Carlton House can raise the roof on Day 2 of Royal Ascot

By Stephen, bettingexpert.com | Published 00:01 20.06.2012

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The Queen's Carlton House is selected to land the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes, the highlight of a superb second day at Royal Ascot this afternoon.

Proceedings get under way with the Jersey Stakes at 2.30, where William Haggas can land this Group 3 with his exciting Sentaril. The Danehill Dancer filly made an unblemished start to her career when scoring twice over 7f in the spring, able to be eased off a long way out at Doncaster last time. She has bypassed the Coronation Stakes to take her chance here and is fancied to see off Reply and Valbchek.

The Windsor Forest Stakes at 3.05 looks at the mercy of Dermot Weld's prolific 5-y-o Emulous. She has won six of her last seven starts, rounding off 2011 by landing the Group 1 Matron Stakes, and made a successful return (for the second year running) in a Group 3 at the Curragh in May. Main danger comes from Roger Varian's globetrotting Nahrain who is sure to be primed after 229 days on the sidelines.

The feature race of the day at 3.45 sees 2011 runner-up So You Think setting a high standard, but he is far from bombproof and the value lies with Carlton House, who remains relatively unexposed at this trip. Sir Michael Stoute's star looked better than ever when winning the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown on his seasonal debut and is entitled to strip fitter for that pipeopener. At around 5-1 this morning he looks fantastic each-way value under the in-form Ryan Moore.

The Royal Hunt Cup at 4.25 has a typically wide open look to it, with luck-in-running sure to play a part as the 33 runners jostle for position across the straight. Dimension has course form here and is an upwardly mobile handicapper from an excellent stable. He finished second on his all-weather return and seems sure to be thereabouts if getting the breaks.

The Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at 5.00 brings together the best of the 2-y-o fillies seen so far and will be an excellent source of future stars. Tom Dascombe has hit a purple patch in the past fortnight and his impressive Sandown scorer Upward Spiral is a tentative selection in a race where a case can be made for 20 of the 27 runners. She showed a bright turn of foot up the hill there on fast ground and will appreciate the drying conditions.

The concluding Sandringham listed handicap is another headscratcher for punters, with perhaps Duntle the most interesting. She should have more to offer following her fourth in the Derrinstown at Leopardstown last time out and is fancied to reverse placings with Devotion. Esentepe, Ladys First and Switcher head the list of dangers.

In summary, a potentially treacherous day for punters where stakes should be kept to a minimum given the shape of the races. Carlton House is the sporting nap of the day, looking a solid each-way proposition against the consistently overrated So You Think.

Stephen's Wednesday Nap Carlton House 3.45 Royal Ascot

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