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Channel: Horse Racing Tips from Channel 4 and RTE Racing Presenter Tom Lee » 22nd june
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Universal Appeal On Day Five Of Royal Ascot

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The fifth and final instalment of what has been a mighty Royal Ascot is upon us, and we’ll try and chisel out another winner or two to cap off a reasonable week.

Saturday’s racing will have to go some to better the quality on display on Friday, with Kiyoshi storming to the top of the 1,000 Guineas antepost lists in the Albany, Hillstar delivering on his abundant promise in the King Edward VII (and in doing so kiboshing a giant £100,000 wager struck with on course firm Starsports about Battle Of Marengo at even money), Sky Lantern powering clear in the Coronation to prove she’s top of the tree in the fillies Classic generation, and forgotten horse Forgotten Voice returning to the scene of his finest hour to win the Wolferton.

Breathless stuff, but there’s no shortage of potential excitement on day five, with a very evenly matched field of nine lining up over a mile and a half in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 3.05pm.

Unusually there literally isn’t a no-hoper among them, something the bookmakers love as it guarantees they can lay a bit of everything, but it’s not hard to see why they’ve promoted Ektihaam and Mount Athos to the front of the market.

Both are highly feasible winners at around 5/2 and 11/4, but at a far bigger price what is wrong with the freely available 9/1 about Mark Johnston’s Universal?

Comfortable on any ground, proven at Group 2 level, he possesses a strong finishing kick at the mile and a half trip, and is so progressive that a win here would complete a four-timer.

Entries later in the summer in both the King George and Irish St Leger hint at the esteem with which he is held by his shrewd trainer, and it strikes me that you get a lot of horse for your 9/1 each way investment.

His battling win in last month’s Jockey Club Stakes against Dandino (who re-opposes) was in the same race that a certain Al Kazeem won 12 months previously, and he hasn’t done too badly in three subsequent outings!

The Hardwicke is wide open, but it means we can back a potential star each way at a big price – take the 9′s with any of BetVictor, Coral, Ladbrokes or Paddy Power.

Just 40 minutes later the six furlong Group One Diamond Jubilee Stakes is the feature race on the final day, and at 12/1 each way with either Paddy Power or Ladbrokes a truly international affair can go the way of Irish contender Slade Power.

Owners the Power family have already won the other feature sprint of the week, with Sole Power denying Shea Shea in the King’s Stand on Tuesday, and I know they’re pretty keen on a similar performance to bookend the week.

It would complete a memorable week for trainer Edward Lynam, who has only had three runners all week, all of which have won – two at Limerick and Sole Power!

It’s Wayne Lordan rather than Johnny Murtagh who rides this time, but the draw has thrown up stall 17, so like Sole Power was, Slade Power is drawn high.

War Command dominated Tuesday’s six furlong Coventry Stakes drawn 15 of 15, and there shouldn’t be any complaints on that score.

Slade Power needs to step up on his bare form, but he’s been trained for this race and is well able, plus his stable are on fire.

A run to blow away the cobwebs in last month’s Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh is reported to have done him a world of good, and in another wide open race he’s worth a nibble each way.

Good luck!

Saturday’s best bets at Royal Ascot:

3.05 – Hardwicke Stakes – 9 Universal (each way) @ 9/1 (BetVictor, Coral, Ladbrokes or Paddy Power)

3.45 – Diamond Jubilee Stakes – 11 Slade Power (each way) @ 12/1 (Paddy Power or Ladbrokes)

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