-old but such patience can be rewarded here as he has been brought along beautifully by the Gosdens who have restricted his schedule to right-handed tracks.
He should be well ready for the test Ascot poses and after posting a high level of form for a debutant in a mile novice on the July Course at Newmarket less than a year ago he has gone from strength to strength over 10 furlongs.
His wins in France at the end of his three-year-old campaign marked him out as a horse to follow this year and he progressed again despite suffering the first defeat of his career in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown last time.
I thought there was loads to like about that effort, as he gave a very talented horse in Almaqam 3lb and loomed up on his outside like he might get the better of him over a furlong out.
The penalty and his 263-day absence did for him against a race-fit rival in the end, but he pulled four lengths and more clear of the rest, laying a lovely platform for the season ahead.
This is his first go at the top level, but it looks unlikely to be his last judging by his Eclipse, King George, Irish Champion and Arc entries and a big effort is expected here under William Buick.
The Verdict: Back OMBUDSMAN in the 4.20 Royal Ascot
Varian's Vase again?
The best bet on day two looks to be RAHIEBB for Roger Varian and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at 3.05 and any 8/1 is well worth snapping up.
This looks an open contest with any number open to serious improvement at the 1m6f trip but I don’t think there’ll be any hiding places here with a likely strong gallop on the cards, so any vulnerable stayers need not apply.
Rahiebb looks likely to be well suited by the test of stamina, the son of Frankel related to 1m6f Group 3 winner Ispolini and tackling this distance for the first time can unlock loads of improvement.
He has progressed with each run and had little chance giving 8lb to a highly-progressive William Haggas-trained horse in Merchant (disputing favouritism for Thursday’s King George V Stakes) at York last time, but he did pull comfortably clear of the rest.
Those in behind franked the form at Doncaster after that and while I had Rahiebb down for a 1m6f handicap off his rating of 92 it’s a positive Varian has thrown him in here.
Indeed, Eldar Eldarov won this race for him in 2022 when rated 95 and he almost plundered the Ribblesdale with Ajman Princess (33/1, rated 86) and Eshaada (17/2, rated 99) at previous Royal Ascots.
Silvestre de Sousa has an excellent record for this owner (13 wins from 41 at 32% to +£26.33 at £1 level stake) and he could well enhance those numbers on Rahiebb.
The Verdict: Back RAHIEBB in the 3.05 Royal Ascot
Keane on Qirat in Epic Hunt Cup
It could be a good day for Varian and he’s got the Hunt Cup favourite in My Cloud who is preferred over the other gambles in the race, Greek Order and The Liffey, who have no Ascot form to fall back on.
My Cloud was impressive over the course and distance at the end of April and he looks to have been aimed at this ever since, his latest Newbury win ensuring he got in the race and we could see him peak on Wednesday.
He deserves to be at the top of the market but he’s not the only horse with enticing course form in the contest and Ralph Beckett’s QIRAT looks a big threat at 11/1 under Colin Keane.
The son of Showcasing has bags of straight course Ascot form in his locker; a Britannia sixth, a Challenge Cup second and a Victoria Cup second from last time, Hickory denying him in the shadows of the post by a nose in May.
Two of those runs came over seven furlongs, but I’ve no doubt he’s capable over a mile and stepping back up in trip second time out could well trigger further improvement.
I like the first-time blinkers, as headgear brought out the best in his Arc-winning half-sister, Bluestocking, while Beckett’s Hunt Cup one-two in 2023 both wore blinkers including first-time on Sonny Liston.
That horse was runner-up in the Hunt Cup again last year, so the stable has some very good recent previous in the race and it look significant Qirat is his sole dart here.
I’m also going to have a small each-way bet on EPICTETUS who caught the eye behind My Cloud last time on his debut for Jamie Osborne, a trainer who does so well on the Ascot straight course with purchases like this (think Field Of Dream, Raising Sand, Cliffs Of Capri and Hickory).
Saffie Osborne rides the straight track brilliantly, too, so he could go well at big prices with the cheekpieces back on as he’s well handicapped off 101 on his old form for the Gosdens.
The Verdict: Back QIRAT and EPICTETUS in the 5.00 Royal Ascot
Back magic Spell in the Windsor Castle
Finally, I can’t resist backing Raphael Freire’s SOVEREIGN SPELL in the Windsor Castle Stakes at 25s.
Amo Racing have some speedy juveniles amongst their 2025 roster and this horse defied weak market expectations (went off 14/1) to run a huge race in what looked a hot Newmarket novice on debut.
Indeed, the winner, Godolphin’s Rising Power, has won a Sandown novice subsequently under a penalty, while the third, Moonfall, has won since at Newbury as well.
Sovereign Spell split the pair despite showing signs of greenness and the trio were well clear of the rest, while I’d expect the selection to have learnt plenty from that debut and he can improve.
He’s bred for further, but this 120,000 guineas breeze-up purchase is showing plenty of pace and he looks overpriced in this cavalry charge.
The Verdict: Back SOVEREIGN SPELL in the 6.10 Royal Ascot
Preview posted at 1610 BST on 17/06/25
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