The eyes of the horse racing world will be on Berkshire from June 20-24 as the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting is staged.
Top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has trained 81 winners at the Royal meeting, putting him just one behind Sir Michael Stoute in the all-time standings.
He will send his usual strong team to this year’s Royal Ascot, so let’s take a look at some of his best chances of adding to his impressive tally.
Several of the leading horse racing betting sites are offering odds of 3/1 on River Tiber to win the Coventry Stakes over six furlongs on the opening day.
That price looks exceptional value given the way the horse hacked up by ten lengths on his debut at Navan towards the end of April.
A step back to five furlongs on his second outing at Naas did not look the obvious choice to make, but the horse kept on well to win by two-and-a-half lengths.
If River Tiber is in touch at the furlong pole at Royal Ascot, his impressive turn of foot should stand him in good stead against his rivals.
Paddington is a typical O’Brien improver, progressing from a defeat in an Ascot maiden last season to rattle off four successive victories.
His most notable success came on his last outing at the Curragh, when he powered clear of the field to run out a ready winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas.
Some of the top UK betting apps rate him as a 5/2 shot to win the St James’s Palace Stakes and that price will likely attract plenty of interest from punters.
Newmarket 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean will provide stiff competition in a race that could be one of the most thrilling spectacles of the entire meeting.
O’Brien’s decision to run Little Big Bear in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket failed to pay dividends, with an early bump ending the horse’s chances of success.
Last season’s Windsor Castle Stakes and Phoenix Stakes winner has always looked a natural sprinter and proved that point on his recent return to six furlongs at Haydock.
He won the Sandy Lane Stakes with something to spare and will be tough to beat when he contests the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on Day 4.
A handful of new betting sites are offering odds of 15/8 for Little Big Bear to emerge victorious, which looks great value given the lack of top-class sprinters in the three-year-old division.
