Top tips for Day 3 at Royal Ascot - Gold Cup and Ladies Day

Estimate will run again in this race this year and the Michael Stoute mount will again be ridden by Ryan Moore, the same combination who took victory a year ago. Horses that have previously taken victory in the Gold Cup often run well the following year and Estimate is a decent each way bet at 7-1.

The strong favourite in this race is Aidan O’Brien’s horse Leading Light who was the victor of the St Leger towards the end of the 2013 flat season as well as taking a comfortable win in his reappearance at Navan in May. Leading Light also took victory in another race at Ascot last year. The only negative is there is there is no form over 2 miles. With odds of 11/8, it is a well-backed favourite.

Brown Panther is currently 2nd favourite and has a famous owner in Michael Owen representing the stable of Tom Dascombe. Brown Panther has taken victory in 2 races this season and has been a consistently good horse over the last 2 years.

Other horses taken part include last years 2nd place horse Simenon who was beaten by a neck. Simenon is trained by Willie Mullins, one of the best trainers in jumps racing, but he has success with flat horses, and Simenon is one of his best. Simenon has not been in the best form since the end of the UK flat season and has travelled the world with little success and thus has a big price of 8/1.

Tac de Boistron will take a run at the race as long as the ground does not get too firm, and is a 10/1 price after his 2nd in the Yorkshire Cup. There is also form there with a win at Ascot in April as well as a 2nd place in a Group 1 race at Longchamp over the same distance.

Selection: Estimate (e/w)

Selections for Day 3 of Royal Ascot (live on Channel 4):

.30 – Norfolk Stakes – The Great War

3.05 – Tercentenary Stakes – Cannock Chase

3.45 – Ribblesdale Stakes – Bracelet e/w

4.25 – GOLD CUP – Estimate E/W

5.00 – Britannia Stakes – Idea

5.35 – King George V Stakes – Wrangler