The second day of racing at Royal Ascot starts with the Queen Mary Stakes at 2:30 pm BST. It is run over 5F this is the premier race at the meeting restricted to two-year-old fillies only and has Group 2 status. American trainer Wesley Ward has had four winners of the race in the last 14 years as well as three beaten favourites.
It’s a good race for fancied runners with nine of the last 14 winners coming from the top three in the betting. Check out my thoughts on the runners and riders for this race along with the Royal Ascot 2023 odds for my selections below.
Balsam
Trainer: H-F-Devin
Jockey: Ryan Moore
Interesting French challenger. Has only run on very soft ground so the likely conditions are an unknown factor for them. Winner at Vichy in May from Les Pavots who’s been placed in a Group 3 since. Positive jockey booking.
Bated Moon
Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
Jockey: Declan McDonagh
Cork winner on soft ground on debut in May. Flopped in Group 3 at Naas subsequently and is probably out of her league here.
Beautiful Diamond
Trainer: Karl Burke
Jockey: Clifford Lee
Impressive winner at Nottingham racecourse debut at the beginning of the month. Cost plenty at the breeze-ups in April. Trainer won this race last year and has to be on the shortlist.
Betties Bay
Trainer: Georgina Nicholls
Jockey: Joshua Bryan
Runner-up at Newbury on debut to Mapmaker. Trainer has yet to have a winner on the flat and just the two wins over jumps. Big ask here.
Born to Rock
Trainer: Jane Chapple-Hyam
Jockey: William Buick
Looked smart when making a winning debut at Yarmouth in May. Well backed she made all to win by just over 4L from Jiwin who’s since finished 9 1/4L behind Carla’s Way at Doncaster racecourse.
Bundchen
Trainer: Wesley A Ward
Jockey: Joel Rosario
American challenger who was headed in the final stride in a 4 1/2F fillies maiden on dirt back in April on her debut. Very difficult to assess although the trainer has won this race four times in the last thirteen years so has to be respected.
Callianassa
Trainer: Brian Ellison
Jockey: Oisin Orr
Showed promise on both runs, 6th in Hilary Needler on the latest at Beverley. Looks out of her depth here.
Cotai Vision
Trainer: Ed Walker
Jockey: Hollie Doyle
Dwelt at the start when finishing 4th on debut at Lingfield racecourse. This is much tougher and impossible to fancy. A rank outsider.
Crimson Advocate
Trainer: George Weaver
Jockey: John R Velazquez
American raider who followed up Keeneland third with a 5F victory at Gulfstream Park by 3 1/2L from an odds-on shot of Wesley Wards. Looks speedy.
Cynane
Trainer: Thomas Morley
Jockey: Javier Castellano
The third American challenger, who won over 5F on firm ground on his only start in a fillies turf contest at Belmont Park in New York in May. Was a comfortable winner that day but form hard to assess.
Flora of Bermuda
Trainer: Andrew Balding
Jockey: James Doyle
Stepped forward from debut run at Sandown when a slightly unlucky 1 1/4L runner-up to Midnight Affair in the Hilary Needler at Beverley. More improvement to come and a lively outsider.
Gaiden
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Jockey: Sean Levey
Shown ability on both starts, runner up at Windsor to Relief Rally prior to a credible third in Marygate at York (beaten 1L) by Got To Love A Grey. Needs to step forward again.
Geologist
Trainer: Amy Murphy
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Went off at 15/2 on debut when a neck runner-up at Redcar in 6F fillies maiden. The horse that finished 3rd that day, Mapmaker, has won at Newbury racecourse since to give form substance.
Got To Love A Grey
Trainer: Karl Burke
Jockey: Sam James
Followed up 5L soft ground victory at Nottingham by winning the listed Marygate Fillies’s Stakes at York. That race has provided the winner twice in the last ten years with Ceiling Kitty (2012) and Signora Cabello (2018).
Graceful Thunder
Trainer: George Boughey
Jockey: Rossa Ryan
Just did enough to win on their debut at Sandown in May. Very speedy and likely to have improved plenty. Form doesn’t amount to much, however.
