Ascot Stakes betting tips at Horsebetting.com for the hotly competitive stayers’ handicap at Royal Ascot 2018 on Tuesday, 19 June say Chelkar and Meri Devie for Willie Mullins are to be considered. Coeur De Lion, meanwhile, is another dual purpose who could deliver from the yard of Alan King. Find out why these are fancied in the 2018 Ascot Stakes betting tips preview.Coeur De Lion can be a King maker at Royal AscotThe hotly-competitive 2m 4f Ascot Stakes has been dominated by National Hunt trainers plundering this class 2 Flat stayers’ handicap prize, and Alan King’s Coeur De Lion can see that trend continue at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, 19 June (17:00).
This five-year-old is a useful dual purpose horse who has been very unlucky to finish runner-up at this level on both his previous starts. Backers of Coeur De Lion will hope the third time and step up in trip will be the charm, especially given how he finished off his last outing. Coeur De Lion was gaining on the winner all the way to the finish in the Chester Plate Handicap at the Cheshire venue’s May Festival, and he’s only been put up 3lb by the handicapper to sneak into the Ascot Stakes off joint bottom weight.
Chester winner Look My Way re-opposes here, yet Coeur De Lion is 1lb better off his neck defeat and that, plus the longer distance, could easily be enough to see him turn the tables on that rival. Look My Way previously finished three-quarters of a length down on King’s charge when they met at Newbury and chased Melburn Cutler home. Coeur De Lion may well confirm that form here and gain compensation for just failing to get to there. There is definitely a stayers’ handicap to be won with this horse, so Coeur De Lion looks worth a crack to get it at the royal meeting.
Our 2018 Ascot Stakes betting tips advise you back any selection each-way with some bookmakers going five places on a typically wide-open renewal.New Closutton recruit Chelkar could be anythingChampion Irish jumps trainer Willie Mullins is once again mob-handed in what is becoming a familiar foray for him at Royal Ascot, and has a hugely unexposed entrant in recent French recruit Chelkar.
This five-year-old makes his debut for his new handler after joining from Jean-Claude Rouget’s yard and more than 600 days on the sidelines. While that may be cause for concern, Mullins is an absolute master of getting horses primed for a big race after lengthy absences. Look no further than Stayers’ Hurdle hero Penhill, who had 323 days off the track, before winning at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year, and Arctic Fire, who defied 418 days out of action to land the 2017 County Hurdle.
Connections clearly mean business with Chelkar, meanwhile, as top jockey Ryan Moore is booked in the saddle and presumably had his pick of Mullins’ mounts. This horse could be anything and he is already prominent in the market, having won three of his five starts in France back in 2016. If there’s further money for Chelkar, then that may well talk ahead of another possibly remarkable feat of training by Mullins.Meri Devie each-way value for Mullins tooAlso out to enhance her hander’s superb record of three Ascot Stakes winners in the last six renewals is Mullins’ dual purpose mare Meri Devie. One advantage this five-year-old has over her four stablemates is she’s already proven at the trip under National Hunt rules. Her career best in this sphere came last time out when winning a Grade B handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival over 2m 4f.
After racing in mid-division, Meri Devie took closer order and chased the leaders going third before the last. She challenged between horses and asserted herself well in the closing stages under Rachael Blackmore. It was a taking display, especially since Meri Devie was giving weight to horses down to sixth in the finishing order. Those Punchestown exploits have earned her an official hurdles rating of 147, but she sneaks into the Ascot Stakes off joint-bottom weight and a Flat mark of 91.
That may be underestimating Meri Devie’s ability – not least because she’s rated 10lb higher in National Hunt than Coeur De Lion, so looks thrown-in. She’s a clear Ascot Stakes contender and each-way value with those five places on offer.Your Next Bet
