We pick out our day one Royal Ascot placepot tips as we assess a top-class racecard for Tuesday’s Festival feature meeting.
The opening day of the 2020 Royal Ascot Festival goes to post on Tuesday and many punters will be trying their hand at landing a share of the Tote Placepot which is always a popular bet at the big horse racing festivals.
Offering a chance to win big for a relatively modest outlay, the beauty of playing the Tote Placepot lies in the fact that selections don’t need to win the race; they only need to make the frame. Also, more than one horse can be selected per race; but while this increases the chances of winning, it also increases the punter’s stakes.
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WHAT IS A TOTE PLACEPOT?
The Tote Placepot involves the first six races of the meeting and the number of available places per race varies depending on the type of race and the number of runners. To work out how much stakes to pay multiply the numbers of selections together in each race. For example, if you have two horses in every race your permutation would be 2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 bets; minimum total stake for a Tote Placepot is £1 with minimum unit stake 10p.
Ideally to win big the favourites should fail to make the places and as a rule of thumb the more favourites who lose out the bigger the likely payout should be,
Ahead of Royal Ascot, The Tote have launched an excellent offer for new customers with a £10 risk-free first bet when signing up. Simply bet £10 on any Totepool bet – the Tote Placepot is an ideal bet – and receive £10 back in cash if the bet loses. For more details on the Tote new customer offer see this dedicated page on how to claim and also find out about the Tote SP price guarantee!
We’ve looked over the first day racecard and give our Royal Ascot placepot tips for the first day as we try to land a share of the Tote Placepot.
2020 ROYAL ASCOT PLACEPOT TIPS – DAY ONE SELECTIONS & PERMUTATION
1:15 Royal Ascot – Buckingham Palace Handicap Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 7f (4 places)
8 MUTAMAASIK – Has progressed with every start, winning four of his five outings with his latest coming at Doncaster last September where he beat The Great Heir by a short-head, showing a good attitude to battle back once headed. He’s not been seen since and he’s been overlooked by Jim Crowley but may have more to offer and a 3lbs rise for his last success looks very workable. Likely to continue to progress he can go close.
12 KAESO – Can usually be relied upon to run his race and has made the frame in three of four runs here, including in some valuable handicaps. He also won twice last term, scoring wins at Chester and Doncaster respectively, and he was beaten only a head in the International Handicap here last July. Only 4lbs higher here he should be spot on following his recent reappearance behind the likely favourite Daarik and off the same mark here he can post a big run back at this venue.
14 STRAIGHT RIGHT – Done all his winning on the all-weather and hasn’t fired in two starts on turf at this venue including in last season’s Wokingham Stakes. However Andrew Balding’s stable are flying at present and having won at Kempton in January he has had excuses in both subsequent starts and latterly blew the start when last seen at Wolverhampton in a Listed contest. Last win came from this mark and if able to replicate that form returned to turf for his in-form yard then he could go well.
1:50 Royal Ascot – Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m (3 places)
9 MUSTASHRY – Top-class performer at his best, winning last season’s Lockinge Stakes to add to an impressive haul of 2018 victories. Not disgraced in this race twelve months ago having arguably been unlucky prior to being swept aside by Enable in the Coral Eclipse although he rounded off last campaign with a Newmarket win. Has a course and distance win to his name and has gone well fresh in the past so looks capable of a big run.
15 BILLESDON BROOK – Upset the applecart with a surprise 2018 1000 Guineas win, but Richard Hannon’s mare has shown that success to be no fluke and the Champs Elysees mare continues to run with credit at the top level. She won three times last term including the Sun Chariot Stakes and will be sharper for a recent return behind Nazeef in a Kempton Listed contest so can improve for the run. Has raced predominantly against her own sex but steps into open company where she gets weight from all but one rival and should run well.
Mustashry could keep our Royal Ascot placepot tips alive in race two.
2:25 Royal Ascot – Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) Cl1 (3yo) 1m4f (3 places)
8 MISS YODA – Strong at the finish when winning the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial to take her winning record to three from four starts and John Gosden’s charge can find another jolt of progress. The Sea The Stars filly didn’t have things go to plan but she responded well to pressure having looked outpaced and she finished off really well to win readily and can continue to progress so has to be respected where she can go close.
9 PASSION – Might have needed the run when finishing fourth to Silence Please at Navan on her return, but with that under her belt she can improve for this step up in trip which should suit on breeding given she’s a full sister to St Leger winner Capri. She has winning form having struck at Cork last September and may have more to offer for her top yard which has won three of the last six runnings of the race.
3:00 Royal Ascot – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings) Cl1 (3yo) 1m4f (2 places)
1 ARTHUR’S KINGDOM – Ballydoyle second-string behind Mogul but has some strong form to his name having followed up a Gowran Park win with a near miss in a French Group One on his final start. Twice runner-up on quicker ground he should relish this stiffer test and the Camelot colt should give a good account with Frankie Dettori booked for the ride. He might have to play second fiddle to his more-fancied stablemate but no surprise to see him run well.
4 PAPA POWER – Winner of two of his three starts, all on the all-weather but the Nathaniel colt could find further progress and can go well switching to turf for his red-hot yard. His last win saw him readily beat Da Vinci at Newcastle, making all and barely coming off the bridle to land the win; that form hasn’t worked out and this is a big step up in class but he likely has further progress to come and can’t be dismissed if finding improvement.
3:35 Royal Ascot – King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Cl1 (3yo+) 5f (3 places)
2 EQUILATERAL – Stablemate of Battaash and ran well on occasions last term, winning at Doncaster having finished seventh in this race twelve months ago previous to that success. He took his form up a notch having been gelded to score in a valuable contest at Meydan and almost pulled off a double there on his next start. Has more to do upped in class but he goes well fresh and has been the subject of some encouraging reports. Overall profile is patchy but he can run a big race if turning up here with his A-game.
8 GLASS SLIPPERS – Steadily progressive last term before hitting top form with a bang, winning her last three starts which include the Group One Prix De L’Abbaye in testing conditions. She had proved quicker ground to be no hindrance when scoring on good ground on both previous runs and Kevin Ryan’s charge is a sprinter on the up who could continue to progress although there’s a slight suspicion the race fell apart in France and she might have been flattered by the win. Has to back up that performance but may have more to offer and she can pose a big threat to favourite Battaash.
Equilateral is one of two picks in the King’ Stand Stakes for our Royal Ascot placepot tips.
4:10 Royal Ascot – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m (3 places)
8 NAZEEF – Winner of four of her five starts last term, improving with every start and showing herself adept both on turf and on the all-weather. The Invincible Spirit filly was a wide margin Newmarket winner on her last outing on turf, and she warmed up for this by beating Billesdon Brook – who could frank the form earlier – on her return at Kempton earlier in the month. This is tougher upped in class but she will have a fitness advantage over several of these and sure to improve she ought to make her presence felt in the Tote Placepot finale.
ROYAL ASCOT PLACEPOT TIPS – SELECTIONS & PERMUTATION
3 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 1 = 48 Bets