Hot Front
Trainer: Paul & Oliver Cole
Jockey: Kieran Shoemark
Well supported in debut at Wetherby when run down close home going down by a neck to Passionately over 5 1/2F earlier this month, the form of which has yet to be tested.
Juniper Berries
Trainer: Eve Johnson Houghton
Jockey: Charles Bishop
An impressive debut winner at Bath (5F, good to soft) prior to getting run down by the re-opposing Relief Rally at Salisbury in May. Was getting a couple of pounds from the Haggas horse that day and has a bit to find now.
Lady Pink Rose
Trainer: Karl Burke
Jockey: Tom Eaves
Backed into odds on when going down by a length at Catterick on debut at the beginning of this month to Flaccianello. Will need to improve considerably to feature here.
Launch
Trainer: Adrian Murray
Jockey: Kevin Stott
Irish raider who stepped forward from her second spot at Cork in May to run a highly credible third at Naas in a Group 3 contest won by Porta Fortuna over 6F. A drop in trip may well suit and looks a big price for one who’s already got a black type.
Miriamne
Trainer: James Ferguson
Jockey: Daniel Muscutt
Wolverhampton winner in May and runner-up at Lingfield since. Form is way short of what would be needed to win this and easily dismissed.
Midnight Affair
Trainer: Richard Fahey
Jockey: Daniel Tudhope
Runner up in good Newmarket fillies maiden on debut won by Soprano and followed that up by taking the 5F Beverley Hilary Needler at Beverley the following month. Highly regarded by the trainer and can run well.
Onigiri
Trainer: Marco Botti
Jockey: Neil Callan
Beat one of today’s rivals Geologist a neck on racecourse debut at Redcar last month (6F, good to firm) with the third winning since at Newbury. Could outrun her odds.
Out of the Stars
Trainer: Archie Watson
Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Well-backed when winning on debut back in April on the all-weather by a short head. Not been seen since and sports first-time cheek pieces here. Owned by Qatar Racing and needs to step up from her debut win.
Princess Chizara
Trainer: Conrad Allen
Jockey: Darragh Keenan
Went off an unfancied 28/1 shot when winning well on her debut at Brighton by 4 1/2L, turning over the 2/9 chance Mashadi. Not sure what she achieved there but showed good early speed and is a lively outsider with the pace to burn.
Relief Rally
Trainer: William Haggas
Jockey: Tom Marquand
Winner of both her starts at Windsor and Salisbury. Looked good when defeating the re-opposing Juniper Berries at the latter and looks like a contender. Rain would suit.
Tallulabelle
Trainer: David O’Meara
Jockey: Jason Watson
Finished behind Midnight Affair and Flora Of Bermuda last time out in Hilary Needler. Will need to improve to take a hand in the finish.
Thanksbutnothanks
Trainer: Dominic Ffrench Davis
Jockey: David Egan
Improved from Ascot debut to win at Lingfield (5F, good to firm) at the beginning of the month by half a length from Mariamne. Needs to improve but going the right way.
Tiger Belle
Trainer: Adrian McGuiness
Jockey: Ronan Whelan
Irish challenger who won at Cork on her debut in May and followed that up with a 1 1/4L second at Tipperary. Improvement needed.
Queen Mary Stakes Betting Tips
A competitive renewal of the Queen Mary Stakes with no standout filly in the 28-strong field. Karl Burke’s Beautiful Diamond looked smart when winning at Nottingham earlier this month and should be competitive along with the Richard Fahey-trained Midnight Affair who did it well in the Hilary Needler last time. Others with chances include the Marygate winner Got To Love A Grey and Born To Rock. Karl Burke won this with Dramatised and can follow up with his Twilight Son grey Beautiful Diamond.
1. Beautiful Diamond @ 9/2 with Bet365 bonus code
2. Midnight Affair @ 10/1 William Hill promo code
3. Flora Of Bermuda @ 28/1 with BetVictor promo code
All odds are available at the time of writing.
