Royal Ascot Tips: Tom Collins has four tasty selections on day one

3.05 Ascot, 6f Coventry Stakes

Brocklesby winners just don’t go on to win the Coventry at Royal Ascot - that’s what the trends tell you. However, Doncaster’s opening two-year-old turf contest of the year has attracted talented and progressive types on a more consistent basis over the last decade, as proven by the subsequent exploits of 2016 winner The Last Lion (runner-up in the Norfolk) and 2021 victor Chipotle (winner of the Windsor Castle).

I have a strong suspicion that Persian Force might be the best Brocklesby winner since 1984 - the year in which Provideo took Doncaster’s sprint as part of a record-breaking two-year-old campaign that saw him record 16 victories and win Horse Of The Year.

Persian Force looked an extremely classy individual in the preliminaries at Doncaster and proved that on the track with an effortless four-and-three-quarter-length strike. Five subsequent winners have come out of that race, so the form stacks up pretty well for an early-season juvenile contest.

He was given a break after that performance, which allowed him to mature physically and mentally, and his progression was evident when he maintained his unbeaten record in a conditions event at Newbury last month, despite being unfavoured by the small field. 

A son of Mehmas, who finished second to Caravaggio in the 2018 Coventry, Persian Force has drawn well in stall 12 and should relish the stiff 6f at Ascot. With pace drawn high and low, expect him to sit in behind runners and move through the field late.

Selection: Persian Force @ 4.1

3.40 Ascot, 5f King’s Stand Stakes

The International flavour in this year’s King’s Stand sugarcoats an already fantastic race. Australia’s best sprinter, Nature Strip, has journeyed across the globe to face off against the quickest horse in the United States, Golden Pal. Meanwhile, a strong British team will try to keep the prize on home soil, and two Irish participants and a Czech raider provide extra intrigue.

Expect the roof to come off the grandstand if The Queen’s King’s Lynn avenges his luckless defeat in this race last year, but this edition may be decided by the foreign raiders. I respect Nature Strip - he’s an eight-time Group 1 winner and the top-rated horse in the race, so you have to - but he might be better with give underfoot and that’s just enough to put me off at short odds.

Preference is for the Wesley Ward-trained Golden Pal, who has unmatched gatespeed in this field. After three strides he will be in front, there is no doubt about that. This Coolmore-owned colt has won six of his nine starts and is virtually untouchable in the US, but is yet to convince after two trips to Britain.

However, I thought he ran an exceptional race in the Norfolk two years ago. He led from the outset and looked to have the race at his mercy, only to be collared by the precocious The Lir Jet near the line. The ground (good to soft) was far from ideal that day and he shaped like the best horse in the race.

He has improved a great deal since then and, although he disappointed in the Nunthorpe last year, that was clearly not the Golden Pal we’ve seen on any other racecourse start. His recent Shakertown victory at Keeneland was explosive and he might just have too much speed for his rivals on this surface. There has been a lot of talk about the straight track not suiting him, but there is no concrete proof that’s the case.

Selection: Golden Pal @ 4.4

5.00 Ascot, 2m4f Ascot Stakes

Willie Mullins has plundered this stamina-sapping contest four times in the last ten years and was unlucky to miss out last season when M C Muldoon had to negotiate traffic en route to a narrow defeat. He is represented by French import Bring On The Night this time around - an intriguing participant who hasn’t gone unnoticed in the betting. He is feared, but clearly represents little value.

Chester Cup runner-up Coltrane and last year’s winner Reshoun warrant a second look, but I like the claims of the Dan Skelton-trained Proschema, who may be underestimated on his return to the flat after a prolonged spell over hurdles.

This seven-year-old began his career with trainer Tom Dascombe and competed in some of the leading staying contests, which included the 2018 St Leger and 2019 Northumberland Plate. He was given far too much to do in the latter contest but flew home for third off a mark of 103 and has only been seen on the flat twice since, albeit he has won a couple of jumpers’ bumpers.

He has progressed into a 145-rated hurdler for Dan Skelton, but appears to still boast his flat speed and warmed up for this with a nice run over hurdles at Haydock last month. Well-handicapped off 100 and the mount of leading rider James Doyle, perhaps Proschema can provide his shrewd trainer with a valuable prize.

Selection: Proschema @ 16.5

6.10 Ascot, 1m6f Copper Horse Stakes

The general rule is that the draw loses importance over longer trips as each runner has ample time to find their desired position as the field negotiates the first portion of the race. However, this 1m6f event might be a little different.

The stalls are situated close to the first right-handed bend over this trip at Ascot and a low draw can be more beneficial than you might think. Market protagonists Cleveland and Stowell haven’t done too badly in stalls nine and ten. However, they will still have to negotiate traffic to cover the least ground possible. The likes of Juan De Montalban, Okita Soushi and Bandinelli may be forced wide and therefore lose position.

As a result, I’m going to take a shot on ten-year-old Not So Sleepy against his younger rivals. This dual-purpose performer adores Ascot and boasts form figures of 111 here over both codes since 2019. One thing he possesses is good early speed for a stayer and there’s a strong chance that he will turn the first corner in front from his starting point in stall six.

Maybe he lacks the acceleration of others, but race position counts for plenty over this distance and his 2020 performance in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket gives me a lot of hope that he will keep rolling in the straight. I will be disappointed if he's not in the first five home.

Selection: Not So Sleepy @ 21

Recommended bets

Persian Force (3.05 Royal Ascot) @ 4.1
Golden Pal (3.40 Royal Ascot) @ 4.4
Proschema (5.00 Royal Ascot) @ 16.5
Not So Sleepy (6.10 Royal Ascot) @ 21