Duke of Edinburgh Stakes racing tip: Royal Ascot conditions tailor-made for Maksud
Royal Ascot
From around 120 runners lined up for day four at Royal Ascot, racing pundit Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems on Tipstrr, has managed to narrow that number down to his solitary Daily Bargain.
15:40 Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (1 mile 4 furlongs)
Four-year-olds have dominated this middle-distance handicap in recent times, winning seven of the last ten renewals, with only one runner aged above five winning during that time.
Hughie Morrison often targets this prize and has won it twice in recent years, both times with wide-drawn four-year-olds, including with Quickthorn the year before last.
The Morrison yard is in good form (two winners from five runners over the last five days) and they have two entries this time, with the younger of the pair, Maksud, looking the best of them.
Maksud fits all the winning criteria, being a four-year-old drawn in stall 15. His seasonal opener is easy to excuse because he missed the break in a slowly-run 10-furlong handicap on Chester's very tight track with soft ground.
Planet Sport Bet:
Money Back if 2nd to SP Favourite in all Royal Ascot Races
He finished off his race nicely under hands-and-heels and will come on significantly for the run, so it should set him up perfectly for today's much more suitable set of conditions.
Maksud did not run as a two-year-old but he was highly regarded early last season when he began his career by winning a 13-runner novices' stakes at Windsor, beating the short-priced favourite with the pair six lengths clear.
Suggested bet: Maksud in the 15:40 at Royal Ascot
Subsequent outings in stronger company were part of his learning process until he was stepped back up in distance on right-handed tracks, promptly finishing runner up in two straight outings, firstly behind Secret State over 12 furlongs at Goodwood and then behind Cresta over a similar distance at Windsor.
Given that both of those colts are now rated 110, Maksud's current mark of 99 looks very appealing, and the way in which the latter beat him for finishing speed strongly suggested that a return to 12f on the stiffer Ascot track should suit him much better.
Of the others, Al Nafir has to go on the shortlist following his Old Rowley Cup victory at Newmarket last autumn, and with just six outings to date he is still lightly raced and has been kept fresh for this.
Having also run well over 14 furlongs at York last season, he has more than enough stamina for this event and the likely strong pace will go in his favour.
He has an entry in the bet365 Trophy over that same trip at Newmarket next month, so stamina is clearly seen as a strong suit and this sort of ground is ideal for the four-year-old, who also has a favourable double-figure draw.
Next best bet:
Al Nafir in the 15:40 at Royal Ascot
